One of Many

 The Royal Army Service Corps During WW2

General

Explanation of terms used in connection with supply in the British Army during W.W.II.

Supplies

This term includes items of:- food, forage, petroleum, lubricants, hospital supplies, disinfectants, fuel for cooking and heating, and lighting devices.

Stores

This term includes war material other than supplies above.

Ordnance stores. - These include personal and unit equipment, armament and small arms, ammunition, explosives, engineer and signal equipment , tanks, armoured cars and carriers, tractors, clothing, personal accessories, camp equipment, office supplies, workshop materials, and all mechanical transport vehicles other than those which are the direct responsibility of the Royal Army Service Corps - - (see RASC Function below)

Engineer stores.- These consist of material and equipment required for engineer work of all kinds, whether carried out by engineers or by other units.

Transportation stores.-These cover materials and equipment which are specific to the transportation services, but are not provided by other services.

RASC stores. - These include mechanical transport vehicles for RASC, spare parts, and the materials and equipment for their repair.

Medical and veterinary stores.- These include drugs, dressings, medical and veterinary instruments, and appliances.

Transport

This term can be used in a general way to denote the driver, vehicle, and equipment necessary to make the vehicle mobile. It can also be used to denote the organized unit, formation, or service branch whose main duty was the transportation of troops, stores, and supplies.

The Function of the R.A.S.C

The RASC was charged with the responsibility for the storage and issue of stores and supplies. This also included the responsibility for certain phases of their transportation, including the vehicles assigned for that purpose, and for the administration of barracks and quarters. It supplied the daily needs of the soldier, by supplying food, ammunition, petrol and lubricants, for all normal and battle requirements

General Organisation of the R.A.S.C

The RASC was organised into two branches, supply and transport, which were co-ordinated under a directorate, the head of which, a major general (Director of Supplies and Transport) (DST).

The supply and transport services, under the DST, are controlled by the Quarter-Master-General (QMG)

The supply branch was responsible for the supply of food, forage, fuel, light, disinfectants, medical supplies, petroleum and oils for vehicles.

The transport branch charged with the provision, operation, of all vehicles in RASC units or driven by RASC personnel, and with the provision of spare parts, miscellaneous mechanical transport stores (MT stores), and materials, equipment, and tools required in the operation and maintenance of these vehicles. The maintenance and repair of these vehicles was shared by the RASC and Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME).

Transport.

In the First World War the Corps operated about 90,000 load carriers and 35,000 light vehicles and motorcycles. At the end of the Second World War the number of vehicles in depots and units was nearly 1,500,000, and of those with units roughly 40 per cent were in the hands of the RASC.

These numbers owed much of its existence to the Canadian and the United States motor industries. As the war progressed an ever growing proportion of vehicles were of North American origin.

In 1941 a start was made on a complete reorganization of the transport units of the Corps, adopting as sub-units the platoon and section, almost exactly comparable in size to the infantry platoon and section, thus producing a unit whose size was immediately appreciated by officers (especially staff officers) of other arms, and one, moreover, which could be switched readily to an infantry role when required.

A section comprised of seven vehicles, with a section commander mounted normally on a motorcycle. The platoon consisted of a headquarters which included a platoon officer, a platoon sergeant and a fitter and four sections. The total strength of the platoon was 30 vehicles. This platoon was not only the exact counterpart of the infantry platoon but also, if equipped with 3-ton lorries, it could carry in one lift the marching portion of an infantry battalion. This made troop carrying a simple matter to plan and execute. Mobile workshops were similarly organized on a platoon basis.

The company consisted of a headquarters, one or more workshop platoons, and as many transport platoons and composite platoons as were necessary for it to fulfil its role.

Workshop Platoon, 519 Company, 46 Division

TEANO, ITALY

The previous photographs show vehicles and workshop capabilities of a Workshop platoon in the field, with a Mobile workshop visible in the second photograph.

Workshop Lorry

This was a 3 ton, 6 wheeled workshop, on a Leyland Retriever chassis. The body had a flat floor, with tubular steel superstructure and a canvas cover. Centre sections of the body could be double folded so could act as extra floor space and folded again would act as work benches, for working from ground level. A 7.5kw generator was provided as well as drilling machines and a lathe. (some of these can be seen in the 519 WS platoon photographs).

3-Ton Four Wheel Drive GS Lorry

As seen in the previous photograph (centre right, and left back {ref. 552775}. The body was fitted on a Bedford QL chassis, with a flat floor except for the rear low wheel arches. A steel superstructure, and canvass cover were detachable if required. The cab was enclosed in steel panels with seating for 1 passenger and a driver. A spare wheel was carried behind the cab.

The overall length was 19ft 8in, width 7ft 5in, and height 9ft 9in. This lorry was used for cross country work with the advantage of the 4 wheel drive.

3-Ton General Service Lorry

Photograph (centre left) shows the type of lorry without the engine cover in place. This lorry was the general purpose workhorse of the British army. It was mounted on a Bedford OY chassis, and had a flat floor with detachable hoops and canvas. The cab was steel panelled and seated two.

The overall length was 20ft 5in, width 7ft 2in, and height 10ft 2in and was also provided on a Bedford OX chassis

Bedford OX above and OY below

The OY design was adapted to take special low pressure tyres and to give adequate clearance for moderate cross country work. A 6 cylinder engine, capable of 43 mph or 40 mph governed, had a fuel consumption of 7.5 mpg. And a tank capacity of 38 US gallons.

The tyres used on the Bedford QL chassis in the previous Teano photographs are found to be the Dunlop Cross country "Trak" type according to the tread design when the area is enlarged.

A D.U.K.W 353 2.5 ton, 6 X 6 AMPHIBIAN

A 2.5-ton, six-wheel amphibious vehicle used during amphibious operations. Its primary use was to ferry ammunition, supplies, and equipment from supply ships in transport areas offshore to supply dumps and fighting units at the beach.

The DUKW (an acronym based on D-model year 1942, U-amphibian, K-all wheel drive, W-dual rear axles), called "duck," was shaped like a boat. It had a hollow airtight body for buoyancy and used a single propeller for forward momentum. The vehicle was capable of carrying 25 soldiers and their equipment, an artillery piece, or 5,000 pounds of general cargo. At sea the vehicle could maintain a speed of 5 knots, and on land it could go 50 miles (80 kilometres) per hour.

The vehicle was first used in "Operation Husky," the invasion of Sicily in 1943.