Australian Army Ambulances

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Hi Lionel,
Austin Champ (including the Australian army) had a kit that enabled two stretchers to be carried lengthwise behind the driver, this included an extension for the soft top so they were enclosed. Some kits were a curio found in the surplus sales unused, and involved a lot of head scratching to work out how it all worked. I have seen one poor photo of an ambulance Champ lined up in convoy, having trouble locating it though.
So this would be 1956 and a very brief period after....
Rich.
Additional- Can't find the Aussy pic, but this is a British one, would have been the same kit.

[Mike Cecil]

Thanks Richard, for the links. I had a feeling I had written something on ambulances in general, but couldn't remember the 'when and what'!!

Mike

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

Thank you Richard plus Richard and especially Mike for providing such detailed information. Thank you Richard F for sending the links to Mike's two articles.

Kind Regards
Lionel

[gjamo]

At the end of World War 2, as the ambulances from the returning hospital ship Oranje, and subsequent Hospital Ships, dispersed the wounded and ill servicemen around Melbourne, this scene was repeated many times in suburbs around Melbourne.

[Mike K]

That is a interesting pic. The car in the foreground appears to be a 1948 Humber Pullman Mk11 . The reg. plate on the Humber has three letters and numbers ?

[lynx42]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

That is a interesting pic. The car in the foreground appears to be a 1948 Humber Pullman Mk11 . The reg. plate on the Humber has three letters and numbers ?

You are right, Mike definitely a 1948-1951 Humber Pullman Mk.11 so the photo must be post 1948. The car behind it iis a 1935 Ford (Model 48) sedan.

The rego number on the Humber is WLA-337 which is a South Australian number.

1948-1957-humber-super-snipe-pullman-ii-iv-3608_3748_969X727.jpg

Regards Rick.

[Mike Cecil]

I don't know what the original caption for the image said, but HMAHS Oranje was returned to civilian service in late 1945, so the image has no relation to the transfer of patients by Aust ambulances from that vessel.

The ambulances shown (Aust No.1 and Aust No.2) plus some jeeps, all remained in service in the immediate post-war period, with the CMP Aust No.2 not being disposed of until the 1960s. Jeeps, also, were finally disposed of in the early 1960s, so a date of post 1948 (after the number plate on the Humber was issued) fits well with the MVs visible in the image.

Mike