Civil Defence Units up to 1980's
Austin Loadstar, Civil Defence Rescue Truck. Galway
Photo thanks to Frankie Dolan
John Curran has kindly sent us the following information on the above Civil Defence truck.
I remember this particular vehicle as it was in Ratra House (Phoenix Park
training centre) until the early 70's. It had latterly been used as a "gas
truck", i.e. to train personnel in the donning/use of gas masks, but had not
been used for a long time in that capacity. It is painted in the later livery
of the Austin Rescue trucks (which were originally dark green) but I don't
think that it had been used as such. The registration is from 1951/2 but I
think that the truck is much older than that or it may have been at the end of
production of that type.
The reg. is right in the middle of a large
batch of army vehicles introduced in the early 1950's with ZL 12xx
registrations, which included AEC Matadors, jeeps and trucks. Another
possibility is that a sizeable fleet of these Fords were bought from the UK
during the Emergency (don't mention the War!) complete with fire pumps,
identical to those in service in the UK and this could be a survivor of that
fleet, with box body fitted, which may have necessitated a change of reg. no.
I remember this particular vehicle as it was in Ratra House (Phoenix Park
training centre) until the early 70's. It had latterly been used as a "gas
truck", i.e. to train personnel in the donning/use of gas masks, but had not
been used for a long time in that capacity. It is painted in the later livery
of the Austin Rescue trucks (which were originally dark green) but I don't
think that it had been used as such. The registration is from 1951/2 but I
think that the truck is much older than that or it may have been at the end of
production of that type.
The reg. is right in the middle of a large
batch of army vehicles introduced in the early 1950's with ZL 12xx
registrations, which included AEC Matadors, jeeps and trucks. Another
possibility is that a sizeable fleet of these Fords were bought from the UK
during the Emergency (don't mention the War!) complete with fire pumps,
identical to those in service in the UK and this could be a survivor of that
fleet, with box body fitted, which may have necessitated a change of reg. no.
Morris Fg " Mobile Canteen Unit" Civil Defence Unit " WELFARE "
Cork City Civil Defence used this "Mobile Canteen Unit" on a recruitment campain in the 1970's. Photo Copyright Cork Civil Defence.
Austin Loadstar " Rescue Truck" Civil Defence Unit " RESCUE "
Near the end of it's days RIK 687 ,1958 Austin Loadstar standing in the yard of the old central fire station at Main Street Drochaid Nua. It was stationed at Nelsons yard, Mounthawkins, Athy.
Commer " Ambulances " Civil Defence Unit " CASUALTY "
A pair of 1961 Civil Defence Commer Ambulances, AZC 687 and AZC 678 at the Military Parade, O'Connell Street, Dublin.
Easter Sunday 1969.
Photo copyright
John Curran.
Morris Fg "Mobile Canteen Unit " Civil Defence Unit " WELFARE "
"Mobile Canteen Unit" at Drimnagh, Dublin 1972
Photo Copyright
John Curran.
Austin Loadstar "Rescue Truck " Civil Defence Unit " RESCUE "
ZU 4982 , 1954 Austin Loadstar Rescue Truck at Cork City
Austin Loadstar "Rescue Truck " Civil Defence Unit " RESCUE "
ZU 4996, 1954 Austin Loadstar Rescue Truck at the Military Parade, O'Connell Street, Dublin.
Easter Sunday 1969.
Photo copyright
John Curran.
Morris Fg "Mobile Canteen Unit " Civil Defence Unit " WELFARE "
EZE 183 Morris Fg Mobile Canteen Unit ex Cork Civil Defence , Preserved in Athy.
Photo Copyright
Martin Thompson
Line up in Cork City
Morris Fg Mobile Canteen Unit TYI 523 and Austin WE EZE 8
Flatbead. at Cork City Civil Defence
Line up in Cork City
ZU 4982 1954 Austin Loadstar Rescue Truck and 1961 Commer Ambullance AZC 684 at Cork City Civil Defence.