ARN for Austin Champs

[STDDIVER]

Dear All - I am seeking information on where to find ARN for a specific Austin Champ.  It has a "Ministry of Supply" plate on the firewall.   I am specifically seeking information on Chassis 9281 - which I know served in WA.  Contract No 6/VEH/5531  - Vehicle No 92BE81 - Truck 1/4 Ton 4 x 4  C. T.   Austin F.F.W.  FV180_  A/1_  (The underscores means the stamping is indecipherable).  Census cannot read.      - Has a bonnet unit marking painted on - Square, Red top half over could be blue in equal halves, with a white 72 thereover.  Headquarters?  Perhaps?  Any dates of service or other information keenly sought. 

All help gratefully received -

STDDIVER 

[Carzee]

there is an arn block for champs from 104-350 thru 104-749 (1955?) but the engine numbers and chassis numbers look to be all 5 digit, all around 15xxx. Thats the first I found there may be others. How many champs did Australia purchase?

FV180 -is that a MOD (uk) rego number?

[Carzee]

Here is a typical page.

[Mick_Marsh]

there is an arn block for champs from 104-350 thru 104-749 (1955?) but the engine numbers and chassis numbers look to be all 5 digit, all around 15xxx. Thats the first I found there may be others. How many champs did Australia purchase?

FV180 -is that a MOD (uk) rego number?

FV180 would be the vehicle designation.

[303Gunner]

Dear All - I am seeking information on .. a specific Austin Champ.  It has a "Ministry of Supply" plate on the firewall: Truck 1/4 Ton 4 x 4  C. T.   Austin F.F.W.  FV180_  A/1_  (The underscores means the stamping is indecipherable).

All help gratefully received -

STDDIVER

The Austin Champ had the British Military designation FV1801A. All UK vehicles had an FV code number, meaning "Fighting Vehicle".

What leads you to believe it served in WA? A Tac Sign or plate? There was a motor industry personality in WA who imported a large number of 2nd hand Champs to that state, and as a result that's where many seem to turn up today.

[Mike C]

Aust Army Austin Champs had chassis number in the 15XXX and 16XXX range.

Thanks to Gus Gower's good work on Champs, some details of your Champ are available:

Chassis number WN1-09281 was  British Army Champ, registered number 92BE81. Those built in 1955 range approximately from chassis 8277 to 11732, so yours in an early 1955 production FFW version. That fits with the change from CT to GS designation. The 'CT' designation means Combat Truck. This was altered to GS (General Service) in mid-1955.

The British Army vehicle designation is the FV1801A/1 for the Austin Champ Fitted for Wireless (FFW). (The cargo/personnel Champ was the FV1801A).

Original engine number was 61010. This is a Rolls Royce B-40 No.1 Mk5A model.

It was disposed of from British Army base Ruddington, near Nottingham,UK, in mid-1966. 

Unit sign: Red over Blue horizontally divided is the Arm of Service colours for an artillery unit. 72 is the unit number code for a particular unit within a formation, but I do not have a listing for the British Army. To work out which particular unit the vehicle was assigned to you would also need to find the Formation sign.

303Gunner is right: looks like you have one of the imported Champs.

Have you thought of joining the Austin Champ Owners Club (ACOC)?  Very big pool of Champ knowledge there. http://www.austinchampownersclub.com/

Mike

[STDDIVER]

Thanks Mike, Mick and Ross for the help and excellent advice.  The information comes from the third owner and is believed to be accurate.  The vehicle was used in WA in the Australian Army as an officer's transport.  Where and when is the question.  There are books with the vehicle but these are believed to be service manuals and the present owner is looking to find any Australian Army documentation that he may have.  I will persue the link to the Champ owners.   I note the Australian Army colours refer to HQ - what would that structure have been in 1955?  and 72?   

My appreciation and thanks     
   STDDIVER

[303Gunner]

The Aust Army bought the first 400 new in the early 1950's, and supplemented that order with an additional 400 used vehicles from the British Army in the late 1950's. However, by 1963, they were already selling them off as surplus: Dept of supply ad.

Archie Marshall imported 100's of disposed UK Champs into WA from '67 to the mid '70's until he was closed down by Federal import regulations. As there is documented evidence that your vehicle was released in Britain in 1966 it CANNOT have been used by the Australian Army, and it would have never had an ARN. It is quite likely to have been one of the Archie Marshall imports, and while it is no doubt entirely possible that a masochistic Army Officer purchased one privately, but he would have not been permitted to use it officially (with it's civvy number plates!).

As noted by Mike above, a tac sign of Red over Blue denotes an Artillery unit, not Headquarters.

[STDDIVER]

Thanks Gunner - something doesn't add up but as they say more research ... by the way check out HQS0001 - interesting --  https://www.army.gov.au/sites/g/files/net1846/f/ucp_-_hqs_series.pdf

[303Gunner]

That site is for current Uniform colour patches; worn on the shoulder or hatband. No relation to Vehicle Arm of Service colours applied to vehicles from the 40's to the 80's.

[303Gunner]

There's a few versions of the Champ getting around, and they're always a staple listing in Shannon's auctions. Virtually each variant has a different rear body and canopy arrangement.

Pics below are of the FV1801A GS, the FV1801A/1 FFW, and the FV1801A/2 Stretcher carrier (this vehicle is verified as Ex-Aust ARN 104-597, but has been modified with a hard roof). Shannon's don't always list chassis or engine numbers, so it is not possible to ID Ex-Aust Army vehicles without physical examination.