My
father
was
a
driver
for
Red
&
White
Services
from
the
mid-
1930s
until
he
retired
in
1977
and
as
a
boy
in
the
1950s
I
was
fascinated
by
the
curious
fleet
numbering
system
the
Company
employed
for
their
vehicles.
The
Ian
Allan
ABC
books
were
very
popular
with
railway
enthusiasts
at
that
time
but
no
similar
publications
were
available
for
Red
&
White
until
the
South
Wales
ABC
appeared
in
1963.
The
P.S.V.
Circle
produced
a
fleet
history
for
the
post-war
years
of
the
Company
in
1982,
and
a
detailed
fleet
history
for
the
early
years
until
1945
was
published
in
2018.
The
fleet
lists
here
have
been
amended
to
include
the
new
information
contained
in
this
latest
publication.
Other
sources
used
in
compiling this history are listed in the
References
section.
Chepstow
Bus
Station
circa
1963
with
1950
Leyland
Tiger
HWO
325
in
the
foreground
and
rebodied
1944
Guy
Arab
double
decker
EWO
756
behind.
Parked
at
the
rear
is
a
1962
Bristol
MW
coach
28
FAX.
Ben
the
Argus
seller,
a
familiar
figure
around
Chepstow
at
that
time,
is
seen
leaning
against
the
destination
pole
in
front
of
the
double
decker.
HWO
325,
demoted
to
bus
duties
in
1959,
was
often
used
on
the
Sudbrook
service
on
which
I
travelled
home
from
school
-
luxury
compared
to
the
crowded
double
deckers
on
the
Newport route.
(Richard Smith Collection)
Chepstow
Depot
drivers
posing
in
front
of
ex-Swan
Motors
Daimler
DWN
2
which
came
to
Red
&
White
in
1947
and
was
transferred
to
United
Welsh
in
1951 thus dating the photograph to between 1947 and 1951.
The following drivers have been identified:
Back Row:
Bert Blatchley, Roy Mayo, Tom Morris, Mervyn Cooke
Front Row:
? , Norman Jones, Bert Hancock, Cliff Jenkins, ? ,
Fred Smith, Percy Sweetland
Can anyone put names to the other two faces?
© Richard Smith 2012-19. All rights reserved.
Bus Fleets of the Red & White Group