Welfare Vehicles

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Matthew P

That's a Bedford OXC correct? Somewhere I have reference to these canteen body Bedfords and it's my understanding the UK War Office was trying to standardize the chassis used because so many different ones were being donated it was hard to maintain them in good running shape.

Matt, indeed OYC's, as Richard already noted.

Here's another example of the myriad of vehicle types the British government had a hard time supporting the myriad of vehicles bought and donated by civilian organizations. This Commer Q2 is one of only two identified in pictures so far. Both were donated by Jamaican organisations.

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Richard Allebone sent me a screenshot, a quick search yielded the original of another Commer Q2 flying food truck. This is another vehicle, note “Jamaica’s Women War Material and Comforts Committee” on the side. It was supplied by UNNRA so this is a postwar picture.

Read more about how Caribbean women supported Britain’s war effort in a variety of ways at http://westindiacommittee.org/caribb.../women-in-war/

S-1167-0009-00001.jpg
Source: https://search.archives.un.org/unrra...-flying-squads

[lynx42]

I understand that the troops wanted a cuppa they gave their money to the NAAFI cashier and received a token which they then passed to the tea lady.

Recently our Museum received some NAAFI Tokens which are abut the size of an English/Australian shilling or 1/2pence.

IMG20191006132200.jpg IMG20191006132214.jpg IMG20191006132524.jpg

I am not sure what is printed on the round token. It looks to me to be for the value of 1/2pence for the "British, British, Armed, Armed, Forces Forces.1/2d.1/2d.1/2d."

IMG20191006132511.jpg

Regards Rick.

[dcrfan]

No expense spared.

img765a-1024x741.jpg
http://photos.kiwimodeller.com/image...a-1024x741.jpg

[ted angus]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Matt, indeed OYC's, as Richard already noted.

Here's another example of the myriad of vehicle types the British government had a hard time supporting the myriad of vehicles bought and donated by civilian organizations. This Commer Q2 is one of only two identified in pictures so far. Both were donated by Jamaican organisations.

Hanno it wasn't supplied by the UNRRA it would have been gifted to the UNRRA post war to provide relief in Europe manned by British volunteers. See this article on http://hmvf.co.uk/topic/14010-guy-vi...comment-261757

Ted

[Matthew P]

Richard and Hanno thanks for the correction. I'm not at all well versed in Commonwealth vehicles, but that's where my interests lay so I'm learning.

lynx42 here's a website with a bunch more of those tokens: https://sites.google.com/site/malstokens/naafi

dcrfan, that's an interesting photo. Although I've read about it in several locations I haven't seen many photos of standard issue cargo trucks being used as canteens by the welfare services. The other I can think of is also YMCA in fact.

Matt

[Patrice DEBUCQUOY]

Hello,

Could this Ford 7V in Holland 1945 be considered as a welfare vehicle ?

YhIWQRw.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YhIWQRw.jpg

Cheers,
Patrice.

[Brian Gough]

dcrfan, re post #110, thanks for that picture. It's nice to see a rare C8AX in service.

Brian

[Matthew P]

Patrice,

You bring up a good topic. At least in the United States many who study World War II history end their study of Europe when the Allies entered Berlin. The millions of refugees, displaced persons and the programs to repatriate, relocate, feed, clothe and house the victims of the war are not even thought of by many. But of course welfare agencies already in theater with the Forces then turned to civilian relief. The Salvation Army had their Overseas Relief program, it is well documented in their archives and I'd like to study it in the future.

There is the aforementioned UNRRA. The Wikipedia page for it being all of nine paragraphs long. Contrast that with the Wikipedia entry for the Normandy Landings that has around 60 paragraphs! We come along and take an interest because of the vehicles. But then I see just the staggering size of the tasks these post-war relief agencies faced. From the Wiki on UNRRA "By 1947, UNRRA was running nearly 800 resettlement camps, housing seven million people.[10] Forty-four nations contributed to funding, supplying, and staffing the agency...". Then there were all the non-governmental ones.

It is a topic I feel as big as the war itself and deserving it's own study. Lacking that, it is my opinion that all of these should stay in this thread. Many of the vehicles are the same types if not actually the same vehicles in some cases and the motives behind their operators and drivers are the same. The only difference being serving civilians impacted by the war instead of the forces.

Matt

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Matthew P

You bring up a good topic. At least in the United States many who study World War II history end their study of Europe when the Allies entered Berlin. The millions of refugees, displaced persons and the programs to repatriate, relocate, feed, clothe and house the victims of the war are not even thought of by many. But of course welfare agencies already in theater with the Forces then turned to civilian relief. The Salvation Army had their Overseas Relief program, it is well documented in their archives and I'd like to study it in the future.

There is the aforementioned UNRRA. The Wikipedia page for it being all of nine paragraphs long. Contrast that with the Wikipedia entry for the Normandy Landings that has around 60 paragraphs! We come along and take an interest because of the vehicles. But then I see just the staggering size of the tasks these post-war relief agencies faced. From the Wiki on UNRRA "By 1947, UNRRA was running nearly 800 resettlement camps, housing seven million people.[10] Forty-four nations contributed to funding, supplying, and staffing the agency...". Then there were all the non-governmental ones.

It is a topic I feel as big as the war itself and deserving it's own study. Lacking that, it is my opinion that all of these should stay in this thread. Many of the vehicles are the same types if not actually the same vehicles in some cases and the motives behind their operators and drivers are the same. The only difference being serving civilians impacted by the war instead of the forces.

Matt, you're right. The fighting may have ended in May 1945, but the war certainly wasn't over.

Here is a link to a page with interesting info about Mobile Canteens: Kent at War - Life During Wartime

image045.jpg
A Bedford OX 30 Food Flying Squad mobile canteen. This vehicle was provided by donations from the people of Kent County, Michigan, USA, which is inscribed on the side of the vehicle. Two of the convoy’s motorcycles and riders are also shown. (WanPs-0337)

Also make sure to read the thread Ted Angus mentions over at HMVF: Guy vix-ants - queens messengers

HTH,
Hanno

[ted angus]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Also make sure to read the thread Ted Angus mentions over at HMVF: Guy vix-ants - queens messengers

There were some excellent files on HMVF but I lost my copies in a PC crash; However one of the members has very kindly given me some info on the Commer : There were 15 of them in the CUN reg block they came into service in 1942 a year after the OXDs. The bulk of the Queens messenger vehicles went to Europe as soon as areas were liberated, the bulk being to the Nederlands , Belgium and France. The vehicle in the UNRRA lineup is CUN351, it had served in the Dundee convoy and is on its way to Belgium in the photo. TED

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by ted angus

Hanno it wasn't supplied by the UNRRA it would have been gifted to the UNRRA post war to provide relief in Europe manned by British volunteers. See this article on http://hmvf.co.uk/topic/14010-guy-vi...comment-261757

Hello Ted, you’re right, I should have written supplied to UNRRA instead of by.

From that fascinating thread on HMVF I learned that two Queen’s Messengers Convoys (22 vehicles) were gifted to the Netherlands, which led to the subsequent discovery of pictures of the being in use here.

The Hague, 25/05/1945

84855.jpg
source: https://beeldbankwo2.nl/en/imagebank...b-b8bec7e49620

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

From that fascinating thread on HMVF I learned that two Queen’s Messengers Convoys (22 vehicles) were gifted to the Netherlands, which led to the subsequent discovery of pictures of the being in use here.

Here's a better picture taken at the hand-over on Saturday, December 16, 1944. Quote from The Times on that day: "FOR HOLLAND: The Queen with Princess Juliana standing by one of the mobile canteens she has given for service in Holland. Altogether she handed over two "Queen's Messenger" convoys, 22 vehicles, to the Princess for the use of the Dutch Government"

Prinses_Juliana_bij_een_vrachtwagen_met_opschrift_Food_Flying_Squad_U.S.A._to,_Bestanddeelnr_935.jpg

Source: http://proxy.handle.net/10648/ad99f9...8-003048976d84

[Alex van de Wetering]

Here is a vid of the Queens Messengers in action in Venlo, Holland

http://in.beeldengeluid.nl/kanaal/17...vrijding-venlo

Alex

[ted angus]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

Here is a vid of the Queens Messengers in action in Venlo, Holland

http://in.beeldengeluid.nl/kanaal/17...vrijding-venlo

Alex

Thanks for sharing Alex, spent many happy times in VENLO when I was in the RAF
Ted.

[Ilian Filipov]

Thanks for the nice footage, Alex. Pity it isn't downloadable (or I am that dumb?)
Interesting is that the number plate of the stores van A7/CCA 822 is with reversed colors.

Bedford-OXC-Queens-Messengers-canteen-grab-03.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/GpF6Ss2W/Bedfor...en-grab-03.jpg

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Screen grab of a canteen trailer of some sort, never seen this before. Could it be a converted radar trailer or similar?

Aplogies for the quality. The source is film material shot by Cees Schenkel's (a Keep Them Rolling member) grandfather, the celluloid film is being digitised by an archive which will put it on youtube in due time.

canteen.jpg

[Matthew P]

Hanno,

That's a new one for me. Where was this filmed at? I've seen very few, trailer canteens, they did exist but were much less common then self propelled vehicles.

Matt

[Keith Brooker]

A few US Army trucks . photos from my collection.

[Matthew P]

Alex thank you. Gives me something I can look up here on MLU now

Keith, interesting photos. They would all appear to be either post-war or very, very near the end of the war. There's been times for units to add their flash to the trucks, civilians children are milling about and the one library truck is clearly a Clubmobile body. Wonder if those were turned out for other purposes, such as this or if it was converted from aa Clubmobile.

Matt

[Matthew P]

Re Post 98 on Page 4 where I have three pictures of a Dodge. The text describes it as a '1-ton' and I can see it's Right Hand Drive. I assume this is an MCP model. Do the pictures offer enough information for clear identification? It was delivered to Italy in late 1943 or in 44.

Thanks
Matt

[Alex van de Wetering]

Matt,

I assume this is an MCP model. Do the pictures offer enough information for clear identification?

It's a 15cwt Canadian built Dodge; D15 (4x2). 15cwt equals to 3/4ton, but I am sure they were often loaded above that!