Loyd Carrier
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The Loyd Carrier was one of a number of small tracked vehicles used by the British and
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forces in the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
to transport equipment and men about the battlefield. Alongside the Bren, Scout and Machine Gun Carriers, they also moved infantry support weapons.


Design and development

Development of the Loyd Carrier proceeded rapidly due the use of many parts from other vehicles. The chassis, engine, gearbox, torque tube and front axle were from the 15 cwt 4x2 Fordson 7V truck. The track, drive sprockets, and
Horstmann suspension Horstmann suspension, also known as Horstman, Vickers-Horstman and rarely Slow Motion, is a type of tracked suspension devised by British tank designer John Carden and worked into a production design by engineer Sidney Horstmann. First used ...
units were the same as the
Universal Carrier The Universal Carrier, a development of the earlier Bren Gun Carrier from its light machine gun armament, was one of a family of light armoured tracked vehicles built by Vickers-Armstrongs and other companies. The first carriers – the Br ...
. The brake drums and back plates were designed specifically for the Loyd. The bodywork was made from
mild steel Carbon steel is a steel with carbon content from about 0.05 up to 2.1 percent by weight. The definition of carbon steel from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) states: * no minimum content is specified or required for chromium, cobalt ...
to which armour plate - 'BP Plate' (from "Bullet Proof") - was bolted to the front and upper sides, depending on application. The engine was at the rear, with the radiator behind, rather than in front. The transmission took the drive forward to the axle at the very front where it drove the tracks. Both the front drive sprockets and idlers, which were sprocketed, at the rear of the tracks were fitted with brakes, actuated by a pair of levers by the driver. To turn the vehicle to the left, the brakes were applied on that side and the Carrier would slew round the stopped track. The upper hull covered the front and sides but was open to the rear and above. As the Carrier was not expected to function as a fighting vehicle, this was not an issue. To protect the occupants from the weather, a
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tilt could be put up. This was a standard fitment from the factory. PartsBook The Army tested the Loyd Carrier in 1939 and placed an initial order for 200 as the ''Carrier, Tracked, Personnel Carrying'' i.e. a personnel carrier. Initial deliveries were from Vivian Loyd's own company. Production moved to the larger firms, including the
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and
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, with 13,000 built between them, and Dennis Brothers Ltd, Aveling & Barford and
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. Total production of the Loyd Carrier was approximately 26,000.


Service


Second World War

Early in the war, the TT along with the TPC variants were part of the standard equipment of
Royal Engineer The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...
Chemical Warfare Companies. Most of the Chemical Warfare Companies were disbanded or repurposed in 1943 in order to free up their 4.2 inch mortars for desperately needed conventional use by infantry divisions in-theatre. The mortars and supporting equipment were attached to each division's machine-gun battalion in company strength. By far the most notable use of the Loyd was in the TT (Tracked Towing) configuration, where it pulled the 6 pounder anti-tank gun from the 1944 Normandy landings to the end of the war. There are many wartime photographs of Loyds in action in Normandy, and a number were photographed destroyed in the well-known battle of Villers-Bocage in 1944. The Loyd Carrier was also paired with Caterpillar D8 tractors in service with
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME ) is the maintenance arm of the British Army that maintains the equipment that the Army uses. The corps is described as the "British Army's professional engineers". History Prior t ...
for tank recovery - the Carrier carrying spare equipment for the tractor.


Post-war

Both
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and the
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bought Loyd TTs from the British Army; they were still in Belgian Army ownership up to at least 1963 as engine rebuild plates have been seen with this date in original Belgian vehicles. A Belgian variant was the CATI 90 (''Canon antitank d'infanterie automoteur 90mm''), a self-propelled gun in use from 1954 to 1962. The vehicle served in infantry units with a paired ammunition carrier. Some vehicles were sold on into private ownership for farming use. A 1941 No1Mk1 TPC with a ploughing conversion still exists in Nottinghamshire, UK. A number were placed as targets on Belgian ranges.


Variants

Loyd carriers were available in three "numbers", which were available in two "marks"; all manufactured during wartime, and varied in the type/sourcing of the Ford V8 sidevalve engine they were powered by: * No. 1 - British Ford V8 engine (21 stud) and gearbox * No. 2 - US Ford V8 engine (24 stud) and gearbox * No. 3 - Ford Canada V8 engine (24 stud) and gearbox The two marks were: * Mark I - Bendix brake system * Mark II - Girling brake system


Roles

There were not many differences between variants, mainly seating and armour plate location: ;Tracked Personnel Carrier (TPC) :Equipped with a front bench seat and seating for troops on the track guards. Frontal and full side armour fitted. ;Tracked Towing (TT) - Initially known as 'Tractor Anti-tank, MkI' :Equipped with four single seats and ammunition stowage on the track guards. Used for towing 4.2 inch mortars, or 2 pounder or 6 pounder anti-tank guns and carrying their crews. Frontal and front quarter armour fitted. The main variant by number manufactured. ;Tracked Cable Layer Mechanical (TCLM) :A vehicle for
Royal Corps of Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communications an ...
work. No armour fitted. ;Tracked Starting and Charging (TS&C) :Equipped with a front bench seat, 30 volt and 12 volt DC generators driven from the gearbox layshaft and battery sets to support armoured regiment tanks. No armour fitted.


References

* * *


Further reading

*


External links


Mapleafup.net


{{WWIIBritishAFVs World War II armoured fighting vehicles of the United Kingdom World War II armoured fighting vehicles of Canada Tracked military vehicles Military vehicles introduced in the 1930s Armoured personnel carriers of WWII Tracked armoured personnel carriers