Great War truck

Yes i have seen the Duxford FWD and dusty about sums it up. It is a pity that although a runner (like their WW1 Thornycroft and Fiat) they just never go out and get used. They also have a WW1 Leyland although that is entirely in bits as they have got no one to restore it for them. There are quite a few WW1 vehicles about but they are so slow and difficult to move around that they generally dont go out to shows very often. There is another FWD in a shed about 10 miles away. The last time that one went out in the open air was in 1965. A pity that these dont get used as it would be great to see them all out together. We were involved in a WW1 vehicle show a few years ago. There was 5 trucks, a motorcycle and 2 field kitchens. With more warning and better advertizing i am sure that we could have had in the region of 15 trucks there. Oh well. Maybe next time.

I have a very original 44MB. I got away without having to do too much work on it when we rebuilt it. This is what it looks like: At the last MOT the man told me that he would have to fail it next year as the steering is a bit vauge. Now when we rebuilt it we did not do the steering box, which was a mistake because now i have to take it out, when it would have been a lot easier to do it when the body was off. Everything else in the steering has been fixed, replaced or is otherwise ok, the problem is now definitely in the box. I have no problem with taking the box out. My query is that i have been told that it might be better to buy a NOS Hotchkiss box rather than rebuild the box that i have. This would be a shame as i would hate to lose an original piece. Can anyone confirm or deny this? Does the actual steering box casting suffer wear and therfore need replacing? Any thoughts at all before Stoneleigh when i hope to get what i need and save the postage. Logically, it might be better to take the box out and look at it and identify the problem, but i have not got the time to do that at the moment. Thanks Tim (too). [/img]

Yes, you are right. Both trucks went to the WW1 truck do at Basingstoke and the FWD went to Detling. Pershings Doughboys then came down to Devon for an event there too. It would be nice to do more shows with them but the cost of moving them is as you can imagine exhorbitant and they are a bit too slow to drive far on the road. Both Autocars have done the Bournemouth to Bath road run which is about 90 miles. Dont think the FWD would be very happy about that journey though as it is a slow old beast. Tim (too)

These are the others in our collection. This is an Autocar. As far as we know the only survivor of 265 used by the WD in France. Purchased as a wreck and rebuilt by us. [/img] This next one is an ex US Army 1918 FWD Model b truck. Cosmetically restored and returned to running condition by someone else, then completely dismantled and rebuilt by us with the correct body. [/img] Nest, something non military. another Autocar. Also from 1918, this one spent most of its life in the basement of the Lazy Susan Saloon in Woodbridge West Virginia USA. Exported to UK as part of a job lot. It changed hands several times before being acquired and restored by us. [/img] The next one is the Thornycroft J Type. The one we have had the longest and have been collecting parts for all this time, but have not really started. It is the next one in line after the Dennis is finished. Balanced on top of it is a spare Peerless chassis. [/img] My favourite though are the Peerless trucks. These have a very sturdy appearance and i am led to believe were a favourite amongst their drivers. Of 15,000 acquired by the British in WW1, there are 6 survivors. We have two of them, both very restorable. We just need the time to do it. This one is how the most complete one was when it arrived. it had been cosmetically restored and needs a complete rebuild. [/img] Finally, something rather more modern in appearance is my Jeep. Great great fun The word Chaplain is there for a bit of a laugh, but is of course quite correct. Gets me lots of ribbing at the showground and on occasion unpleasant comments - well we can't all be 82nd Airborne now can we?

Yes, you are quite right there are not a great many of WW1 trucks around. However, i would think that in the UK there are in the region of 30 in all, although a number of these are not running. The Thornycroft i think you are referring to is probably the one owned by the Hampshire County Council who let the Great War Society use it. Our own collection consists of 6 WW1 trucks, these being the Dennis, an Autocar, a Thornycroft, an FWD, two Peerless TC4's, a civilian Autocar truck of the same period and something rather modern - a 1944 Jeep. The Peerless trucks is actually the remains of about 9 (i think), but with enough bits to restore two of them. The Thornycroft is also unrestored but we have almost all of it except the diff (the commonly missing bit). We recently recovered an original engine for this in New Zealand of all places. Bear with me for a little bit and i will get photos of them all up on the forum. I will have to do some scanning first of all. Tim (too)

Another quick update on what we have been doing. When we bought the Dennis we did not have a single steering column. We did know of two surviving ones though. One on a cricket pitch motorised roller, the other one to go on a Dennis charabanc currently under restoration. That one was not the correct column for that vehicle. Luckily we acquired the correct column for the charabanc and did a swap. What we got in return was a totally knackered which Steve quickly set to rebuilding. The inner column was quite badly rusted so he cleaned that up on his lathe Luckily he had just enough room. The Quadrant on the column fell apart as he tried to remove it so he set about making a replacement He then made some name plates in copper which he sweated into position on the finshed quadrant [/img] The controls for the throttle and advance and retard were rotted completely, so using the originals as a pattern he made new ones [/img] Then over Christmas we fixed the column into the chassis. The steering column mounting bracket was out of a different chassis and was a real s*d to get into place. But with lots of belting it was coaxed into position. The freshly mounted gear change and handbrake control can be seen behind the column. [/img]

Hi Mark Sorry to take so long to respond but i was trying to find the early photos of the Dennis. You have made me realise that we have been at this for about 4 years now. Steve and i have realised that we both have less hair in the more recent photos than we did when we started off. As for finish time, well 2 years maybe, or until we run out of hair if that comes first. We initially purchased the remains of five from a gentleman who had been collecting them with the intention of restoring one of them. After some years he realised that he would not get around to it as he was currently occupied with another long term project. Anyway, his yard was about to be cleared so we had to move quite fast. We had a day clearing out and cutting up and put together a lorry load for the journey South: Three and a half chassis, one engine, 3 tired gearboxes, a pile of wheels and axles, 1 radiator and some other bits and pieces. The White and Poppe engine was a great acquisition. It had been used as a water pump and was just about complete (missing its own water pump). It looked as if it could be started without too much work at all. [/img] Unloading the chassis was entertaining. Of the 5 that we purchased, the back half of one had rotted away entirely, another one was perfect except that a big chunk had been cut out of the front. Another was complete but had been broken and fixed. The two remaining ones had been stripped of everything and had been used in a garage as roof supports. One was perfect, the other was cracked and plated. We used the best one and kept a second spare. We hardly ever thought that we would in time acquire two more. Here are the best two being unloaded. [/img] You can see where the top chassis has been plated. the next chassis had a great deal of original fittings remaining [/img] including the rotten sub frame. This was the only one of these that we had. This is what happens to a steel toe capped boot when you drop a WW1 truck on it. [/img] Everyone was slightly concerned to see this happen especially when i did the 50 yard hop, while shouting "Aaargghhhh". Luckily the boot survived.

This is a real find. One of the best books that i have read in the last 12 Months. It covers the history of this all black tank batallion who were equipped with Shermans. Although initially staying in the States as training batallion, they eventually transferred to the Saar region where they fought under Patton. If you ever wanted to know what it was like to fight in a Sherman tank then i would reccommend this. On a more unpleasant but important side it does cover the ongoing racism that they suffered both during their training, during combat and after their return to the USA. Something that was slightly relieved with the award of a Medal of Honour to one member 52 years after his death. Also with a dedication of a monument to them in 1996 at Camp Hood. There was a TV program about this unit called "The Liberators". The author identified a number of errors within the program and produced this book to correct the record so to speak. Well worth getting Tim (too)

Just finished this one and i rate it quite good. Initially i saw it in Blackwells for £20 which i thought a lot, but then bought it new off E Bay for $1. There you go, it pays to shop around. The book covers the Utah beach landing in superb detail with lots of first hand accounts of both the beach landing and the paratrooper drop. The drop was always something that i found the objectives as they fit into the whole invasion to be rather confusing (as no doubt, also did the paratroopers). This book clearly explains what happened as to what should have happened in a superb way. The author has been described by USA today as "the top living D Day historian", which I agree although he is good, this might be a bit over the top. He did state something that i am unsure of, that wounded paratroopers were flown out of Normandy by glider by being picked up by a Dakota dragging a hook to pick up a line. I find this hard to believe somehow. I know this method was used to recover gliders from their landing position, but i can not imagine that this was ever done with a full load. The pilots would be braced against their seats. Everyone else would i imagine be thrown to the back of the glider by the 0 to 100 mph instantaneous acceleration. Flying in a glider is bad enough as it is, but while being wounded it must have been next to impossible. Any Airborne experts got an opinion on this? Tim (too)

Apart from the superb photo on the cover, i admit to being a little bit dissapointed with this book. I found it to be too general, probably because the author is trying to cover too much in a small book. The chapters shoot through from first time abroad, Cobra, Falaise, Hurtengen, Bulge, replacements, dishonour, Skorzeny, Camps etc at great speed with just a few pages devoted to each. Being quite well read on these subjects i found nothing new, but i suppose the book does give an introduction to the subject which is in fact exactly what it says on the back cover, so i suppose that can't really criticise it. Tim (too)

It has been a while since my last update, but i thought i would keep you up todate with what we have been doing. I contemplated starting a blog to do this, but we seem to be so far along now it is not worth the bother. Anyway, the restoration has come along in leaps and bounds since my last posting. This is mostly due to Steve's remarkable work. The back wheels are now back on the axle. This is easier said than done as with solid tires they are quite heavy. This is how it currently looks: Unfortunately, now that there is a weight upon the wheels, one of the tires has seperated from the top of the wheels. This is very bad news as with a short period of use the whole tire will fall of. We have not yet decided how to remedy this but it will mean taking the wheel of again. On the positive side the scuttle has progressed well. Steve has fabricated the corners which due to the shape we were unable to make when the scuttle was rolled. They are an awkward shape but quite crucial if it is to look right. You can just make out how they should look in the period photo. All four now look like this: [/img] A friend has just welded them in for us. They will require a great deal of time and effort but should look the part once given a trim and clean up. [/img] It looks a bit odd at the moment, but trust me, it will be right. Steve, in his spare time has made up the correct gear change and hand break release, using the rotten remains of an original as a pattern. [/img] He then reassembled the gear change and hand break with some original and some new linkage. [/img]

it is certainly a risk bringing them into the country. If they are not deactivated to Uk specifications there is a good chance that they will be seized as you enter the country. Similarly if you have them visible during the journey they may be seized and you could go to jail. The law is so confused on the subject at the moment that no one seems to really know. Last Beltring and at Malvern the Police and Customs Officers were in evidence, checking and reportedly taking stuff away. if you really want to be safe, leave it at home. If you want to bring it and be certain do contact the UK Customs - http://WWW.HMRC.co.uk before leaving home. New laws should be coming in soon which should hopefully clarify the matter. These can be seen on this forum under violent crime reduction bill. Good luck Tim (too)

Yes, hand guns are banned entirely. Being found with one in your possession (even a family heirloom) can result in a severe sentence. I think it is a minimum of 8 years but might be wrong on this. There was one celebrated case a few years ago when the remains of a German hand gun were recovered from a wrecked aircraft. The gun was completely coroded beyond any possible use. On the way home the finder was the victim of a road rage incident. When the police arrived they found the gun in the car, he was arrested and faced a long jail sentence. Luckily the case failed at court. But things have got a lot stiffer since then. You can still own rifles here, but nothing automatic. Much prefer the more sensible US gun ownership rules, especially Alabama. Do many other states allow the private ownership of a working flame thrower? Ideal for both pest control and home defence i would think. Tim (too)

I bet, the B.E.F of 1939, the Russians up to 1942, the French army of 1939, the Polish army of 1939 and many other fighting forces in the early days of WW2 had similar feelings but soon learnt the lesson`s of complacentcy, in recognising the true professonalism of the German army. Ashley Well, it was beginners luck. In addition we must not forget that the Germans had by this stage mastered the art of manufacturing the galvanised triple banded heavy duty reinforced steel bucket with full channel handle. What chance did the allies have against this when they best they could come up with was made out of canvas with a rope handle? I feel that the Germans finally had the tide turn against them in 1943 when Seargent Yuzuko of the 1st Russian Guards Tank Division developed the art of manufacturing welded Titanium buckets. The Germans could not produce a comparable bucket with their limited resources. And the rest is history. Incidentally, here is a picture of a WW1 US Army Nash Quad mobile welding shop (really!) with a canvas bucket hanging over the lamp. [/img] The question still remains after all these postings and an incredible number of hits. Has anyone seen a real picture of a British MV with a canvas bucket hanging from the tow hitch? Tim (too)

Here is a WW1 Peerless truck in US Army service with a galvanised bucket balanced on the front. I see that the truck number (660) is painted in large numbers on the front. Anymore? [/img] Tim (too)

I think the provocative pose by the tank commander says it all! Actually, the galvanised metal bucket does seem to feature quite regularly on German trucks (and also some WW1 American trucks). I am not aware of any German military regulations concerning the dangling of buckets. Anyway, stones bouncing off of metal buckets will just make a lot of noise and would be unlikley to damage them. Now, see if you can find a picture of a folding metal bucket. I will find a picture of a WW1 American truck with a metal bucket. Tim (too)

Thanks for your kind comments. I will be happy to keep the forum updated with our progress, but it is a slow old job, so do expect it go on for a bit. Here is a photo of the new scuttle. It has been rolled out for us, but we need to still put the curve in the corners. Steve has worked out how to make the corners by cutting other pieces of steel into "fingers" and then bending those up and welding them together he can get the fine curve. These will then be welded into place. Not an easy job and it will have to be done four times, so we will let you know how we get on. Of course we also will have to cut holes for steering column etc as well. This will be a bit further down the line. Our next job is to get the rear wheels back on. The back wheels have new tyres on them (which we had to get made) and look something like this. [/img] Since that photo was taken we have selected the best brake bands from our spare chassis and have mounted them to the wheels. When we next all get together we will put the wheels on to our newly mounted back axle. They are very heavy and it will require a group effort to get them on. We do have many many hundreds of photos of the work so far, but will post up photos of what we have been doing most recently. It is an incredibly slow job as you can tell. The final photo here is of the freshly mounted back axle, just about ready to take the wheels back on. [/img] Tim (too)

Thanks for your very kind words. We certainly try and do the best job that we can and restore them to a running but "used and well cared for condition". We have been accused on occasion of a kind of "cultural vandalism" in acquiring all these old chassis to source parts for our restorations as the feeling was that these other chassis should be saved for posterity and future restorers. However, just about in every case these chassis were due to be cut up and we have saved them from that, if only to loot them for spares. The honest truth is that very few people are interested in restoring WW1 trucks and there are probably around only 20 survivors in the UK (although probably a similar number of ex military but restored as civilian). But saying that i can think of at least five more currently under restoration as military. There are however a great number more resting in barns or sheds awaiting rediscovery or an enthusiastic new owner to take them on. There are two just down the road from me here in Oxfordshire, who's future is uncertain. But both in very good condition, although at great risk from vandals and thieves. Hopefully they will find new homes shortly. Tim (too).

Thanks Matt That is very good of you to look out at the other chassis for us. The chassis is always the bit that survives. It is finding something that is attached to it which is the rarity. Most of them were turned into farm trailers or house foundations at the end of their life. If it is indeed just a bare chassis then i am sorry to say that it wont be of any interest to us. If there is any of the drive train remaining then you would have to hold me back. If you would like me to identify it, do please put up a photo, i am always interested. We initially purchased 5 Dennis chassis and a pile of parts. Since then we have found two more. The one that we are restoring was used in a garage to hold up a first floor. As a result it was in very good condition although had been entirely stripped. The other chassis have all provided useful parts. The engine we have was made at the end of the war but not put into a lorry, but to operate an auxilary fire pump. We therefore believe it to be in very good condition, although we have not really touched it yet. We have three gearboxes which are all very poor. But we hope to be able to make one good one. In response to the identity of this one we have the chassis number of 12230, which is just 225 above the chassis that we are restoring. This dates it middle to late 1918. The chassis that we have under restoration currently looks like this although it has taken us great deal of time for us to get this far. I use the word "us" to describe my Brother Steve and my Father Tony. it really is a group effort. Since that photo was taken we have done the back axle which is now hanging from the springs and we are just about ready to put the back wheels on. Once completed it will look like this [/img] Although we do not have a member of the Chinese Labour Corps to stand in to recreate the photo. I hope you like it Tim (too)

My thoughts exactly 101st. In fact on the left bumperette you can make out the number 1, so it is quite likely. I always thought that the Airborne travelled light, so there must be a pretty good reason for the canvas bucket. Is it specified anywhere as an accessory to medical equipment? Tim (too)

Did you scan it from a photocopy or a poor qulaity picture. Sometimes that happens. Maybe if you change the resolution on the scan it might improve. Well thats two of them. Any more? Tim (too)

As I was not inclined to pay Photobucket the $1,000 a year ransom for my photos they have blurred and watermarked them all. I do have backups and will try to replace them but this will take me an awful long time to complete. I will start with the Peerless ones. A downside is that it is now impossible to get the captions to match up, but I am sure that you will all work this out. If you need to see any photo specifically please let me know and I will treat that one as a priority. Thanks I thought that you might be interested in our latest acquisition. It is a WW1 Dennis truck chassis. Ok. Not a lot to see there i agree, but it is to be used as parts for another WW1 Dennis that we are currently restoring. Luckily, it has the complete differential and cover still in place. It is very rare to find any WW1 truck and one with any element of the drive train doubly so. This one only survived because it was used as foundations for a seaside bungalow in Cornwall. When the bungalow was demolished the chassis was found and then rescued by a chap who thought it too good to scrap. He effectively gave it to us so we just had to pay for the transportation. The scrapmen obviously found the diff too hard to get out and we have since extracted it. It is in very good condition and will soon be ready to drop in to our other Dennis. Getting a new diff made would have cost us at least £5,000 so we were very lucky indeed. Tim (too).  [/img]

Here is another one. it was easier to get the image up than i thought. As you can see the bucket replaced the jerrycan altogether. Must have been very popular with the driver. Anymore? [/img] Tim (too)

I dont remember there being blood stains over the seat, i think the seat had been replaced at some stage when used as a farm truck. I wouldnt be too worried about someone being killed in my vehicle, but i think the presence of blood stains would be a bit too much. My jeep has a bullet hole in it, but i should not have hurt anybody unless they happened to be under the Jeep at the time (the bullet hole is through the rear chassis member). I expect restored Ambulances would have the greater chance of having a previous passenger die within it, particularly those which carried the wounded from aeroplanes. I understand that 8th airforce veterans generally decline rides in restored ambulances and i guess who can blame them. Tim (too)

There is an 4 X 4 Opel Blitz in this country. It was made just pre war i remember. it went through several owners after being purchased from a French farmer around 1990. One of the most interesting points about it was the cab was full of bullet holes. It looked like the door had been sprayed by a Sten. The old French farmer who owned it gave the impression that he had shot the previous owner (a driver of the Whermacht no doubt) and had kept it in his barn since the end of the war. From looking at the cab i would definitely say that the driver had caught about 8 rounds if he was in the driving seat when it was shot up. The Opel appeared in a Lovejoy Christmas special before being sold to Kevin Wheatcroft. I understand that he sold it on not long after purchasing it. It was advertised in Wheels and Tracks.