Guy vix-ants - queens messengers

[Richard Farrant 35]

Just recently, Jan Roelse, a friend of mine who lives on Walcheren, sent me the attached picture of a Bedford OX canteen truck in Vlissingen. This is the first picture I have seen of one of these convoy vehicles in use in the Netherlands during WW2.

 

 

 

 

Is that a bullet hole just over the door?

[Alex van de Wetering 10]

This is the first picture I have seen of one of these convoy vehicles in use in the Netherlands during WW2.

 

 

Hanno, I am sure I have seen a number of pictures of these in one of the Dutch city archives.....Rotterdam area (?). I will dig them up.

 

Alex

Edited November 9, 2013 by Alex van de Wetering

[mcspool 10]

Is that a bullet hole just over the door?

Indeed, could well be one ....

 

Hanno, I am sure I have seen a number of pictures of these in one of the Dutch city archives.....Rotterdam area (?). I will dig them up.

That would be great!

[Alex van de Wetering 10]

I know there are more pics, but haven't been able to retrace them yet. Anyway, here's a start. The first two of the Bedford were taken in Rotterdam, early May 1945. (Rotterdam city archives) The other two pictures were taken in Breda may 2nd 1945 ....I absolutely love these pics as it also show some other lovely trucks like the Fordson WOT3. If you look closely you can see a number of Bedford Cantine trucks, but also the WOA2 and Guy water bowser.

 

source: http://gemeentearchief.rotterdam.nl/nl

 

source: http://www.beeldbankwo2.nl/

 

Alex

 

 

 

 

Edited November 11, 2013 by Alex van de Wetering

[mcspool 10]

I know there are more pics, but haven't been able to relocate them yet. Anyway, here's a start.

Alex, if that's a start only, I'm holding my breath for what's coming. :-X

 

Really great stuff, thanks!

 

Hanno

[Alex van de Wetering 10]

Two more pics of a Bedford in The Hague, source: http://www.haagsebeeldbank.nl/

 

 

[Runflat 13]

A couple more photographs. The first from Old Motor (Vol.8, No.6)

 

 

And this one from The Autocar (April 25th, 1941), captioned: Queen's Messengers convoy arriving in Coventry after the recent blitz. The city of cars and three spires begins to look a little worse for war.

 

[mcspool 10]

Time to revive this thread. Somehow a lot of the attachments are gone?

Anyhow I read Ted mentioned a Commer, here’s a pic of a Q2 Ministry of Food truck: 

 

 

[mcspool 10]

Here is a link to a page with interesting info about Mobile Canteens: Kent at War - Life During Wartime

A Bedford OX 30 Food Flying Squad mobile canteen. This vehicle was provided by donations from the people of Kent County, Michigan, USA, which is inscribed on the side of the vehicle. Two of the convoy’s motorcycles and riders are also shown. (WanPs-0337)

[Runflat 13]

On 4/20/2012 at 11:26 PM, Runflat said:

All this recent activity is very appropriate if there's a big event tomorrow!

 

With thanks to Dusty's efforts I can now attach a combined list which also details other tit-bits gleaned from the National Archive files. The Commers were certainly a surprise and were used as 'welfare vans' (pictures please!); and the OYC chassis explains the file note that exists for CUN 358:

Ministry of Food QMC fleet.pdf 299.03 kB · 41 downloads

Ministry of Food QMC donors.pdf 277.01 kB · 21 downloads

 

 

Reattached:

 

Ministry of Food QMC fleet.pdf Ministry of Food QMC donors.pdf

[mcspool 10]

On 4/21/2012 at 12:26 AM, Runflat said:

With thanks to Dusty's efforts I can now attach a combined list which also details other tit-bits gleaned from the National Archive files. The Commers were certainly a surprise and were used as 'welfare vans' (pictures please!);

Thanks for reattaching these! Very interested to read about the number of Commer among these. Here's one which caught my eye:

Here is a picture of Commer Q2 "CUN 351" after it was transferred to UNRRA where it was registred as "UNRRA-Y9".

The signage on the side clearly identifies this as the Commer donated by “Jamaica’s Women War Material and Comforts Committee”.

 

Source: https://search.archives.un.org/unrras-food-flying-squads

 

 

 

 

 

[Runflat 13]

Yes, and the Commer posted earlier donated by the Jamaica Mutual Life Association Society is probably "CUN 353".  Both photos are excellent finds.

Edited November 30, 2019 by Runflat

[mcspool 10]

13 minutes ago, Runflat said:

Yes, and the Commer posted earlier donated by the Jamaica Mutual Life Association Society is probably "CUN 353".  Both photos are excellent finds.

Cannot thank you enough for compiling the lists, it is great to add an identity to the vehicles found in the various pictures! 

[mcspool 10]

On 3/18/2012 at 5:49 PM, Runflat said:

This last one is from The Times, Saturday, December 16, 1944:-

FOR HOLLAND: The Queen with Princess Juliana standing by one of the mobile canteens she has given for service in Holland. Altogether she handed over two "Queen's Messenger" convoys, 22 vehicles, to the Princess for the use of the Dutch Government

Here are better pictures taken at the hand-over:

Source: http://proxy.handle.net/10648/ad99f95c-d0b4-102d-bcf8-003048976d84

 

 

Source: http://proxy.handle.net/10648/ad99fae2-d0b4-102d-bcf8-003048976d84

 

 

Edited November 30, 2019 by mcspool

[ted angus 11]

Fantastic and a big thanks to RUNFLAT for reposting the files 

TED.

 

[mcspool 10]

Isaac ("Ies") Engelander was a Dutch Jew who fled to Great Britain to serve with the (Dutch) forces. He was a Guy truck driver in one of the Food Flying Squad columns.

 

 

Source: https://www.joodsmonumentzaanstreek.nl/engelander-salomon-sjoerd/

[mcspool 10]

"Thank you, Gambia!"

 

 

Source: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/32894

[mcspool 10]

Alex found some great footage of Commer Food Flying Squad trucks in action, March 1945, Venlo, the Netherlands:

 

http://in.beeldengeluid.nl/kanaal/1798-de-bevrijding/4192-1-maart-1945-bevrijding-venlo[/url