Emergency Vehicles

Details: Category: Emergency; Last Updated on Tuesday, 05 April 2011 18:51; Written by Site Admin; Hits: 9156

Ambulances

Military Series I

The MoD began to use Land Rovers as military ambulances from 1954, when a small number of vehicles were ordered by the RAF for airfield crash rescue use. These were produced on the 107" chassis, designated FV18005 Truck 1/4 ton Ambulance Special. They were designed to carry either two stretcher patients or up to eight seated casualties. The vehicles were so successful that they were soon in service with the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm. The army got its own fleet of vehicles designation type FV18008 Ambulance 2-Stretcher 107". The rear body of these vehicles were slightly modified, the height was reduced and the vehicle became shorter than the FV18005.

Military Series II

The first of the MoD Series II 109" ambulances were produced by Mickleover Transport, subsequent vehicles were produced by Marshalls of Cambridge. Both were designated type FV18044. The specification for these vehicles called for the height to be lowered from that of the Series I:- this was to allow it to be flown inside RAF transport aircraft of the day. A distinctive chamfered lower rear body was introduced which gave increased departure angle to improve off-road mobility. Like its predecessors the vehicle was designed to carry either two stretcher patients or up to eight seated casualties and any medical attendants were shut in the back until the vehicle reached its destination.

Military Series IIa / III

The conversation coachwork was again by Marshalls utilising the 109" chassis these vehicles were designation FV18067. The vehicles benefited from the addition of front and rear anti-sway bars. The distinctive chamfered lower rear body continued from the predecessor as did the rear compartment being closed off from the drivers cab, and the payload capacity was still to carry either two stretcher patients or up to eight seated casualties. The second batch of vehicles produced from 1964 saw the introduction of 2 high level foldout rails:- these were fitted to take a second pair of collapsed stretchers. The Territorial Army were known to be still using Series IIa vehicles as late as 1997. The Series III version used the same body shell as the Series IIa. Both types continued in service side-by-side.

Series IIa ambulance.

General service vehicles were also utilised for ambulance use. Known as Forward Area Ambulances, these had two stretcher frames fitted over the rear cargo compartment, an extended canopy was used to cover the patients. F.A.A.s were only used to get casualties from the front line to more suitable vehicles or first aid posts.

101 Forward Control

The 101 inch 1-tonne was introduced in 1975, and in the early 80's MoD stored cab/chassis 101's were converted to ambulance variant. The conversion was done by Marshalls of Cambridge. The 101 became very popular and much in demand in the ambulance role with the military. This vehicle could accommodate 4 stretchers and was equipped with a self-contained air purification system. These vehicles complemented the more traditional Land Rover Series ambulances, rather than replacing them. The vehicles saw service in Kuwait and the Balkans with British peacekeepers and served long after the replacement 127" vehicles were available.

101 FC ambulance.

Range Rover

The Royal Navy used Range Rover crash rescue ambulances at it's Fleet Air Arm stations. Range Rover ambulances were produced by a few 'approved' specialists, including Pilchers, Spencer Abbott, Wadham Stringer and Herbert Lomas. The vehicles below is based on the more common 110" stretched chassis.

Range Rover Ambulance.

Wadham Stringer Range Rover Ambulance

This Range Rover is one of the pre-production 'Velar' vehicles and it was the first to be stretched and converted to an ambulance. The ambulance body was built by Wadham Stringer. It was owned and used by the British Red Cross until 1991. YVB 158H was purchased by Dunsfold in 2001. Many original Velar features still exist like the smooth dash and aluminium bonnet.

Range Rover Ambulance Number 1.

Jim Fraser wrote:

I can remember driving this ambulance (pictured above) for a few years when it was the mainline ambulance at the Lode Lane Land Rover plant.

At that time it had a large transfer on the front doors showing the Rover viking ship logo and stating ( The Rover Fire and Ambulance Service), it was a great vehicle to drive especially on blue light runs up to the local A&E at Solihull and around the the test track were P6, P5 and Range and Land rovers were tested after leaving the assembly tracks, this track was replaced with the SD1 factory and paint shops.

During the construction of the SD1 plant we used to drive through two foot of mud and slime to attend to construction workers with injuries, it coped and drove well over this sort of terrain.

Overall it was a great machine to drive and use. It was replaced by a Sherpa ambulance conversion (no comparison).

Also we had various SWB and LWB land rover fire appliances which were replaced eventually by a leyland terrier appliance (again no comparison).

During my 12 years as a serving fireman driving these vehicles I have many fond memories of driving wonderful 4x4 appliances. If anybody has any information on the whereabouts of any other ex-Rover factory appliances then I would love to hear about them.

135" Lomas Range Rover Ambulance

Nick Steggel got in touch with us about his family's RR ambulance. The vehicle is a 135" wheelbase Herbert Lomas ambulance, based on the already stretched Lomas 110" ambulance. The original base vehicle was a 100" Range Rover chassis cab. (Spencer Abbott were sub-contracted by Land Rover to do the 110" chassis conversions in quantity.) It is believed to be the only five door Herbert Lomas ambulance based on the five door RR. It uses the Rover 3.5 litre V8 engine to get about, and has been converted into a campervan on the inside. Currently it is left hand drive, but it is believed to have been built as a right hand drive machine, then converted for use in Saudi Arabia as a test vehicle.

Range Rover Ambulance.

90, 110, 127 & 130 Defender

The St. John's ambulance service use Defender based vehicles within its fleet; the coachwork conversion is carried out by Macclesfield Motor Bodies International (MMBi). Such vehicles were pressed into service during the 2004 Boscastle flooding when the local ambulances could not cope with the harsh conditions. The MoD Defender ambulance fleet was based on the 127" wheelbase. These vehicles were bigger, faster, more comfortable and more practical than their predecessors. It was almost possible for the attendant crew to stand upright in the back and access was now possible between the driver’s cab and the rear of the vehicle. A partially tinted window ran along the right side of the rear of the vehicle and large square tinted windows were set in each rear door. They were designed with a rear to accommodate three stretchers or to seat eight although the seating was still more realistically suitable for Six. These vehicles were widely operated by the RAF and the Royal Navy although a small number served with specialist army units. Some Royal Navy vehicles had the rear compartments kitted out to meet different specifications. At least two batches of very similar vehicles were produced based on the later Defender 130 chassis. The two-piece angular front panel over the cab can be used to identify these vehicles from the earlier 90-110 vehicles.

Red Cross Ambulance at Abingdon. 110 ambulance in the snow.
Defender 110 based ambulance. 110 ambulance on the moor.
110 in the snow.

Wayne wrote:

Here is a pic of our 110 ambulance conversion. I have no idea on who did the conversion but it was owned by St John from three years old, then two private ambulance companies and finally us. We have fitted a 200 Tdi unit and up rated shocks and springs.

110 Ambulance.

MMB International 110 Ambulance

Greg Wrote:

I owned a rare 2dr 110 ambulance converted by MMB International. This variation, is the light weight GRP Hi Top roof, which adds approximately 30.5cm to the interior height. 'Lizzy' was first registered in 1984 and had four previous owners. The vehicle now resides in the USA, soon to be converted to a camper.

MMB Ambulance

Greg Chin's MMB International Ambulance

Pulse

The Defender 130 XD, code-named Pulse.
In 1996 Marshall Specialist Vehicles was awarded a contract to supply new field ambulances to the British Army. The vehicle is powered by the 300 Tdi engine, with permanent four-wheel drive and five forward gears. It is based on a 130" wheelbase version of the XD (Wolf) Range Rover derived chassis, not the civilian Defender chassis. The Pulse is mechanically identical to the Wolf except for its upgraded suspension. The Dutch Marines were the first armed forces to take delivery of the vehicle, closely followed by the MoD. The Pulse has now replaced all but a few of the 127" ambulances in British Army service. The Turkish company Otokar also builds a home-grown version of this vehicle.

XD 130 Pulse ambulance.

Mountain Rescue Defender.

If you can help us out with more information on any of these vehicle types, please do so.
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Ambulance pictures

FC 101 Ambulance.