Carrier Ambulances

[Robert Bergeron]

Amazing pictures my friends Hanno and Luigi.

Picture Nbr 1 : I see a German medic attending what I see as three wounded / prisoners, two on stretchers and one other siting sideways that is a walking wounded but certainly out of action by the looks of it . The third's head can be seen facing sideways in the back wearing glasses. Driver and medic up front are Commonwealth members. The medic up front has his hand on the one of the guy's head. Don't worry boy we will get you out to a doctor ...

Great demonstration of Carriers being put to good use evacuating the wounded from both sides from the battlefield .

Awesome.

[derk derin]

I have always been interested in ambulances and heard about modified Universal carriers the 5th Canadian Division made into ambulances but never saw any references to them until I bought the Canadian Army Newsreels DVD set put out by the War Amps and there it was in black & white, 2 of the Modified Carrier ambulances rolling past the reviewing stand! I paused the TV and took pictures of them. Does anybody have any more information on these type of carriers? If you have the Canadian Army Newsreels set then on Disc 5, Issue 74, 5th Division Finale you will see them roll past. I would love to convert my carrier into this configuration but unfortunately I am cursed with Original armor on my carrier and cannot get myself to break out the cutting torches and do the dirty deed! One thing that is noticeable is the side armor runs all the way to the edge of the back deck. Rob Love found a couple of images on the internet for me of a model carrier ambulance in this configuration and shows that the cut out back armor was used to extend the side armor for more protection for the casualty. I wonder if the modeler had official photo's or documents to go by or just guessed at the configuration? Would love to learn more about the carrier ambulance modifications. Anybody?
Regards,Derk

[Colin Alford]

This image provides some detail of the modifications.

Unfortunately I do not know when or where this image was taken. I photographed it yesterday at the Base Borden Military Museum and Archives.

[derk derin]

Great photo's Colin. Thank you very much for taking them and posting. Now I really want to convert my carrier!
Regards,Derk

[Rob Beale]

The 2nd photo in the group of 4 pics in Luigi's post is an ambulance carrier of A Squadron, 19 Armd Regiment, 4 Armd Brigade of 2 NZ Division in Italy.
The tattered canopy looks like a C15A canopy

The 3rd photo is from 22 Motor Battalion of 4 Armd Brigade, 2 NZ Div.
Its canopy looks like a tarp over the ridge pole of a tent.

Hanno's photo is a snow cammo'd carrier of Regt HQ of 4 Armd Bde 2 NZ Div.
It's canopy looks like a C15A canopy without windows, with the front flap pulled over a front bow.
This is likely the vehicle copied by Resicast for their model.

There is a photo in one of Nigel's "Universal Carrier" series that shows the rear of a NZ Div carrier with the radio battery box in place and a white jerrycan in the POL holder.
Its canopy is much longer and overhangs the rear tool plate, and could be off a Loyd.

The stretcher rails are visible, and look to me to be an angle iron running each side to support the stretcher feet and allow them to be pushed inside. The tail end is formed as a channel I think, with provision for a locking pin to keep the rear stretcher feet in place.

The canopy (tilt) varies between carriers with some CMP C15A style (with or without the windows), and the front flap pulled forward over a horizontal hood bow. Others look to be Loyd canopies, or tarps.

The extension of the rear plate has a gap below it, which leads me to believe it is the cut out section of the rear plate welded on to each side plate. The rear corner angle iron is either removed or cut vertically at the outer edges of the rear plate. The tee section across the rear needs to remain to support the track guards so the plate would be cut across its upper edge.

Interesting that for many years the only photos of the conversion were of the 4 Armd Bde of 2NZ Div in Italy. All are UC Mk I* from the headlights.

(18, 19 and 20 Armd Regts were converted from 18, 19 and 20th Infantry Battalions after the debacles of Ruweisat Ridge and Bel Hammed when promised armoured support did not arrive. They were reinforced in mid 1942 by troops of the NZ Armd Bde which was raised in NZ on Valentines and Stuart Hybrids - only one Squadron remained to serve with Valentine V and III CS on Green Island in the Solomons in Feb 1944)

From the variations noted I believe, IMHO, they were a field modification, likely done in RNZEME workshops in Italy.

The most recent pic above shows a much tidier conversion with rounded corners on the remnant of the rear plate, and a neat weld of the rear plate extension, with removal of the radio battery box and POL holder.
Perhaps these were Base workshops or factory conversions?
This and the white ones in the parade lack canopies too.

My sources are Jeff Plowmans Kiwi Armour series, and Armor Camo & Markings volumes, and emails from Jeff.

My interest in these is from a late friend who was evacuated wounded in one in Italy

Rob

[Colin Alford]

I was scrolling through the Universal/Bren Carrier Facebook page and noticed the images of a recent barn-find acquisition by Chad Marshall.

The shape of the cuts on the rear armour reminded me of the ambulance conversion shown in this thread.

As I am not a Facebook user, I was not able to view all of the comments that were made regarding this carrier, but I thought it might be prudent to bring this thread up to the top for possible discussion.

The attached images are from Chad’s post on the facebook page.

[Alan McGuinness]

Some more IWM pictures - mostly North Africa