Austin K-Series, Canal Army Bus Service.
The Austin bus shown below was used on an hourly service between Fayed and Ismailia, Egypt, close to the Suez Canal. A note on the back of the photo suggests that, at the time, this was the only proper bus used on that route, the other vehicles being lorries. The Austin - possibly a K2 - is in the livery of the Canal Army Bus Service (C.A.B.S.).
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The K-Series lorry was introduced by Austin in 1938, with models ranging from 30cwt to 5 ton payload. Known unofficially as the Birmingham Bedfords, they bore a strong resemblance to the O-Type lorries produced by Bedford. Many were built during WW2. The 2/3 ton K2 series were often used by the Army as ambulances, and also by the Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS). The K3 was rated as a 3-tonner, while the four-wheel-drive version of the K3 was known as as K5. Largest was the K6, used, for example, by the RAF as fuel bowsers on airfields.
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Production continued into the post-war years, with large numbers of K2 (3-ton) and K4 (5-ton) chassis rolling off the lines. Was the bus used by the Canal Army Bus Service a locally-bodied job, or was it built here and shipped to Egypt?
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Return to Page 14 in the classic & vintage vehicle photo gallery.
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