Can anyone tell me what the black, upright rectangular things sticking out from the upper corners of the windscreen of this RAF Land Rover are please?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11870020@N08/2604181279/sizes/l/
At first glance I assumed they were mirrors, but they seem too high up. They also seem to have electrical wires leading to them so suggest lights of some sort. But they don’t look much like lights.
They only seem to appear on RAF Land Rovers and I’ve only ever seen them on Series 1 vehicles.
Anyone know?
By: Derbyhaven - 18th October 2012 at 09:20
All the 80″ Land Rovers that were supplied to the MoD were fitted with semaphores. By the time they were supplied, which in the RAF’s case was early 1950, the extra two seats were standard fittings – they were only options on the very first vehicles in 1948.
Lucas semaphores were original equipment but they were often replaced in MoD service by other makes such as Trico. The semaphores were in a vulnerable position – there is no check strap on the door so if a door was allowed to swing open through 180 degrees with the indicator arm sticking out it would neatly break it off.
By: geoff browne - 17th October 2012 at 23:36
The Land-Rover in the picture is an 80 inch model,semaphore indicators were a factory option,as were the middle and passengers seats.
By: aerovet - 17th October 2012 at 22:58
There is another strange modification: the steering wheel is on the wrong side of the vehicle (at least compared to my own LR) 😉
Aerovet
By: Bob - 17th October 2012 at 22:38
Churchill’s Series 1 landy, that’s up for auction, has them fitted too…
By: MarkG - 17th October 2012 at 16:06
Well done chaps. Here they are,
Thanks. Mystery solved!:)
By: MarkG - 17th October 2012 at 16:03
Of course! I hadn’t thought about trafficators I must admit. That does make sense as these Series 1 jobs don’t seem to be fitted with indicator lights at all.
Although the first photo I linked to was of a restored Rover, they also appear on period photos too such as,
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v684/fv1620/36AA21.jpg
http://danielnutt.com/USERIMAGES/popoutlandrover.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v684/fv1620/App1450.jpg
http://www.rafmountainrescue.com/photopost/data/577/medium/27Ken_Arts_-_RAF_Topcliffe_MRS_-Landrover_1950s.jpg
By: spitfireman - 17th October 2012 at 16:01
Yes, I agree.
Here’s one that’s been thoroughly updated with indicators in the same position.
By: N.Wotherspoon - 17th October 2012 at 15:51
They look like after-market trafficators that were fitted to many vintage cars that did not originally have indicators – this style are often seen on vintage commercial vehicles.
By: Arabella-Cox - 17th October 2012 at 15:50
Semophore trafficators?
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October 17, 2012 at 3:03 pm
