Trans Arabia /S. Jones of Aldridge:A few pics

That’s better , glad your back Wirlinmerlin I tried to bring you back on line ? And when I failed I thought bloody hell he must have lost his Wallet down a rabbet warren ? Yes I remember that drive in the shimmering sands !! I will now confess I thought it was possible to go under the Tonkers they appeared to be floating on air !! Or was I just getting my own back because you purchased that box of spuds you know ! It was Full of cockroaches ,the Villa was over run in a seconded, that has been tattooed on my brain ! Hey Martin I have just thought of my old mans Saying , you got as much chance of doing that , of getting a pound of best butter up a wild cats arris with a red hot hat pin!! was that something like the op you had ■■? That certainly would bring tears to your eyes , Hope the pain was worth it ! Thinking on its got to be worth it its the only pleasure we all live for ,you more than most lucky lucky Wirlinmerlin Ron

Yes, agree that it’s great to see Merlin back on form.

Muchas Cohones Ron!

I had a similar incident with Martin Wass who worked at Adaasco, our agent in Jeddah. I was owed some money from a company in Yanbu for a load I’d done for them. Martin offered to take me in his car one Friday to get it.

Exactly the same - two tonkas side by side. Martin seemed caught like a rabbit in the headlights. After shouting like Merlin a couple of times I reached over and wrenched the wheel to the right and we shot into the desert!

This was a common occurrence on Saudi roads then. In my story ‘Iskenderun’ I describe a more unfortunate outcome, but I can think of a few other occasions.

The car transporter trailers were at least 60’ long, maybe more. One was overtaking me just before Hofuf Corner on the way to Riyadh. Toyota Landcruiser coming the other way. I heaved hard on the brakes to let the transporter past. Unfortunately he also braked. I hit the accelerator at exactly the same time as him. He and the Toyota driver made the same decision at the same time to head for the desert. They hit head on with a huge bang off to my left.

I kept going! If I’d stopped it would have been my fault.

Oh and your ‘more chance’ reminded me of one of Geoff Collins’s sayings - ‘you’ve got more chance of getting a back scuttle off the Queen!’

John

Car transporters this one was carrying Mini buses ,60 ft + turning right at the end of the port rd Damman it was the biggest one I had seen !! This was a D /decker What made me remember it was it was on its side ■■ I had never seen so much glass on the road , there must have been 10 mini buses on this transporter brand new all white the unit was just a 4 wheeler and had not long happened , head on crashes on a straight strip of tarmac seems unlikely but it was the norm ! The reason I think was the change over from the Camels to trucks ,the trucks always got the Bump !!! I have a photo of a this very scene from JP , He said the desert was hard enough to get round , I was driving down the Aljubale rd and An Arab came down of the slip road , he lost it, he came straight across the duel carriageway heading straight for me at great speed I slammed on the anchors and he just mist me spinning off into the desert he escaped out of the windscreen. I thought it was my lot !! Wirlinmerlin it was not our time to go together ha ha Ron ps Robert 1952 absolutely fine

ronhawk:
Car transporters this one was carrying Mini buses ,60 ft + turning right at the end of the port rd Damman it was the biggest one I had seen !! This was a D /decker What made me remember it was it was on its side ■■ I had never seen so much glass on the road , there must have been 10 mini buses on this transporter brand new all white the unit was just a 4 wheeler and had not long happened , head on crashes on a straight strip of tarmac seems unlikely but it was the norm ! The reason I think was the change over from the Camels to trucks ,the trucks always got the Bump !!! I have a photo of a this very scene from JP , He said the desert was hard enough to get round , I was driving down the Aljubale rd and An Arab came down of the slip road , he lost it, he came straight across the duel carriageway heading straight for me at great speed I slammed on the anchors and he just mist me spinning off into the desert he escaped out of the windscreen. I thought it was my lot !! Wirlinmerlin it was not our time to go together ha ha Ron ps Robert 1952 absolutely fine

Cheers! :smiley: Robert

North creek Jeddah messing about on Benzagr pad in the blue sea with white corral glistening In the shallow water, little fishes of every colour just swimming around , we where in the sea more than out, the red hot sun was trying to burn the skin of our backs .then a big hydrofoil came slowly by the Arabs with women on board, they where looking at our bronze body’s with envy I might add ■■ Jonnie Rider took the perfect shot with his newly acquired Pentax camera !!! The craft stopped ■■? One of the Arabs pointed to JR , he looked round they don’t mean me do they beckoned to him to go over to them , go on John they mean you there going to lock you up , we shouted ,well he waded out with his boots on ,we all thought if he gets on board he will rip the skirt up on the boat with his hob nail boots !! It was great he was holding his camera up high with the sea coming up to his arm pits almost falling stumbling on the corral sea bed ! He got along side and they took his camera off him and ripped out the film It was brilliant JR. Was a caricature with his little moustache ! He looked like a poor mans Gilbert Roland ! That’s got you guessing ! Photo thanks to Jona early days Trans Arabia Ron

ronhawk:
North creek Jeddah messing about on Benzagr pad in the blue sea with white corral glistening In the shallow water, little fishes of every colour just swimming around , we where in the sea more than out, the red hot sun was trying to burn the skin of our backs .then a big hydrofoil came slowly by the Arabs with women on board, they where looking at our bronze body’s with envy I might add ■■ Jonnie Rider took the perfect shot with his newly acquired Pentax camera !!! The craft stopped ■■? One of the Arabs pointed to JR , he looked round they don’t mean me do they beckoned to him to go over to them , go on John they mean you there going to lock you up , we shouted ,well he waded out with his boots on ,we all thought if he gets on board he will rip the skirt up on the boat with his hob nail boots !! It was great he was holding his camera up high with the sea coming up to his arm pits almost falling stumbling on the corral sea bed ! He got along side and they took his camera off him and ripped out the film It was brilliant JR. Was a caricature with his little moustache ! He looked like a poor mans Gilbert Roland ! That’s got you guessing ! Photo thanks to Jona early days Trans Arabia Ron

Ron
Your not serious are you!!■■? Did not hear about that if it true!! JR - was he the guy from Knights of Old Northampton?

The boat on 104 enroute to AlQuarashi site Medina road for storage/sale. I think this is the one that eventually went by road to Doha on the low-loader

Firstly glad to here that Wirlinmerlin is on the mend keep it up !! I read about the car transporters so here,s one I took also although I posted it somewhere before the boat looks familiar ■■? Mah salam

This is Jonie Rider he aways eat with his elbow sticking up high ,anybody sitting next to him was in danger of having a black eye .great lad for a laugh .opening the post from the UK, JR had got a bunch of black hair ■■■■■■■ in a bit of cotton he put this on the table ? I picked it up and put it under my nose ! Holding it with my top lip all the lads had a laugh JR. Went ape sh-t what I did not know it was from her fancy bit, the canteen erupted with laughter .This is just has True as the last story involving JR, although the camera may have been brownie !!! Ron

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S Jones, really stepping out with this ERF, little did the truck know ,of the desert that was awaiting to eventually swallow it up, much admired by all the lads back home it was thought to have the Heart of a Lion , This truck could not be Broken , "Could It "■■? Ron

These lads deserved to be on the thread, KB you can name them ? Don’t say any thing ,only Praise them ? looks like Stan,s lost a bit of blood. One volunteer is worth 10men , early days Trans Arabia. Thanks Jona for the shot , it could be the same truck as the photo above ?! Ron

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Yes Wirlinmerlin, sorry about the diversions was hoping the wise cracks would cheer you up and make the stitches pull a little, it was all about smiles and we had plenty , after the hard work of the day in that heat we came back to the villa ,and found the fun side of life . This particular evening it was different something was wrong ? Someone had been going through your personal papers ? I can still see the look on your face ,suspecting the cook ? side glancing has he dished up some 1/2 cooked camel stakes, knowing it was him, the food tasted good to me ,!!! .but you where more interested in the plan you where contriving to catch the bast–d!! I could see there was something going on ,the way you stabbed the meat ,even the Philos where dropping rice as you stabbed it harder and harder ?the next day going out down to the docks in the morning sunshine, you had set the trap. I never thought you could turn to witchcraft but it worked Ron !

Sent from my iPad.

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ronhawk:
These lads deserved to be on the thread, KB you can name them ? Don’t say any thing ,only Praise them ? looks like Stan,s lost a bit of blood. One volunteer is worth 10men , early days Trans Arabia. Thanks Jona for the shot , it could be the same truck as the photo above ?! Ron

Ron - well that’s a challenge!! SJ304. Became TA104. Stans motor he loved it
The men:
From left to right - I thought this was Johny Mathews at first but no it’s David Hughes/S Jones Co Sec and Accountant (the chain around the neck and glasses gave it away) then big Stan - Stan Brindley and his baby TA104 he loved it - give him a cup of tea and a ■■■ and all was ok would work till he dropped. Nxt not sure■■? Billy Jackson - not sure - the far right Bill Renhard (no comment) !!! Not printable anyway

Try to work out what is lashed to the trailer behind 104
Who is Jona?
Great picture - keep them coming

Ken

Kenb:

ronhawk:
These lads deserved to be on the thread, KB you can name them ? Don’t say any thing ,only Praise them ? looks like Stan,s lost a bit of blood. One volunteer is worth 10men , early days Trans Arabia. Thanks Jona for the shot , it could be the same truck as the photo above ?! Ron

Ron - well that’s a challenge!! SJ304. Became TA104. Stans motor he loved it
The men:
From left to right - I thought this was Johny Mathews at first but no it’s David Hughes/S Jones Co Sec and Accountant (the chain around the neck and glasses gave it away) then big Stan - Stan Brindley and his baby TA104 he loved it - give him a cup of tea and a ■■■ and all was ok would work till he dropped. Nxt not sure■■? Billy Jackson - not sure - the far right Bill Renhard (no comment) !!! Not printable anyway

Try to work out what is lashed to the trailer behind 104
Who is Jona?
Great picture - keep them coming

Ken

Ken, Jona is Mick Jones. He contributed dozens of Trans Arabia pictures that I’ve posted on the ERF threads - if you want to repost any of them on here, feel free - or I will if you would like. Mick operated a fleet of ERFs in the West Midlands under his nickname, ‘Jona’. He recently rescued a magnificent LHD B-series from France to preserve. He is still in touch with Jerry Cooke, both of whom I last saw at Gaydon in November. Hope that helps!

PS Are you in this picture, Ken? Robert

I would remind observers that my only connection with Trans Arabia is that I unearthed quite a lot of material whilst researching for my book, Lorries of Arabia: ERF NGC.

Anyway, I am just in the process of rummaging through my pictures for PEOPLE-orientated images for this thread. Here’s one to start with: ‘Gypsy’ Dave Anslow in front of his wagon. Robert

From left to right, in this picture, are Billy Clem, Micky Jillings and ‘Gypsy’ Dave Anslow.

Robert

L-R Billy Clem, Micky Jillings, Gypsy Dave Anslow.jpg

This picture shows Micky Jillings (the kids weren’t his).

Robert

Micky Jillings driver.jpg

Driver Yoyo at the wheel of another ERF NGC. Robert

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Jerry Cooke at the wheel of yet another ERF NGC (TA 110). What a star: gave me no end of help with my book! Robert :smiley:

Now it’s down to you Trans Arabia participants to identify the chaps in these pictures! Robert



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robert1952:
I would remind observers that my only connection with Trans Arabia is that I unearthed quite a lot of material whilst researching for my book, Lorries of Arabia: ERF NGC.

Anyway, I am just in the process of rummaging through my pictures for PEOPLE-orientated images for this thread. Here’s one to start with: ‘Gypsy’ Dave Anslow in front of his wagon. Robert

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the crane in the background,would that be the douglas that were based in aldridge ■■