Welfare Vehicles

[Lang]

Some more cinema

[Lang]

The last lot

[lincwel]

Pic of loud speaker vehicle
Door skin has alogo that looks like a winged microphone
Any takers?

[Matthew P]

That speaker looks extra large. But among the Australian mobiles a public address system became standard equipment. It is oft mentioned in Salvos With the Forces and is specifically listed as "sound system complete with radio tuner, pick up and microphone" in the description of the 30 standardized units built.

Matt

[Lang]

Do you know in which country the speaker Tilly photo was taken?

Lang

[lincwel]

The other pics that were with it indicate the UK, Yorkshire area

[Peter Mossong]

Firstly found in our National Archives..pretty rare photos from Crete!
YMCA van and base on Crete.

[Peter Mossong]

This next one managed to survive all that was thrown at it in both the desert and Italy and returned to New Zealand after the war! Good old Ford V8 van.

For many years it was displayed in a shed at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds in Northland, but is now in residence as an exhibit at the QEII Army Museum at Waiouru.

Text and most photos below borrowed with thanks from the 28th Maori Battalion website:

28th Maori Battalion Canteen Truck
Te Rau Aroha
During World War II Te Rau Aroha was driven and looked after throughout the North African and Italian Campaigns by the legendary canteen keeper Charlie Bennet MBE. Charlie, a Pakeha serviceman, was affectionately known by the soldiers as “Charlie Y.M.” (The Y.M. coming from the initials YMCA).

The truck was a gift to the 28th Maori Battalion from children of the Native Schools of New Zealand. When the Maori community decided to send their men to war with a special gift, an appeal for funds went around the schools. The target was 850 pounds, (about $1700 at the time). The response was magnificent. In just six months the schools grew vegetables for sale and ran concerts and stalls; children also dug into their moneyboxes. The final total was 1000 pounds ($2000 at the time), a lot of money in those days.

To the soldiers of the 28th (Maori) Battalion, Te Rau Aroha was more than a canteen. They had hastened to its assistance when it was in trouble on the desert; they had protected it, they had shown concern for its safety when it was overdue; they had sought it out in the night just to satisfy themselves that it was still there in the convoy. It had represented to them everything they held dear to home; and the inscription on the side, “Presented to the Maori Battalion as a token of love by the Children of Native Schools of New Zealand” was written on the hearts of the brave men of the 28th (Maori) Battalion.

https://28maoribattalion.org.nz/memory/te-rau-aroha

The truck appears to have had a few repaints over time (naturally, just check out the shrapnel damage in the first photo) and unfortunately, no photos I have found of it are dated! I have found none of it during it's Italian campaign when I suspect it was repainted in the darker colour.
On the offside door, the Italian campaign place names were listed, but I can't now find a photo of this!

Those with the white additions on the nose appear to have been taken post war, when the truck did a tour of all the native schools who help to fund-raise for it. The last couple are as it is now displayed at the museum.

[Matthew P]

Peter,

Thank you for sharing those. I was just writing a short little blurb article for a project for my wife and describing the 'Mobile' canteen as "more than a tea wagon".

"Writing paper and envelopes are provided for sending letters home, comforts are distributed. Music and news are broadcast, uniforms mended, ball games hosted and musical instruments provided for the men to hold concerts."

The affection and concern shown the 'Mobile' and it's drivers has come up time and again in my research. Your post though has additional elements. Those men knew from whom the funds for the truck came. It meant even more to them, then just any old canteen with tea and tobacco.

Thank you.
Matthew

[David Herbert]

Peter,

Thank you for posting about this truck but looking at the photos it seems that either it has been re-bodied or that the first photo (the one with the shrapnel damage) is showing a different truck. In the first photo the body sides extend down to level with the cab steps, There is something (fuel tank ?) with two horizontal ribs on it behind the cab step, the gap between the cab and the body is filled in and the body is extended over the cab roof. None of these features show in the other photos

I can see that when the shrapnel damage was repaired, that area of the body could well have been changed but there would have been no need to remove the section above the cab.
Looking harder I think that the cab door handle is much higher up relative to the cab window in the first photo so I definitely see these as two different trucks.

Also there is what looks like a pressed rib in the cab door about a foot up from the bottom but this is actually a mark in the photograph and extends all the way across the photo including across two men !

David

[Peter Mossong]

Hi David. Yes, I did notice the differences when re-doing those photos for posting. Unfortunately, that one with the Maori troops is the only wartime photo I've found of the vehicle. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a cunning swap over at some time!

Cheers,
Pete M.

[Matthew P]

The Imperial War Museum recently published a new collection of photographs from the No. 5 Army Film and Photo Section, Army Film and Photographic Unit They appear to be mostly from Holland, Belgium and Germany in late 44 through late 45. I found photos of Salvation Army, YMCA and NAAFI/EFI mobile canteens as well as a mobile library and mobile church truck.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/s...c%20Unit%5D=on

Here are some of the canteen photos. I'd like to identify these truck chassis as these couple of types have appeared routinely. I know the Bedford OXC was to be a standard canteen truck there are a number of these that have appeared in my research. So it would appear that this was another "standard" type(s) employed.

I also note that on the NAAFI canteens described in the captions as "First across the Rhine" have the Allied star applied to the sides of the coachwork not on the cab door as is more typically seen.

Matt

[jack neville]

I haven’t seen this thread before Lang.
This one Jake got from John Belfield not long ago. Fordson WOT 8.
Australian Comfort Funds clearly marked on the doors

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Matthew P

Here are some of the canteen photos. I'd like to identify these truck chassis as these couple of types have appeared routinely. I know the Bedford OXC was to be a standard canteen truck there are a number of these that have appeared in my research. So it would appear that this was another "standard" type(s) employed.

I also note that on the NAAFI canteens described in the captions as "First across the Rhine" have the Allied star applied to the sides of the coachwork not on the cab door as is more typically seen.

Matt

Hi Matt,
These trucks are Fordson 7V, a British built.

[Lang]

Jack

Good rare find. Is it in the queue after your current restoration?

I think a lot of those orphan trucks would have been passed to the various volunteer and support groups to clean out the army main fleet and give them transport without reducing the mainstream vehicle stocks.

Lang

[Mike K]

There is a colour movie in the AWM on line archives , shot by a chap in the ACF, of his life in Bougainville around 1945 . Scenes of Jeeps and other vehicles.

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C191587

[jack neville]

Originally Posted by Lang

Jack

Good rare find. Is it in the queue after your current restoration?

I think a lot of those orphan trucks would have been passed to the various volunteer and support groups to clean out the army main fleet and give them transport without reducing the mainstream vehicle stocks.

Lang

It is in the queue Lang. We're just not quite sure where its position is.

[Matthew P]

Originally Posted by Richard Farrant

Hi Matt,
These trucks are Fordson 7V, a British built.

Thanks a bunch! Can you point me to a good source of information about Fordson and the 7V model? I found a questionable source online that claims they continued civilian production throughout the war (https://classiccars.fandom.com/wiki/Fordson_Thames_7V) But of course I have to doubt any site that has 'wiki" in it's name without also footnotes.

Matt

[jack neville]

Originally Posted by Matthew P

Thanks a bunch! Can you point me to a good source of information about Fordson and the 7V model? I found a questionable source online that claims they continued civilian production throughout the war (https://classiccars.fandom.com/wiki/Fordson_Thames_7V) But of course I have to doubt any site that has 'wiki" in it's name without also footnotes.

Matt

Is the 7V Chassis the same chassis used in the WOT trucks?

[Matthew P]

The book Red Shield in Action describes the trucks issued by the Canadian Forces to the Welfare agencies supporting them as 3-ton trucks. I had assumed they were 60cwt CMPs but until recently hadn't seen any pictures. Here's one from the Canadian edition of The War Cry a periodical produced by The Salvation Army. The issue this came from is the September 2, 1944 edition. In studying other issues I know there was a lag time of about a month. So this photo was probably taken in July. Unfortunately I do not have a higher resolution image.

Matt

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by jack neville

Is the 7V Chassis the same chassis used in the WOT trucks?

Jack,
All I can tell you is that the short wheelbase 7V used by British Army as a tipper, has the same length wheelbase as a WOT8, which is the 30cwt 4x4. Not conclusive evidence to answer your question.

As a matter of interest, I believe the 7V chassis was adapted for the Loyd Carrier.

regards, Richard

[Matthew P]

I know these are a long time coming and apologies to those who have been waiting a year. But here are the first photos from The Salvation Army Canada & Bermuda Territory Archives. To fit these onto the forum I've focused on the vehicles. But can get the uncropped photo to those who ask. The first were taken in Canada. The third had no caption. But I suspect still in Canada as well. The 'Pick-up Van" looks to be a commercial Dodge Carryall/Suburban. The canteen being backed into the railcar; is that a Chevy MCP? The bottom photo I don't know, pre-war Ford?

Matt

[Matthew P]

These next two are captioned as being a Canadian Supervisor (Salvation Army Officer w/the Forces) working in England from an "improvised mobile canteen". Any ideas on the make of truck from the limited view in these photos?

Matt

[Eric R.]

I would take a shot and say, from the limited stuff I can see and the short height, that it possibly looks like a Morris-Commercial CS8 or C4.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Eric R.

I would take a shot and say, from the limited stuff I can see and the short height, that it possibly looks like a Morris-Commercial CS8 or C4.

Hi Eric,
As it is not a full width tailboard, I do no think this is a British 15cwt (so not a Morris CS8 or C4). I can see what looks like two 'windows' in the side of the canopy and think it is a PU 8cwt, could be Morris or Humber, think they had a narrow tailgate, but cannot find a photo to prove the point at present.

Looking at Bart's Fighting Vehicles Directory, page 201 1st edition,. I reckon it is a Chevrolet C8 8cwt 4x2 Wireless with the second body type

[Alex van de Wetering]

Chevrolet C8 8cwt 4x2

I agree....A Ford F8 or Chevrolet C8 with a 1b1/1b2 body.

Lovely pictures Matt!

Alex

[Matthew P]

Eric, Richard & Alex,

You guys are incredible! When I write my book on this topic I'll be sure to include you and many others here at MLU in the acknowledgments. Many of the photos in the archives were mis captioned. Some details I can pick out and determine, but those tend more towards distinguishing features among Salvation Army uniforms and of the mobile canteens. Not of truck chassis.

Thanks again! I'll post more pictures tonight. (my time, I'm overseas right now)

Matt

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Matthew P

Eric, Richard & Alex,

You guys are incredible! When I write my book on this topic I'll be sure to include you and many others here at MLU in the acknowledgments. Many of the photos in the archives were mis captioned. Some details I can pick out and determine, but those tend more towards distinguishing features among Salvation Army uniforms and of the mobile canteens. Not of truck chassis.

Thanks again! I'll post more pictures tonight. (my time, I'm overseas right now)

Matt

Thanks Matthew,
I like the photo puzzles Glad to assist you.

regards, Richard

[Matthew P]

Well here's the next photo puzzle. Not only what did this truck begin as, but the modifications to the coach work can be studied for quite a while and entertain the likes of us for some time. Either that or I'm just easily amused. No caption with this one.

Matt

[Matthew P]

Here's an interesting pair of photographs. Both of these canteens appear to be British. The one in town looks to have been transferred to the Dutch Salvation Army. So I suspect this photo might be circa 1945-46, as it appears to still retain markings on the fenders and the star on the door. But I have no caption and no other information. The one with the windmill in the background routinely appears with Canadian Salvation Army tie ins although the truck appears British to me. The shield is of the style usually used by the British Salvation Army and not the Canadian at the time. Still I know some of our members are in/from The Netherlands and it would be impolite of me not to share these two.

Matt