Chevy Pick Up in use with Royal Engineers

[B series]

 

This photo was taken in Trans Jordan in 1940 and shows a Chevrolet pick up in use by a RE Surveyer clerk on the Haifi to Baghdad military road construction being managed  by  75 CRE MEF based in Cairo.  The road construction & maintainence staff originally worked for the Iraq Petroleum Company, but when WWII started all the British engineers were told they were being seconded into the British Army RE, nothing would change carry on doing your jobs. So they did, there was no British army presence in Trans Jordan at that time, so they did not receive any training, uniforms or even service numbers for many months. After about 6 months, a senior officer arrived and could not understand why they had no military facilities and no evidence at all of the British army. No camp guard or guard room not even a radio,  he wanted to put one man on a charge for something, but the solider did not have a service number, and there were no army forms or clerks, nothing.  No one knew how to march, salute or had seen an army rifle. When after many months they were issued with uniforms they were told they were not permitted to wear them in Trans Jordan. The RE  directed local arab workers, some who sided with the British and some who favored the Germans, on road & bridge construction using a mixture of British vehicles like Fordson WOT pick ups and utilities, and american mostly pre war construction equipment. The Haifi to Baghdad military road was 1000km across Palestine, Trans Jordan and Iraq, important  in case troops were needed quickly via troop ships into Haifi to go north in case the Germans and Italians advanced down from the North.

 

 

 

 

 

[Rootes75]

Thats really interesting, especially about the petroleum workers being drafted in with no training etc.

Kevin.

[Chris Hall]

What are the markings on the side?

[B series]

3 hours ago, Rootes75 said:

Thats really interesting, especially about the petroleum workers being drafted in with no training etc.

Kevin.

Hello Kevin,

I have some background information about these men, and photos, because a friend of mine was one of them, unfortunatly he passed away in April aged 98. I could post some vehicle photo's and further info, but not all the vehicles are military but maybe operated and directed by the RE, so not sure if wanted on this forum.

[Mk3iain]

"After about 6 months, a senior officer arrived and could not understand why they had no military facilities and no evidence at all of the British army. No camp guard or guard room not even a radio,  he wanted to put one man on a charge for something, but the solider did not have a service number, and there were no army forms or clerks, nothing."

What a shame for the poor officer 🤣

Dammed commoners'.....

Jokes apart, really interesting !

[Gordon_M]

19 minutes ago, B series said:

Hello Kevin,

I have some background information about these men, and photos, because a friend of mine was one of them, unfortunatly he passed away in April aged 98. I could post some vehicle photo's and further info, but not all the vehicles are military but maybe operated and directed by the RE, so not sure if wanted on this forum.  

I'd suggest you post it all here.  Period background information is always good, and if you don't post them they may be lost to history.  It would be good to get the full unit name and title in the post heading too, so it could be found by anyone searching years from now.  It is eighty years since that image was taken, and in another eighty ( scarey thought ) someone may have a specific use for it.

[Rootes75]

7 minutes ago, Gordon_M said:

I'd suggest you post it all here.  Period background information is always good, and if you don't post them they may be lost to history.  It would be good to get the full unit name and title in the post heading too, so it could be found by anyone searching years from now.  It is eighty years since that image was taken, and in another eighty ( scarey thought ) someone may have a specific use for it.

I agree, the thread is an interesting one and should be continued. The vehicles may not all be military but I presume they were also seconded?

[B series]

1 hour ago, Chris Hall said:

What are the markings on the side?

HBR   245    for     Haifa Baghdad Road  fleet number 245

[B series]

Forum members seem quite interested in this information and photos, and you like a lot of detail and background so I will take more time and add more information, I don't mind doing it if the interest is there. I will start a new thread and load them slowly unless anyone objects.

This Chevrolet pick up (6 cylinder) was used by several members of the RE unit including my friend, loaded with fuel, food, water, weapons and several spare tyres on a 700 km drive to escape to Haifa during the Iraq rebellion 2nd May 1941.