Just read British Military Transport 1829-1956 by David Fletcher, in it he gives some figures for the number of WD types and impressed types of truck with BEF which I found interesting, no wonder you see so many 3ton civvy Bedfords with BEF ;- 15cwt WD 11,442 Impressed 26 3ton WD 11,782 Impressed 14,009 6ton WD 122 Impressed 454 10ton WD 195 Impressed 384
Any info on impressed cars. My 1938 humber car was taken in 39/40 and given back in 1946, it was blue when new and came back blue at the end [now army green] done in the 1970s for a movie. maybe the war office or navy might have used it?.
My father worked for a company moving Tiles from Marley Roofing to Leighton Buzzard before the war, all the trucks were commandered for military use in summer of 39. According to his old boss they ended up in the knackers yard near Dunkirk in 1940 along with most others of the same ilk
From a post in Signals area of forum after returning from Dunkirk and based at Blanford; Here we were re-inforced re-equiped and trained. Our duties included deployment along the south coast to counter the expected invasion. We were under canvas just outside the town and at first had commandeered vehicles. What a rag-bag lot we must have looked! We had old cars with ‘gate-change’ gears and three Craven A vans as wireless trucks! I ripped the sump out of a little old Austin on a stump by the gate of our field! Then when we moved to Bridgewater and got new vehicles, 3ton Fords and 15 & 30cwt Bedfords. We kept these until we left for the Middle East.
David Fletcher writes in his book - 'According to a table published in 1951 compiled from records then held by the central ordnance depot at Chilwell, near Nottingham.Over 100,000 vehicles were lost in Fance and this does not include combat vehicles. The breakdown is not only by type but also differentiates between WD and impressed vehicles.' 'Subsequent studies have cast some doubt on the original figures and 85,000 is now considered more accuarate ' I wonder if some units thought this a good opportunity to indent for some new kit !
Over the years I've come across a couple of classic motorcycle magazine articles that mentioned that SO many Triumph singles were impressed from the civil register....and subsequently lost in France in 1940...that there's a suprising dearth of Triumph's "Tiger" singles in 250, 350 and 500cc capacities in the classic bike community....for what should have been very plentiful, motorcycles as they were good sellers! JCB, does Fletcher's book give any figures on bikes impressed?
It's a similar thing with pre-war civilian Bedford Trucks , they sold like hot cakes through the thirties but hardly any are on the preservation scene as vast numbers ended up left in France. I've quoted all Fletchers figures published in book. Would be great to see full report from Chillwell -
Modelling I have 2 in mind at the minute 1/148 scale 1 van body and 1 dropside, currently in base coat so can change if needs be.
