Red Warrior Coaches
Red Warrior Coaches
My great uncle owned Red Warrior Coaches around World War II time in Birmingham.
Thought you may like to see some images from the family archive!!!
I cannot help with any captions for the vehicles I'm afraid, but if any can feel free.
Paul Young
05/2014
11/05/14 - 08:25
Re. photograph 3. 65 Hurst Street was subsequently used by Worthington Motor Tours/National Travel Midlands. Did Red Warrior sell out to Worthington or did Worthington move into suitable facilities vacated by Red Warrior?
Philip Rushworth
Details lifted from the PSV Circle Fleet History PD16 (c1977).
Photo 1:
Unidentified. Can anyone suggest a chassis or body make?
Photo 2:
OG 2164 was a Leyland Tiger TS2 (chassis 60775) with an East Lancs C32 body new in June 1930. Sold to Percival's (Oxford) by June 1937, to the War Dept by February 1941 then to Davis Luxury Coaches (London E16) from March 1944 until March 1945.
Photo 3:
EOB 318 was a Leyland Tiger TS8 (chassis 17563) with a Burlingham C32F body new in April 1938. Passed to the War Dept in July 1940 then to Northern Ireland Road Transport Board (Belfast) as R535(re-registered GZ761). Renumbered R656 in October 1943 then to R56 in 1957. Withdrawn 1961.
Photo 4:
BON 610 was a Maudslay SF40 (chassis 5266) with a Burlingham C37F body new in July 1935.
It was one of the six vehicles which passed to Worthington's in May 1947 along with the business and premises.
It only lasted until 1948 and was sold to Quinton Coaches of Birmingham in April 1949 and finally to Enterprise Coaches of Newbury from May 1952 until December 1953.
Dave Farrier
15/05/14 - 07:25
When I saw the mystery single-decker I thought "Ah---Morris-Commercial" because of the rear hub, but nothing else seems to point that way. In David Kaye's "The British Bus Scene in the 1930s" there's an AJS Pilot with what looks like the same hub, but again there's nothing much else that's similar. It must have been a proprietary axle that was bought in by several makers. As M-C and AJS were both Midland makers, could our mystery bus be of Midland build too?
All that apart, fascinating gallery!
Ian Thompson
15/05/14 - 09:44
Ian's comment about AJS is interesting. The Pilot model does show some similarities to the mystery machine, but the front axle of the Pilot seems to have been set rather further forward: www.historywebsite.co.uk/
Roger Cox
15/05/14 - 09:47
Looking at the list of 27 other vehicles owned by Red Warrior, excluding Leylands and AEC Regals, the coaches of that size that could be possibles are:
VP 5451 a Karrier CL4 with 26 seat body, new in 1929, sold in 1931.
VP 8889 a Karrier GKL with a 32 seat body, new in 1929, sold in 1931.
AOB 509 a Fordson V8 with a Willett C20F body, new in 1934, but probably too short.
Over to the radiator specialists.
Dave Farrier
15/05/14 - 09:57
This may help.
Peter
15/05/14 - 17:42
I am sure that Dave is right - it is a Karrier CL4. Peter's enlargement does suggest that the registration is VP 5451, and the radiator is very like that in other pictures of this model. Notably, the dark 'speck' near the top of the side tank is not a mark on the print. It was a feature of the radiator of the CL4, the CL6 six wheeler and the double deck DD6.
Roger Cox
15/04/16 - 07:39
EOB 318 was sent to the Royal Army Service Corps at Gosford Castle, Co. Armagh to provide transport for troops reacting to a German invasion. When the threat disappeared the Unit was disbanded and the vehicle went to the Northern Ireland Road Transport Board in 1943 as No. R535 and re-registered GZ 761. It was renumbered R656 in October 1943 and rebodied with a standard NIRTB B34R body in 1947. In October 1948 NIRTB became UTA and R656 would eventually be renumbered to R56 in 1957. It was scrapped in 1961.
Sister vehicle EOB 315 also joined the RASC at Gosford and became NIRTB R534 (GZ 760), becoming R655 in 1943 and would be rebodied in 1946 with a 34 seat NIRTB body. It was withdrawn in 1955 and scrapped.
EOB 319 also joined the RASC at Gosford and became NIRTB R537 (GZ 763), renumbered R658 in October 1943 and would also be rebodied in 1946 and withdrawn in 1955.
Bill Headley
15/04/16 - 08:59
Philip - sorry to digress slightly, but your mention of Worthington coaches sends me into a fresh shiver after 62 years !! I'll explain - when we joined the RAF for National Service we had our first week at RAF Cardington (Beds), the famous airship base. Then we were posted to one of five recruit training camps, the horrendous No. 11 School of Recruit training at Hednesford on Cannock Chase for me. Transport was in a fleet of brand new Bedford SBs of Worthingtons - weren't they a fawn or salmon colour ?? - little did we visualise that the journey was to be our very last bit of comfort of any kind for eight weeks !!
Chris Youhill
20/04/16 - 07:14
It would appear that a total of 8 Red Warrior vehicles were given to the Military and ended up with the RASC at Gosford.
NIRTB Q360 COX 961 ex Young, Birmingham 11
Q362 COX 963 14
Q365 COX 960 13
R510 EOB 320 ex Young, Birmingham - no number
R513 EOB 316
R534 EOB 315
R535 EOB 318
R537 EOB 319
These would be re-registered GZ 904/5/8; GZ 737/40/60/1/3 and be renumbered Q621/2/5; R649/52/5/6/8 in October 1943.
Rebodies:
Q360 - as Q621 NIRTB B34R - wdn -/55
Q362 - as Q622 Park Royal L53R - renumbered Q22 -/57 and withdrawn -/60
Q365 - as Q625 not rebodied - renumbered Q25 -/57 and scrapped -/61
R510 - as R649 NIRTB B34R -/45 - withdrawn -/55
R511 - as R650 NIRTB B34R -/47 - withdrawn -/59
R534 - as R655 NIRTB B34R -/47 - withdrawn -/55
R535 - as R656 NIRTB B34R -/47 - renumbered R56 -/57 and withdrawn -/61
R536 - as R657 NIRTB B34R -/45 - withdrawn -/55
R537 - as R658 NIRTB B34R -/46 - withdrawn -/55
All were sold for scrap.
This is just one small part of many vehicles requistioned during the War and shows the vital part that Red Warrior/Youngs contributed to the war effort
Bill Headley
22/11/18 - 07:25
As a follow on to the Red Warrior vehicles which were impressed by the Military Authorities, I have tracked down this image of former EOB 318 which became R535 and re-registered GZ 761 with the Northern Ireland Road Transport Board. In October 1943 it would be renumbered R636 and again to R56 in 1957 before being withdrawn in 1961. It would be rebodied with a standard NIRTB B34R body in 1947. It is pictured here at the NIRTB yard at Duncrue.
Bill Headley
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Old Bus Photos from Saturday 25th April 2009 to Wednesday 3rd January 2024