Bedford 30cwt in US service??

[Bob Potter]

I was watching a tape of the PBS "American Masters" program last night on Robert Capa, the famous photographer. In the sequence about the liberation of Paris was footage of a camouflaged (something dark over something light like sand) Bedford (or maybe an AEC or Leyland -- something with a boxy cab but not a CMP) mobbed by happy civilians. It was driven by a GI and was loaded with GI's. I could tell they were GI's by the cut of their uniforms and by the M1 steel pot. I could not make out a division patch. The driver, as I recall, was similarly attired. The vehicle had an L-series serial number high on the door. It was four wheel. I rewound and looked twice so y'all would not think I was hallucinating.

Now considering that much of the footage shown in the war in Northwest Europe sequences looked like Italian campaign film this bit might be misplaced as well. The vehicle and its occupants intrigued me. Unauthorized acquisition would not surprise me. My father told me that his engineer unit had a long trailer used to haul aircraft wings that his guys modified to carry stuff like generators, small vehicles, and heavy tools.

Can anyone out there offer enlightenment?

Thanks for thinking.

Bob :

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by Bob Potter
In the sequence about the liberation of Paris was footage of a camouflaged (something dark over something light like sand) Bedford
It was driven by a GI and was loaded with GI's. Can anyone out there offer enlightenment?

Bob,
It may well have been a Bedford issued to the US forces. I met a Frenchman who had found a WW2 Bedford OL 3/5 ton truck in France that had once belonged to the US.
Could you read the L number?

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

So-called Reverse Lend-Lease provided that Spitfires, Mosquitoes and other British planes were used by the USAAC. The same applied to vehicles I believe. I seem to remember that London Transport built a number of special bodies at Chiswick for fitment to Leyland or similar chassis which were then supplied to the US forces. If the truck retained its British Census Number then that indicates that it was still "British" in ownership. These reverse L-L cases were taken into account literally when the post-war settlement was reached between the US and the UK. Of course the Ministry of Supply ended up with US vehicles that they sold and kept the proceeds for, in the same way as the Canada-UK settlement.

[Bob Potter]

The idiot that I am did not write it down. The tape was a loaner and I have since returned it. I knew about reverse Lend-Lease of big things like Spitfires and Mosquitos, but of Bedford trucks it did not occur to me.

The program is worth a look in and of itself; I recommend it.

Bob