The Mark 12A in service at RAF Brize Norton

History of the Marks

Super User Carmichael Mark12A 11 June 2020

Mark 7 to Mark 12A and beyond

On other posts I introduced you Peter Mitrovitch’s photos. They are so informative that I was inspired to create this photo history of MOD fire engines. I will start it with a duplicate of the previous page as the header to this article.

From what I can see in the photos, I assume that the Mark ? designation is an MOD identifier as the manufactures shown in the photos include Bedford, Dennis, Simon, Carmichael, Scammell / Gloster Saro, Unipower, Thornycroft, and latterly Rosenbauer.

A photo of what was to become my Mark 12A can be found at Fire Engines Photos together with a later photo of my Mark 12A at the War and Peace Show 2007.

The in service photo was taken in 1990 at RAF Brize Norton by Peter Mitrovitch and is reproduced here with his kind permission.

Peter also pointed me to his Flickr collection of superb photos of fire engines, buses and planes. They can be found at WestwardPM.

His photos demonstrate an extensive history of military fire engines.

The photos below are links from Peter’s Flickr site. The first is a photo of a Mark 8 on a Bedford RL chassis cab. It is vaguely similar to the Green Goddess, the colloquial name for the Bedford RLHZ Self Propelled Pump, of the Auxiliary Fire Service. For comparison you could look at this site, this site, or this site.		Caption on header photo as on Fire Engines Photos site. Mk12a, 10AY98 RAF Brize Norton This Mark 12a is seen at RAF Brize Norton during August 1990. As far as I am aware it was the only Mark 12 delivered to the Royal Air Force and differed to Royal Navy Mk 12's by having a high access hydraulic turntable ladder.
		Click on an image to open the original on Flickr in a new window, together with many other fine photos.
28 AJ 25, RAF Chivenor Truck, Firefighting, Foam, Mark 8.Bedford RLHZ3. RAF Chivenor, May 1990


Mark 9, 30 AG 84: June 1988. Thornycroft Nubian Major, Mark 9, seen at RAF Brize Norton. Borrowed from RAF Lyneham due to serviceability problems with the Mark 11's at Brize Norton.		28 AJ 49, RAF St Mawgan, Feb 1996 Thornycroft Nubian Major, Mark 9. Airfield Crash Truck. A long term resident at RAF St Mawgan. One of three Mk 9's at St Mawgan and seen here during Feb 1996.


27 AJ 13, RAF Marham Thornycroft Nubian Major Mark 9. Airfield Crash Truck. RAF Marham June 1996.


Mark 10, 48 AJ 62. RAF Chivenor Truck, Firefighting Foam, Mark 10, RAF Chivenor, May 1990		Mark 10E, 48 AJ 62, RAF Chivenor The same vehicle seen 6 years later with a new cab, now designated Mark 10E, RAF Chivenor, May 1996.


02 AY 20, RAF Manston Truck, Fire-fighting, Mark 11 (Scammell/Gloster Saro). RAF Manston, July 1989


Mark 12, 93 RN 90: Predannack, November 1989 A Royal Navy Mark 12 Crash Truck at Predannack, Cornwall. The RN School of Aircraft Handling (Now RNSFDO) used the many retired airframes at Predannack for training.		Mark 12, 93 RN 89. May 1988 Recently delivered Scammell / Carmichael Mark 12. RNAS Culdrose. 93RN90 in the background.


82 RN 91, RNAS Culdrose Carmichael MFV, RNAS Culdrose, July 2009.		82 RN 93, RNAS Yeovilton Carmichael MFV, RNAS Yeovilton, 4th May 2010.


Carmichael MFV2, 38 AY 93 In action at RAF Northolt, 30th September 2010.		Carmichael MFV2, 38 AY 93 RAF Northolt, 30th September 2010.


Newquay Airport: 'Rosenbauer Panther' Crash Truck 'Crash 2' Oct 2008.		YK 08 DWY, Newquay Airport, 4th August 2008 'Crash 3', one of Newquay's brand new Rosenbauer Panthers


Brand new Panthers 4 days after handover, 4th August 2008 Panther Pair at Newquay Airport, still using RAF facilities prior to the completion of the new Fire Station.		Newquay Airport, new Fire Station, Feb 2010
All of the above photos and captions are by Peter Mitrovitch and are all rights reserved.