Hi Steve,
We are all in the same boat here on service history for the Series vehicles. When they were sold off, the policy was to destroy the logbooks, so any history is very hard to find. Worth asking though, I'm hoping that some in service photos of my 2As will one day surface.......
For the rear 'scone cutters', they were not designed to carry anything really, they are there just as bumpers to protect the rear body.
The 2A Radio and Topo Survey vehicles had modified versions that carried Jerry cans, and this became standard for the Series 3 in a different design.
Good to see another shorty around, any photos?
Cheers,
Mike.