1940 Wagon at Ju88 crash site - any purpose or identity please?

[billy_anorak59]

In October 1940, my father witnessed the shooting down of a German Junkers Ju88 at Bromborough Dock on the Wirral by 3 Hurricanes from 312 squadron, Speke.

It was supposedly 'the fastest kill' of the Battle of Britain.
This photograph is an enlargement of an image taken at the time.. In the background is a most peculiar wagon - it looks like a 3-plank or similar, but has a flat
platform over the top, and for the life of me, I can't come up with an explanation of what it is and what is it for. Was it a wartime thing?

 

Just wondering if any of the wagon experts can tell me - no reason really, just for interest, as one of those lads standing on it could have been my Dad (he was 13 at the time).

 

If it helps, that wagon is stood on sidings that were part of the internal railway of Lever Brothers, and my Dad once told me that those sidings were used for tipping waste (He's no longer with us, so unfortunately I can't confirm that). Any ideas appreciated.

[Mark Saunders]

It looks like a medium with a platform added!

[Joseph_Pestell]

The perspective looks slightly off for the platform to be on the wagon. And it would be massively out-of-gauge.

 

I think that the wagon may be standing in front of the structure they are standing on.

 

Edit: Taken another look. It is on the wagon. But it has a distinct slope to it. I wonder if it might be used as a ramp to load something onto a train from a high platform.

Edited November 12, 2018 by Joseph_Pestell

[TheSignalEngineer]

Looks like a Great Western DC brake handle at the right hand end.

[billy_anorak59]

 Edit: Taken another look. It is on the wagon. But it has a distinct slope to it. I wonder if it might be used as a ramp to load something onto a train from a high platform.

 

Thanks for the reply - you may have something there - could it be a hastily knocked up platform to take the aircraft away on? - the ground there was reclaimed from the River Mersey and wasn't too stable for heavy loads to get to.

This is the area in question (circle where the aircraft ended up - Mersey to the top):

 

 

Although a crane did get to the site - maybe just for recovery to the wagon?

 

 

Hmm, thinking about it - a bit of a long shot, that.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

...Taken another look. It is on the wagon. But it has a distinct slope to it. I wonder if it might be used as a ramp to load something onto a train from a high platform.

 Or a handy / purpose made piece of decking being moved to the site for the recovery could it? Is the crane truck in post 5 standing on something of the sort?

[Wickham Green]

In October 1940, my father witnessed the shooting down of a German Junkers Ju88 at Bromborough Dock on the Wirral by 3 Hurricanes from 312 squadron, Speke.

It was supposedly 'the fastest kill' of the Battle of Britain.

This photograph is an enlargement of an image taken at the time.. In the background is a most peculiar wagon - it looks like a 3-plank or similar, but has a flat

platform over the top, and for the life of me, I can't come up with an explanation of what it is and what is it for. Was it a wartime thing?

 

Just wondering if any of the wagon experts can tell me - no reason really, just for interest, as one of those lads standing on it could have been my Dad (he was 13 at the time).

 

ju002blowup.jpg

If it helps, that wagon is stood on sidings that were part of the internal railway of Lever Brothers, and my Dad once told me that those sidings were used for tipping waste (He's no longer with us, so unfortunately I can't confirm that). Any ideas appreciated.

Tunnel Inspection vehicle comes to mind ........ but what would it be doing there ???

[Fat Controller]

Perhaps a wagon to enable people to work on the lower reaches of loading hoppers? Earle's Cement Works had a Covhop modified to work on theirs, and I have seen similar vehicles elsewhere.

[The Johnster]

Out of gauge for main line work, certainly, and the chassis looks pretty ancient; my money is on a Unilever internal user and either a modification for this particular recovery or some other purpose of Unilever's devising.  

[Steamport Southport]

Tunnel Inspection vehicle comes to mind ........ but what would it be doing there ???

 

Only a few miles away from the Mersey Railway. A pretty big tunnel there.

 

If it is a tunnel inspection unit and they needed it for some reason then I'm sure they could get it quite easily.

 

 

I would think that getting a virtually intact German bomber was a bit of a big deal in 1940. Most of them would have blown to pieces.

 

Have you tried Fort Perch Rock Museum? As well as bits of planes, I think they have quite extensive archives.

 

 

 

Jason

[billy_anorak59]

I know a fair bit about the action Jason, I've researched it quite a bit - and you're right, this particular aircraft was a big deal, as it had a new type of bomb sight that the RAF were extremely keen to get their hands on. Thanks for the thought.

[boxbrownie]

Dad’s army shooting wagon, it has gaps under the platform for shooting from and a sloped roof for rain drainage......just pure speculation but it’s the kind of contraption they got up to.

[PhilJ W]

Thanks for the reply - you may have something there - could it be a hastily knocked up platform to take the aircraft away on? - the ground there was reclaimed from the River Mersey and wasn't too stable for heavy loads to get to.

This is the area in question (circle where the aircraft ended up - Mersey to the top):

 

aerialofsite3.3crop.jpg

 

Although a crane did get to the site - maybe just for recovery to the wagon?

 

Locator1.jpg

 

Hmm, thinking about it - a bit of a long shot, that.

The crane looks like a Thorneycroft, as per RAF recovery set. A temporary road would have probably been laid to spread the weight. The tail of the aircraft appears to be supported on a trestle as part of the recovery process.