Poached from another forum -
Going on memory.
I think from your description that it is possibly one of the early radiography process trailers that were in service for EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) use in the late 1960's until the late 1980's.There was possibly a Mk2 of them in the late 1970's early 80's that remained until the early 90's. There was no medical application for them that I am aware of.
They were used by Royal Navy (Clearance Diving Branch) Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal (33 Engr Regt EOD) and the Royal Air Force (EOD now 5131 Bomb Disposal Sqn). I don't think that they were in use by the RAOC EOD (Royal Army Ordnance Corps) now part of the RLC.
The X Ray equipment carried on another vehicle was either "Scan Ray" or "Gamma Mat" there was possibly another as well, both of these contained a pretty potent source that was exposed at the target!
The other X Ray equipment was the portable "Inspector"a small USA made machine generating its own x rays designed originally for medical purposes, car crash victims etc, it was utilised first with wet plate but later polaroid film. The Inspector was limited in its capabilities.
The trailer was really a mobile darkroom used for wet process developing of X Ray plates with images of the insides(Location and type of Fuzing) of large thick cased weapons (Sea Mines, Air Dropped Bomb etc) we would also develop and print black and white film of objects as well. The trailer was usually towed by a GS 109 Land Rover. There were internal lights, an electric heater element for the water and a light box for viewing and interpreting the developed film plate.
I cant remember for sure now if it had its own internal battery(s) charged from the vehicle, I can't remember ever having to connect to a generator
The use of Polaroid film to produce an image starting in the mid 1970's and now of course Digital equipment rendered the wet film process obsolete, as you can imagine speed is critical in the initial analysis. I don't think that more than about 20 / 25 were built for use by all three services including the RE TA EOD Sqns at the time. Most of the use was purely in training (Cold War Era) although I have been involved operationally using this type of equipment.
This is probably a a "rare" example in a true sense, I can't see many surviving now with the internal fittings intact, I would think most would have been stripped out. Would like to see some images please if possible
Not sure if I should have asked permission to use this!
