ÿþ<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"> <html> <head> <title>Austin K2 Auxiliary Towing Vehicle</title> <meta name="description" content="Strathclyde Fire & Rescue Preservation Group appliance, Austin K2 Auxiliary Towing Vehicle"> <meta name="keywords" content="strathclyde,fire,preservation,group,rescue,ayeready,heritage,vintage,wheeled,glasgow,scoosher,goddess,firefighting,pumpescape,appliances,cheapside,street,disaster,glasgow airport,dennisf8,light6"> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <link href="../styles/styles.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"> </head> <body> <div id="layout"> <!-- Top Banner Start --> <div id="header"> <div class="FloatL"> <a href="../index.htm" title="Home"><img src="../images/site/sfrlogo.gif" width="370" height="128" alt="Strathclyde Fire &amp Rescue Logo" border="0"></a> </div> <div class="FloatR"> <img src="../images/site/PresGroupLogo.jpg" width="293" height="128" alt="Strathclyde Fire &amp Rescue Preservation Group Logo"> </div> <div class="both"></div> </div> <!-- Top Banner End --> <!-- Navigation Start --> <div id="navbar"> <ul id="main-nav"> <li><a href="../index.htm" title="Home Page">Home Page</a></li> <li><a href="../aboutus.htm" title="About Us">About Us</a></li> <li><a href="../appliances.htm" title="Group Appliances"> Appliances</a></li> <!-- <li><a href="../chairmans_report.htm" title="Group Chairmans Annual Report">Chairmans Annual Report</a></li>--> <li><a href="../cheapside_street_50_years.htm" title="Commemorating The Cheapside Street Disaster - 28th March 1960">Cheapside Street 50 Years On</a></li> <li><a href="../contact.htm" title="Contact Us">Contact</a></li> <li><a href="../events4.htm" title="Events We Are Attending">Events</a></li> <li><a href="../featured.htm" title="Featuring Specially Selected Events and Appliances">Featured Events and Appliances</a></li> <li><a href="../guestbook1/sfrpg_guestbook.html" title="Why Not Sign Our Guest Book">Guest Book</a></li> <li><a href="../imagegalleries.htm" title="View Image Galleries">Image Galleries</a></li> <li><a href="../links.htm" title="Some Relevant Links You May Find Interesting">Related Links </a></li> <li><a href="../manuals.htm" title="Hand Operated Fire Appliances">Manuals</a></li> <li><a href="../media-section.htm" title="Our Work With The Media">Media Section</a></li> <li><a href="../projects.htm" title="Active Restoration and Preservation Projects">Projects</a></li> <li><a href="../st_mungo.htm" title="The St. Mungo Fire Boat">The St. Mungo Fireboat</a></li> <li><a href="../steamers.htm" title="Steam Powered Appliances">Steamers</a></li> <li><a href="../trailer_units.htm" title="Miscellaneous Trailer Units">Trailer Units</a></li> </ul> </div> <!-- Navigation End --> <!-- Page Content Start --> <div id="content"> <!-- Actual Content Start --> <!-- Appliance top navigation start --> <div id="ApplianceNavContainer"> <ul id="ApplianceNavList"> <li><a href="GGX_689.htm" title="Austin K2 Hose Reel Tender"><< Previous</a></li> <li><a href="DGD_213X.htm" title="Bedford Fire Witch Water Tender Ladder">Next >></a></li> </ul> </div> <!-- Appliance top navigation end --> <h2 class="centered">GGX 583<br>Austin K2 ATV</h2> <img class="centered" src="../images/appliances/GGX_583_1rd.jpg" width="600" height="440" title="Austin K2" alt="Austin K2 Auxiliary Towing Vehicle"> <p> This 1941 Austin K2 Auxiliary Towing Vehicle is still in it s original grey and has not been converted to a Hose Reel Tender like a lot of other Auxiliary Towing Vehicles. The K2 was built on a 2 ton chassis and powered by a 24hp six cylinder petrol engine. It had a square open backed body with bench seats up each side with stowage space underneath them. A 30 foot 2 section extension wooden ladder was carried on the roof. A K2 can be identified by the six wheel nuts on the front wheels whereas the K4 had eight wheel nuts. This ATV was preserved by Douglas Currie and displayed in 1983/84 at the Dumfries & Galloway Vintage Machinery Show. At some point it was also owned by Elizabeth Shearer, Kilbrook, Wamphray, Moffat. </p> <p> National Fire Service Before the Second World War there were 1,400 different fire brigades nationwide. Some brigades would leave their own areas with no cover to help out others. On August 18th 1941 N.F.S. was formed. Britain was divided into 11 regions made up of 33 fire areas; all brigades in a fire area were grouped into one force with an area commander. The chief commander in London had full control. In 1944  45 N.F.S. men attended every doodle bug attack in London, dealing with fires, salvage, rescue and evacuating the homeless. During the war London brigade alone dealt with over 50,000 incidents and the London region had 42,000 men and over 10,000 vehicles. This vehicle an Austin K2 A.T.V. was built by what is now British Leyland. They were put to many uses, Radio Trucks, NAAFI mobile canteens, Cargo Trucks, This one is an Auxiliary Towing Vehicle, when in full service it would tow a Trailer Pump with the crew and equipment inside. </p> <!-- Actual Content End --> </div> <!-- Page Content End --> <!-- Footer Start --> <div id="footer"> &copy; Strathclyde Fire &amp; Rescue Preservation Group </div> <!-- Footer End --> </div> </body> </html>