THE AUSTIN K SERIES PART THREE
The next in line, the K5, was altogether a different truck from the K4. Austin had moved to a cab-over design on instruction from the War Office. The requirement had been for a 4 x 4, three-ton lorry with specifications laid down by the War Department, which would provide the backbone for general transportation throughout the Services fleet. Austin found themselves “competing” with the Bedford QL and the Karrier K6. These three designs along with, to a lesser degree, the Fordson WOT6 and the Albion FT11, provided chassis types for the design draughtsmen on which to launch different types of useful military body styles to provide machinery, catering, wireless, troop-carrying, office and command vehicles.
The K5 was a tough, all-wheel drive threetonner, usually grossly overloaded past five tons, but it wasn’t well-loved; the Bedford QL held the honours in this league. The drivers found the QL’s performance better in most aspects, both in cross-country and road use and reported that they were easier to drive. However, they did have one thing in common. While the QL had a very definite and unmistakeable transmission whine, the K5 excelled and became known as “The Screamer”. Soldiers who served in the Suez Crisis recalled the K5s coming back across the desert in convoy having driven to the main supply depot to pick up spares; they could be heard an hour before they arrived back by the familiar scream from that gear-train. They were designated with obscure letters to show variations in type, like YN, ZD, ZK and ZT; some had open-cabs, others, full cabs. We know that at least
