Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Kelly
Yes Mike
The GMC 3 Tonners or 30 cwt or whatever would be civvy trucks impressed . At that stage they would have been grabbing near new civvy vehicles from disgruntled owners. I believe they took or prefered 1939 and 40 Ford and GM models excusively, being almost new trucks then. While buying parts years ago I met a old chap who related a few stories . He had just bought a new Chevy truck as the war began. He said it was taken from him , and he never saw it again.
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Mike,
I think a lot of people get the idea the government just knocked on your door, took the keys and drove off in your impressed vehicle. Impressed vehicles were paid for at above the average market price. Some vehicles (and other impressed items and property) which were useable were offered back to the owners when the government had finished with them.
They of course had a list of owners and took vehicles in priority (devised by bureacrats) of those least able to prove their use was in the wider national interest, hence impressed vehicles were allocated to government departments, farmers and manufacturers engaged in essential services to fill gaps in supply, not just the military. It would have p...d you off to see the bloke down the road using your truck because he had a contract with the government.