Runflat

I'd echo Robert's plea for any official documentation that can seal the question. For what it's worth, I've always been a bit uneasy with T=Truck as 'lorry' would have been a more normal term in contemporary British English. Other suggestions I've seen include T=Type or Transport. But I'm not convinced about those either. ...and while we are at it, can we nail WOC and WOA as well? (From memory I've seen C=Commercial and A=Auxillary suggested in the past.)

OK, let's kick-start some pictures of the survivors. Here are a couple of "811FUF". I don't know what became of the other vehicle. Can anyone give an update?

Many thanks for that. The horizontal waist rail, is a quite distinctive visual reference for the 1918. From what you say, that makes most of the survivors/replicas either 1917 or French pattern models. Best wishes with your project.

Some more online photos: http://wallpapers-free.co.uk/background/history/world_war_one/American-ambulance-field-service/ http://www.afsnzl.org.nz/nzl_en/view/learn http://www.vlib.us/medical/FriendsFrance/images/ff097.jpg http://www.afsindiana.org/graphics/voiture1.jpg http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/ambulanceservice.htm http://www.ourstory.info/library/2-ww1/Keplinger/kepTC.html http://www.neam.org/lafescweb/americansinfas.html http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/wwi/fieldoperations/ch6fig44.jpg http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/wwi/fieldoperations/ch6fig45.jpg No doubt there are loads more out there...

Just been unearthing the details... There is one that matches the second photo I posted earlier (141427). Back in 1998 it was owned by Sam Jaffe of Sam Jaffe Autos, NY (MVPA, Army Motors, #83). The other turned out to be the French one, which matches the third photo I posted. The rebuild was covered in Vehicules Militares Magazine, No.8. There's also another example at Chateau de Blerancourt. http://www.museefrancoamericain.fr/homes/home_id24923_u1l2.htm (click on "premiere guerre mondiale"). Another picture of it here: http://www.ourstory.info/3/Bler/images/pj19.jpg And there's this one (140196): http://www.pbase.com/goldwing/image/69254801 And this one (141252): http://travelforaircraft.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/blog-model-t-ambulance_mg_8756_dxo_raw.jpg , http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/051019-F-1234P-013.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp%3Fid%3D983&usg=__YUqdzedBhSa9ZILR1b038xo_tag=&h=1197&w=1800&sz=328&hl=en&start=20&sig2=Grkmn8qjh46_L9NzIMELEw&itbs=1&tbnid=r--gb3Une9oAfM:&tbnh=100&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dambulance%2Bford%2Bt%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DG%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=TmoNTJnMLoj44Aazi_B3 ,

You would. A very nice buy. And if my eyes don't deceive me, that's a Crossley on the right.

Thanks for that David, although it's non too easy to decipher! For your interest I attach some US T ambulance photos from my collection: The first shows an ambulance with a short body, which seems to match well with the description of the 1917 model. But you seem to be building the second example, which clearly needs the sort of chassis extension mentioned in the text - a 1918 type body, not 1917(?). The last is a variation on a theme - it also uses a chassis extension but has subtle variations compared to the second example: the size of the forward window, the configeration of the body frame uprights to match, slight changes to the rear mudguard position, and the use of a fixed canopy over the driver. I imagine this is a development of the type in the second picture. I'd welcome your thoughts as to whether the second picture is a 1917 or 1918 type and I guess more impotantly for you whether you are trying to find info on the 1917 or 1918 pattern.

Hi, a quick note before I go to bed. I see your website suggests there is a difference between the 1917 and 1918 pattern ambulance bodies. Can you elaborate? There are at least two genuine Ford T ambulances in USA. I'm not sure what year they are though. I can dig out the details if you are interested. There's also this one in France, which may be a replica: This was written up in one of the French magazines. Again, I can dig out details if you're interested. I hope you have luck finding the right body plans. Speaking from the other side of the pond, I'd love to know whether plans exist for the standard British T ambulance body - these were very different to the US ones. I don't know of any genuine British pattern survivors. As well as the standard patterns, all manner of locally made ambulances were also made.

I'm getting tyred of this.

"this one's flat... this one's flat... and this one..."

A photo from the run and another some time later:

Yes, he's (John Crossley) the great-grandson of Frank Crossley, one of the two founding brothers of the company - so says an article on him and his fleet (Heritage Commercials, Jan 2006). The gantry IGL8 lorry is ex-Mike Smith and was rescued by him from a scrapyard in Sissinghurst. Mike took it on the HCVS London-Brighton run in 1985. John has another chassis from the same yard; and also owns the box body IGL8, a more recent acquisition from John Seabury. The Crossley Register say there is a fourth IGL8 in Britain. Those with long memories may also recall, in Wheels and Tracks #6, the report of there being a Coles crane version in a collection on the outskirts of Wien (Vienna) - if it's still there.

I believe he has a third... lucky thing.

A bit late to the recent exchanges, but here's another vid of the 100-tonner: http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=2929

Looks like a Crusader. There seem to be several survivors in S Africa: http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Panzers.html (This web site is looking for photos of various Crusaders at Moth clubs...)

Morris C8 FAT:

To continue this thread, here's a cutting from The Motor, 22nd September, 1914. The imagination can be a dangerous thing...

Seeing that picture Les, answers perhaps the puzzler on the MCC gallery thread (http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?7797-Morris-Commercial-gallery/page13) at posts 123, 132 and 137. What do you think?

A couple of vids of what looks like this event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaF9ORZC10o

Hi Roy. I've just spotted you've joined up. You're most welcome here. And like Tony says, your new book is excellent.

I see there's a behind-the-scenes documentary about the BCVM on the box tonight (BBC4). http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00scr08 It sounds as if it is focuses on new blood wanting to make changes against the will of the established old guard. No doubt things will be edited for entertainment value, but it may be worth watching if you are involved in a museum or running a club. (Heading should be British Commercial Vehicle Museum! - if mods could amend, please)

Doesn't MELF = Middle East Land Forces?

A rather nice period picture of a Beetle (MG8299) appears in this month's edition of Classic & Vintage Commercials magazine (May 2010, p.42). It reminded me that I recently came across some rare footage of MG8636: http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=6992

An amazing find indeed. No undercarriage by the looks of things. So I'd have said around the 2,500 Euro mark (each). If anyone on here has bought one of these, do shout!

For those who haven't seen it, I would recommend you get hold of Andrzej Wajd's 2007 film Katyn - very sobering.