Phillips of Shiptonthorpe - Commer Avengers

I recently acquired a batch of photographs purporting to be vehicles from the fleet of Phillips of Shiptonthorpe in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Amongst them were to photos of Duple-bodied Commer Avengers GJV 34 and SOV 372. Phillips ran many Avengers, but neither of these vehicles appear in any published fleet lists.
Both photographs are copyrighted, so I cannot put them online, but Birmingham registered SOV372 is seen parked next to a Hawker-Siddeley Aviation Pantechnicon. Mr Phillips is Known to have acquired 3 double deckers and a Bedford OB from Hawker-Siddeley in the mid-sixties, and I can remember a lorry with Hawker-Siddeley name being dumped in the field behind the garage (with the OB) in 1978. It seems very likely to have been with Phillips, if only for spares-does anyone know the history of this coach?
I am more sceptical about GJV 34, which was new in Grimsby about 1955. Again-does anybody have a history for this coach?

David Hick

19/01/13 - 06:27

I have just bought the same photo of SOV 372 along with a batch of Phillips photos, I also did not know it was with them ----- SOV 372 was a 1955 Commer TS3, T85A0259, with Duple C41F body it was in use in the Hull area by Brekkes (D&D) Ltd, fish curers & fish merchants of William Wright Dock, Hull. they acquired it from Marshall, Blackpool in 1970 it was withdrawn 6/72 and replaced by GNT 969 OB/Duple which came from Phillips in by 6/72, so its likely that SOV was a part-ex for GNT and not for use.
GJV 34 is a Commer TS3, T85A0261, Duple 1062/25 C41F body new to Applebys, North Somercotes in 3/56 and withdrawn by them in 3/73 & broken up, I do not believe this was ever with Phillips, again I have just bought this photo and it came with the Applebys batch.
I hope the above is some help.

Mike Davies

19/01/13 - 10:06

Thank you very much Mike I didn't expect so comprehensive a reply. The GJV photo didn't look quite right in either the appearance of the vehicle or the location of the photograph, the SOV photograph had more of a "Phillips" look to it and I think that you have probably summarised the circumstances of its acquisition correctly an interesting part exchange. Many thanks.

David Hick

20/01/13 - 04:54

Hi Mike & David, I have no record of SOV 372 or GJV 34 in my Phillips fleet list, is this reference to being owned by Phillips definite, please, Mike? If so, I need to add it to my list, kindly amplified by David, for which many thanks. Also reference to Brekkes is very topical as I was employed there between 1967 and 1980, and I saw a number of vehicles come and go, to my regret I never recorded details of any of them. D&D stood for Dishman & Degnan, a small fish merchant acquired by Brekkes. The buses were used by Bekees Ltd, and not the acquired company. They were used to transport the, mainly female, staff between Wm Wright Dock and outer areas, mainly Bransholme and Orchard Park areas, where many of the fish dock workers were removed to on demolition of the slum housing along Hessle road. I'm sorry that this is somewhat off the OBP track, but it is interesting to know what happened to the vehicles.

Keith Easton

20/01/13 - 14:12

Hello Keith, as I said to David, I did not know SOV 372 was with Phillips but with a bit of detective work its seems likely, on the photo of SOV, mine came from PM Photos (who have asked not to post any of them) in a batch of Phillips views, it is parked next to a large van in Hawker Siddeley livery, I photographed 51 LYH 285 with the same van behind it many years ago, I think David will agree its the same van, this van and a large trailer appears in several Phillips photos. With Brekkes acquiring OB GNT from Phiilps to replace SOV it seems to fit, as Clive Phillips did buy a good few buses that he parked in is field and never used.
Going off course a bit here but I have details of 4 Brekkes buses.
SOV372 TS3/Duple by 1970 to by 6/72 to Phillips
GNT969 OB/Duple 6/72 to by 10/73
808BWR SUL/ECW by 10/73 to -?-
NFE440 SC4LK/ECW by 7/73 to 8/75-this was involved in an accident 8/75 and was disused on their Brighton Street Premises 20/8/75

I have sent photos of Phillips 51 next to HS van, and GNT with Phillips before going to Brekkes and two view of Phillips yard taken from the old Hull to York railway, most of theses buses are out of use, the ones parked near the buildings may be in use, and there was another yard to right of this full of disused buses, the HS van can be seen on the right along side the main building. So I am going with SOV372 being acquired by Phillips.

Mike Davies

28/01/13 - 08:23

Just to add to the info already shared - SOV372 was new in 1955. In June 1960 it passed to Richards, Moylgrove. November 1963 it went on to McKenzie, London SE27.
I am currently writing the story of Richards Bros for publication and would love to include a photo of this bus if anyone has one.

Les Dickinson

02/11/14 - 06:59

I have a few notes on vehicles acquired by Phillips over the 1965 to 1972 period:
SOV 372 arrived from Cross & Hankins, Hibaldstow 13/1/69
Further vehicles acquired but not used by Phillips in this period were:
RGX 164/98/99 Bedford SBG buses acquired at a Nottinghamshire auction 21/12/65
YTC 408 Commer Avenger III/Duple acquired from L Brown (Embassey Coaches), Crawley 9/12/67
ROH 200 Leyland TC/Duple acquired from E J Baker & Co (Dorking) Ltd, Bordon (dealer) 18/11/68
JHL 709 AEC Reliance/Roe acquired from Bexlyheath Transport Co Ltd, Bexleyheath 23/12/70
I remember the last three being there but not sure about the ex Government Bedfords.
MLN 763 another Bedford/Mulliner Bus was acquired from the York 'A' Group Hospital Management Committee, York 26/7/66 but was not licensed until December 1967.

Mike Pearson

02/11/14 - 15:28

What's the thing pictured in front of the Hawker Siddeley truck?

David Call

05/11/14 - 09:00

The "thing" is LYH 285, Phillips fleet no 51, a Morris CV11 with a 17-seat Jones Brothers body, an ex government vehicle.

I think that one of the RGX batch of Bedfords passed to Silverline Caravans at Full Sutton who ran a 4-strong fleet of staff buses by early 1978. At this time the Bedford was a store at the factory-it may never have been used on the road by Silverline.

David Hick

25/01/15 - 06:23

I have been reading through the above entries, and it seems that we have two alternative acquisition dates for SOV 372, 1969 from Richard, Moylgrave, or by 6/72 from Brekkes, Did this coach actually pass from Phillips to Brekkes, and then back to Phillips?

David Hick

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