Great War truck Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 I have known of the existence of this clip of film at the Imperial War Museum for some time and have been hoping that they would put it on line. I have just checked back today and it is now available: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060022731 It is three clips of film each about 20 minutes long and shows a trainee driver being provided tuition. Mostly Peerless trucks, but also Dennis, Thornycroft, LGOC and Napiers. Some of the clips are truly brilliant. Health and safety is refreshingly not present. They demonstrate stopping distance by making loads of kids run out in front of a Peerless. Slippery roads in Hounslow by pouring oil on the road and making a Peerless and Vauxhall skid on it. Hill starts by crashing one Peerless into another. All great fun and very entertaining. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G506 Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 What an amazing film, never seen that before. And the first time I've seen film of a Napier actually moving! Looks like the 3 tonner, the bigger brother to mine. Thanks Tim! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Herbert Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 Brilliant ! Does anyone recognise any locations, how about a then and now video ? There seemed to be little interest in driving on any particular side of the road but as they seem to have Hounslow to themselves it probably didn't matter. As for creating a skid pan on a public road.... Mind you, my late grandmother told me about LGOC buses using the (rear only) brakes and the camber of the road to slide sideways to get into bus stops if there was something parked too close to the stop. I suspect that the idiot soldier happened to be the most gifted actor in the unit - he forgets himself sometimes and does things right. Or was he a known actor of the day? Best bit is demonstrating emergency stops with a group of children as the target. Now that is the good old days in action! You would have thought that the IWM could tell the difference between a piston ring and a main bearing though. Are there any more of these films ? David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted June 6, 2013 Author Share Posted June 6, 2013 There are some more David, but not as entertaining as these ones. The "awkward soldier" is an excellent comedian and I wonder if he has been brought in from the musical hall. As you suggest, perhaps a known actor of the day. I can recognise Hounslow bus garage and the roads around there easily enough. I suspect the other filming is done around Osterley Park. There is one road sign which says to Twickenham and Kingston one way and Hanwell, Southall and what looks like Harrow the other. Still cant find the location though. Of course, the Germans did some landscaping there a few years later on so it may all have totally changed anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted June 6, 2013 Author Share Posted June 6, 2013 (edited) OK. I have found the church which features at the start of the second clip. It is St Leonards Church in Hounslow. Everything else has changed beyond recognition, but the water trough is still there. Any other locations we can recognise? Edited June 7, 2013 by Great War truck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted July 22, 2013 Author Share Posted July 22, 2013 They appear to have rescanned it at a higher definition and moved the watermark in to the top left corner. A great improvement. Worth watching if you have not seen it yet. Three clips altogether: http://film.iwmcollections.org.uk/record/index/45165 http://film.iwmcollections.org.uk/record/index/45165/3111 http://film.iwmcollections.org.uk/record/index/45165/3112 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redherring Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Enjoyed the films. A credit to the IWM. I was reminded that horse and dray were not so long ago kings of the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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