Just remembered some holiday pics of the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa June last year and this van caught my eye as it was used local to me. Dont know how it ended up in Canada? http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic/6860RqUf34ThXLJV24Yq1r4fsaT4CI10opaI_l.jpg http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic/6860RqUf34ThXLJV24Yq1r4fscCBChOoUcdA_l.jpg Note the inscription to the left of the hatch
nice pics... this has got me thinking what was the daily intake of food for the armies during wwII i would have expected the RAF and RN to have been well fed but the troops not. did they often eat there rations and then wait for more to be dropped. i guess things changed in normandy when they had a base and the yanks had there cook tents serving 1/4 pounders. thanks
The plate to the left of the serving hatch says the van was at the Mansion House, London on 16th Sept 1941 and the hand painted sign says that it was maintained by Patterson Ford of Ncle (which is still their near Forth street). I wonder how long it took them to drive to London bearing in mind top speed and road conditions ?
For some reason I'd only looked at the closeup picture. What a lovely original condition old thing! Looks like it'd be a nightmare to 'restore' and still retain it's character. Personally I'm very glad they left it 'as is'. A sister vehicle (JNO 96) at work in Bolton: Bolton Corporation Emergency Food Van - note the blackout headlights. The vans were "provided by Mr Henry Ford & Mr Edsel B Ford and voluntarily maintained by Gordons Ltd" (From the rather good Bolton Remembers the War - Air Raids on Bolton) Different variety of food Van from IWM collections (War aid from Malta!): Title: WVS HOT MEALS SERVICE: WARTIME FOOD DISTRIBUTION, BIRKENHEAD, CHESHIRE, 1942 Description: Mrs Jacob pauses beside her van for a photograph with a group of children who are helping her to carry food from the van into their school. Mrs Jacob is the Central Organiser for Birkenhead Women's Voluntary Service and carries a box of bread. The Ministry of Food van was presented by the people of Malta. It appears to be raining. Interesting area that doesn't get much coverage, there's dozens of such organisations providing sustenance for the war-torn provided by all sorts of groups, both private and public. Cheers, Adam.
This is actually a very relavent comment from Adam concerning the lack of general coverage of services in wartime of this nature......and what could be more vital to all concerned than a cup of tea and a bacon sarnie? Armies march on their stomachs, after all.....Great pictures, thanks to all!
More detail on the Canadian survivor: E83W mobile canteen WW2 And a second page of other Ford supplied vehicles 'in action': More photos of the WW2 Ford mobile food vans By the way, that's a superb looking site for the period vehicleophile: E83W | Fordson & Ford Thames 10cwt van. Check out this 1944 discovery with only 12k miles on the clock!: Low mileage 1944 Fordson van comes to light
Adam.....do you spend ALL your time in that Nunnery researching and musically cavorting across vast tracts of picturesque Alpine countryside?.......what an idyllic life!........ THE HILLS ARE ALIVE!!!!!!!!!
Another gift from the Colonies, Guiana this time: World War Two - Africa 2 Gifts to the Belgians from UK: WVS st. Peters: Nice Katy restoration: Nice to see they took part in the Victory parade (shame about the Poles...) : CIVIL DEFENCE SERVICES Civil Defence Reserve Rescue Vehicles Light Rescue Vehicles (London) Heavy Rescue Vehicles (London) Rescue Vehicles Rescue and War Debris Cranes Rescue and War Debris Tippers with Skips Decontamination vehicles (manned by Decontamination Squads and Gas Identification Officers) American Gift Ambulances (Great Britain) Ambulances Mobile Canteens Mobile Emergency Food Units Blood Transfusion Vans YMCA Canteen: BBC - WW2 People's War - Mobile Canteen Hundreds of them, without even scratching the surface of ones with the USO etc. that travelled closer to the war alongside the troops.
Just beautiful......that first photo.....I wonder what the gentalman with the flat cap on , grasping his cup of 'tay' was doing there?...volunteer perhaps?....lovely old photo that one of the Guianian....
Nobody has mentioned the NAAFI, where all these organisations separately ran or was there any coordination. Here's a pic of WVS http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic/6860RqUf34ThXLJV24Yq1r4fsTaFnrFDgsuv_l.jpg getting ready to serve a troop train at Ncle central station. Has anybody had a post about ENSA
