Ford Model E01A (was: US Staff Car?)

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

US Staff Car? Type?

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[Bill Murray]

Morning Stellan:
Your vehicle is a 1940 Ford used by British Forces. It is RHD with typical 9:00X13 tyres and wheels.
Bill

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Good morning Dog Robber!

Morning for you - time for evening beer in this old country.

I guess this another Ford. 1940?

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[Bill Murray]

Yes, same vehicle.
Forgot about the time difference

Enjoy a few on me.


Bill

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

M 1164001 to 1164420 V/4056 and V/4213 Car 4 Seater 4x2

Now,this is where it gets interesting! The 01A Regular Fordor Sedan assembled in Dagenham for the military is supposed to have had 6.00 x 16 wheels, although the 'diverted' 01A Saloon and Saloon Deluxe had 9.00x13 tyres. I assume that these latter were ex-French US Fords. Note no reference in the 1942 Ford listing of 'E01A' or 'C01A'or EC01A'.

The top photo looks as though it is an official shot, of a British order car..the Canadian C01A cars assembled in Aldershot appear to have had different blackout headlamps etc.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by David_Hayward (RIP)

M 1164001 to 1164420 V/4056 and V/4213 Car 4 Seater 4x2

Now,this is where it gets interesting! The 01A Regular Fordor Sedan assembled in Dagenham for the military is supposed to have had 6.00 x 16 wheels, although the 'diverted' 01A Saloon and Saloon Deluxe had 9.00x13 tyres. I assume that these latter were ex-French US Fords. Note no reference in the 1942 Ford listing of 'E01A' or 'C01A'or EC01A'.

The top photo looks as though it is an official shot, of a British order car..the Canadian C01A cars assembled in Aldershot appear to have had different blackout headlamps etc.

Here's a spare parts list for the Model E01A from Contract V/4056 (if I read it correctly?):

Ford-Spare-Parts-List-30-HP-V8-Fordor.jpg
Source: https://picclick.co.uk/Ford-Spare-Pa...592785102.html


Also one for a 1939 Utility Car? (found while googling)

Ford-DE-LUXE-UTILITY-CAR-Spare-Parts-List.jpg

[Ian McCallum]

As originally posted by David Haywood (RIP) there is no mention of a EO1A in the British Ford listing of wartime produced vehicles. However Ford did produce a Spare Parts Manual for the EO1A which shows two illustrations indicating they produced/modified both a Standard and Deluxe model and shows them as 73A and 73B, which again did not show on the listings. However in the Ford Listings of 1942 it does show both a Standard and Deluxe 01A, the correct designation for the US produced 1940 model. It also indicated these are imported and modified, hence the 900x13's wheel arch extensions and semaphore indicators shown in the illustrations and obviously remaining LH Drive.

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[Hanno Spoelstra]

Thanks for your reply here, Ian. When searching for more info after our conversation, I searched MLU (of course) and found there was more info than I'd remembered. It does make a difference when searching for EOA1 or E0A1 (I believe the notation "Echo Zero Alfa One" is the correct one).

I have a copy of the Ford Dagenham Identification Chart for Active Service and Civil Production Vehicles which differs from yours. It lists the 01A Saloon and Saloon De Luxe as on your list, but this version also mentions they were produced from Aug. 1940 to April 1941. This means 1940 model year Fords were converted, in Ford specifications this translates to 01A-73A Fordor Standard and 01A-73B Fordor Deluxe as depicted in your spare parts list. The "E for English" was added as they were assembled and modified in Dagenham, UK.

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Bart Vanderveen lists the 01A-73B in one of his books and notes "1942 Fords were also thus modified. All had LHD."

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I have seen only one picture of the 1942 model thus converted: "Ford Model 21A Super Deluxe, used by British Forces in North Africa. Military modifications included 9:00-13 desert tyres, equipment racks and brackets, and a canvas-covered observation hatch in the roof."

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[Hanno Spoelstra]

Now, some questions remain:

1. Who ordered these Ford Fordors? The French, as suggested by David? Could be the case, as the British used a lot of vehicles from diverted French orders.
2. How many were assembled?
3. What modifications were carried out to fit the 13" wheels? I reckon the drum brakes were different from the regular ones with 16"wheels. Was the suspension beefed up, and/or heavier axles fitted?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

From British Empire Staff Cars

Originally Posted by David_Hayward (RIP)

This was taken in Normandy or Belgium, 1944:

M 1164071: delivered under Contract V.4056 or V4213, but what's the truck next to it?

http://www.chrishodgephotos.co.uk/pixcma/aan647.jpg

David's picture link no longer works, but I found it back plus another one:

aan647.jpg aan646.jpg

Source: https://www.stilltimecollection.co.uk/search/army%20car

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Some more pictures of the rare Ford E01A:

From a Ford UK identification list:
Ford EO1A.jpg

Very small picture showing a rear view:
ford_3.jpg

Here's hoping Ian will chime in ;-)

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Ford Staff Car in use by the REME while recovering tanks the North African desert

See https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/i...ect/1060033929 at 1:10 min.

8AA684DE-D67E-4EBE-9FF0-A18F41CEA0A9.jpg

[Hanno Spoelstra]

“23 Aug 1942, North Africa. Winston Churchill greeting men from 4 Queen's Own Hussars.”

Interestingly, this 1942 model LHD Ford Station Wagon looks like it has had the same conversion with 9.00-13 wheels and extended mudguards as the E01A sedan. Plus it had its roof chopped off and a huge sun visor added.

DB0E2364-A243-442D-BA52-9C4BC9CD8C46.jpeg
Source: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/i...ject/205203900

[Tony Smith]

This was for sale on a Ford Flathead site a couple of years ago as a "Beach Buggy". 1941 with 9.00-13s. Nice plum colour!

[Hanno Spoelstra]

General Montgomery enters Homs in his staff car.
1943-01-27
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/i...ject/205629513

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[Hanno Spoelstra]

Ford staff car in Algiers “where the Canadian Army established its GHQ First and Second Echelons as well as a Reinforcement unit for the Italian Campaign. They later moved to the Naples area.”

Is the suspension raised?

9D76DAC6-98A9-42FE-BB58-74D5C4B13054.jpeg 01E4C8BF-2D6E-4E31-A9FF-40A1C7EC283C.jpeg

Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1117...6727663833458/

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Italy 1943:

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[Hanno Spoelstra]

Another 1942 model Ford E01A:

"Douglas C-47 Skytrain (with Star-in-Disc insignia), with its side door open, parked on sand. Seven United States Army Air Forces officers are standing around, four of which are near the hood of 1940s Ford sedan. They may be loading, or unloading, some equipment. 1942-45"

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Source: https://www.ww2online.org/image/usaa...nsport-1942-45

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Another one, stuck somewhere in a desert

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[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

“23 Aug 1942, North Africa. Winston Churchill greeting men from 4 Queen's Own Hussars.”

Some more featuring Churchill:

69800085-EF3C-446A-92E9-6F7AB964449D.jpeg 51FB377C-E6C8-42EB-B278-0A6DC1472BD0.jpeg

Source:
6D2218E9-EDB6-4312-95DB-9436926757AB.jpeg

[David Dunlop]

Hanno.

Thank you for the photos in Post#25.

My Dad served with the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada, from Winnipeg during the war, enlisting in 1939 and going to England with the Headquarters Company the following year. He was reassigned from Rifleman to an Admin Clerk shortly after arrival in England and rose to Staff Sgt.

He was seconded from the Regiment to Algiers at some point, and only ever explained that the Canadian Army was setting something up over there he had been assigned to assist in. He met my Mum, who was working in the NAAFI at the NAAFI Relief Camp at Surcouf, about 40 miles east of Algiers on the coast.

Most of the NAAFI Records for that camp were lost in a post-war fire in England, and I have yet to sort out Dad’s own war records to try and understand how and why he ended up in a part of the war for a while, where the rest of his Regiment never was assigned.

David