SCRUFFY BUT SOLID!

Most people are familiar with the ‘Green Goddess’ Bedford fire engines of the Auxiliary Fire Service which were commissioned by the government during the Cold War as civil defence vehicles, in readiness for a nationwide response in the event of a nuclear attack. These were not the only vehicles on the AFS/Civil Defence fleets, however, which included mobile Control Units, Communication Units, Auxiliary Towing Vehicles, Hose Layers, Foam Tenders, Transportable Water ‘Bikini’ Units, Food & Drinking Water Carriers, Mobile Kitchens, Spare Clothing Carriers, Petrol Carriers, Recovery Vehicles, Ambulances, Land Rover and Austin Gipsy Command Cars, Motorcycles, Utility Vans and the humble Personnel Carrier. Many of the latter were long wheelbase Bedford CAL Utilabrakes converted by Martin Walter Ltd. of Folkestone, who were of course famous for their Dormobile conversions, but…