Crompton’s Column
Bruce Crompton finds a Type E bomb trolley to go with his Upkeep bouncing bomb
Last month I wrote about how I came into possession of an Upkeep bouncing bomb. I ended the column by saying that once I was back in the workshop another colleague of mine from Combat Dealers, Ian Sandford, had telephoned from Northumberland to say he had discovered a Type E bomb trolley on a nearby farm and wanted to know if I was interested in it.
Of course I was, so I headed north with haste, met with Ian and was taken to see the bomb trailer. It was massive! As the size and weight of bombs increased during World War Two, so too did the equipment needed to transport and lift them. So, tractors, trolleys and hoists were all developed to meet the changing and challening requirements.
Recognising exactly what it was, my heart started pounding and I realised that if I could acquire it together with the bomb I already had, all I would have to find would be an original tractor to make the set. The Type E bomb trolley was not only used for the Upkeep bomb, but could also carry the Grand Slam and Tallboy bombs, all designed by engineer Barnes Wallis.
Negotiations with the farmer were undertaken. Luckily, he …
