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  #1  
Old 23-07-18, 20:37
Matthew P Matthew P is offline
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Default Let Me Introduce Myself

Name is Matthew or Matt. I'll go by either. I live in West Virginia, USA and do not have military service. But I did work as a civilian contractor in Afghanistan for two years and then a year in Iraq.

I have a US 1967 M151A1 that I've begun restoring. But my reason for coming here is different. I've scoured the web for information on a very particular topic and of what little information is out there a high concentration is on this forum.

I am a Salvationist and volunteer with The Salvation Army as well as a WW2 reenactor. I've taken a special interest in the activities and equipment of the British Salvation Army services to H.M. Forces during the war. Mostly focused on the Mobile Canteens or often just called Mobiles. Tertiary to that is an interest in the Canadian War Services efforts by The Salvation Army and the Australian Comforts Fund and the actions of the Salvos there.

I have books on both the Canadian and Australian efforts. As of this time no book exists on the British effort. I dream of one day changing that. In the meantime I'll see about some smaller articles on the topic.

Thank you for having me.
Matthew
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  #2  
Old 23-07-18, 21:35
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Hanno Spoelstra Hanno Spoelstra is offline
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Hello Matthew,

Thanks for joining us. You have an interest in one of those many unknown units and services which helped to win the war. Would be great if you could documents their efforts. If I come across information, I will certainly post it here.

Hanno
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  #3  
Old 24-07-18, 00:15
jack neville jack neville is offline
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Welcome Matt.

You may have seen the Ford Wot 8 Jake and I have recently acquired. It will be restored as Australian Comfort Fund truck as evidenced by the sign writing on the doors. Still hoping to find a picture of it in service somewhere overseas.
What is the Australian book you refer to?
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1943 Willys MB
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1941 Fordson WOT 2H
1941 Fordson WOT 2H (Unrestored)
194? Fordson WOT 2D (Unrestored)
1939 Ford 1 ton utility (Undergoing restoration)
1940 Ford 1 ton utility (Unrestored)
1941 Ford 1 ton utility (Unrestored)
BSA folding bicycle
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  #4  
Old 24-07-18, 04:32
Ken Smith Ken Smith is offline
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Good day Matt,
Welcome to the forum.
I have a Salvation Army Ford jeep, it has both Salvation Army and Australian Comforts Fund logos painted under the windscreen. The jeep was sold to Ford Motor company in Australia after the war.
I contacted the Salvation Army and they did a really good article in their War Cry magazine about the history of the vehicle.
I have taken it to a couple of shows in its very unrestored condition, I have a story board titled Christian Soldier that gives the known history of the jeep.
I have searched the Australian War Memorial photos and the book Salvos With The Forces, but there is no photo of my jeep. I have only found 1 jeep with the exact same painting under the windscreen as my jeep, but it isn't the same registration number as mine.
Looking forward to see what you turn up on the British side of the Salvos.
Ken
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1940 Cab 11 F15 1G-8129F
1941 Cab 12 C60L AIF L4710841 Middle East veteran
1941 Cab 12 F60L ARN 45818
1941 Cab 12 F60L ARN 46660
1941 Cab 12 F60L ARN 51720 A/T Portee
1942 Cab 13 F15 ARN 55236
1942 Cab 13 F60L ARN 58171 Mach "D" Loading
1942 Cab 13 C15 ARN 62400
1945 Cab 13 C60L ARN 77821
1941 Chevrolet 3 Ton GS ARN AIF L16070 Middle East veteran
Canadian REL (APF) radar trailer
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  #5  
Old 24-07-18, 13:33
Matthew P Matthew P is offline
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Jack,

I have indeed seen that thread on your Ford WOT 8 and will be following it. The book I refer to was actually mentioned in the next post by Ken! "Salvos With the Forces". Written or I should say compiled by Salvation Army historians most of the information in the book is pulled from the Salvation Army periodical "The War Cry" and from some radio transcripts.

Ken,

That is fascinating! Can you point me to the issue date of your article? The different national commands of The Salvation Army have their own War Cry publishing. But I'm in regular contact with some of the Australian staff and could get an archived copy through them. I don't have my copy in front of me right now, but doesn't Salvos With the Forces actually give a count of how many Jeeps, mobile canteens etc were in use?

Hanno,

Before this gets out of hand is there a single best place in the forum to make a repository for all of this? Use this thread or set up shop in a different section of the forum?

Thanks all!
Matt
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  #6  
Old 24-07-18, 22:46
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Hanno Spoelstra Hanno Spoelstra is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Matthew P View Post
Hanno,

Before this gets out of hand is there a single best place in the forum to make a repository for all of this? Use this thread or set up shop in a different section of the forum?
Matt,

You can continue in this thread, or start a new one in the Softskin Forum or WW2 Military History & Equipment. It is up to you and I can always split or merge threads later.

If you want to do a series of short articles, take a look at Bruce's "wireless of the week" threads in The Wireless Forum.

HTH,
Hanno
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  #7  
Old 25-07-18, 12:59
Matthew P Matthew P is offline
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Well it seems Lang has kicked off a thread in the Softskin forum for Welfare vehicles. Seems like a good place to put the photos I've dug up.

Thanks
Matt
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  #8  
Old 25-07-18, 14:03
Ken Smith Ken Smith is offline
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Matthew,
The War Cry issue is Volume 126 # 37, 22nd September 2007.
When Deb Bennett wrote the article she finished it off with, that I had sold the jeep to a dealer. That was incorrect, I still have the jeep.
I have wondered if she wrote that to stop people annoying me, trying to buy it.
Looking at the article again, I noticed that the logos and stencil under the windscreen are the same on my jeep, as on the picture of the jeep, that Deb put in.
Deb's War Cry picture is of a 1944 Willys Jeep ARN 160290 delivered to the Australian Army in Queensland.
The Australian Army registration number on my Ford Jeep is 142831 delivered to the Australian Army in New South Wales, but the Jeep was originally delivered to the U.S. Army on March 1st 1944.
Ken
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1940 Cab 11 F15 1G-8129F
1941 Cab 12 C60L AIF L4710841 Middle East veteran
1941 Cab 12 F60L ARN 45818
1941 Cab 12 F60L ARN 46660
1941 Cab 12 F60L ARN 51720 A/T Portee
1942 Cab 13 F15 ARN 55236
1942 Cab 13 F60L ARN 58171 Mach "D" Loading
1942 Cab 13 C15 ARN 62400
1945 Cab 13 C60L ARN 77821
1941 Chevrolet 3 Ton GS ARN AIF L16070 Middle East veteran
Canadian REL (APF) radar trailer
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  #9  
Old 26-07-18, 15:22
Matthew P Matthew P is offline
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Ken,

Thanks! I'll put in a request with some friends. Lang has started a wonderful thread on Welfare vehicles. Would you please add a photo or two of your Jeep to that thread?

Thanks
Matt
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  #10  
Old 04-09-18, 18:22
Matthew P Matthew P is offline
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Ken,

I was able to get a scan of the article out of a bound edition of The War Cry. The left edge is cut off a bit, but one can generally get an idea of the article. Shall I post it to the Welfare Vehicle tread?

Matt
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  #11  
Old 05-09-18, 08:34
Ken Smith Ken Smith is offline
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That will be ok with me Matthew, I enjoyed reading the article again the other day.
You probably will have to get permission from the Salvation Army, War Cry people, maybe.
Ken
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1940 Cab 11 F15 1G-8129F
1941 Cab 12 C60L AIF L4710841 Middle East veteran
1941 Cab 12 F60L ARN 45818
1941 Cab 12 F60L ARN 46660
1941 Cab 12 F60L ARN 51720 A/T Portee
1942 Cab 13 F15 ARN 55236
1942 Cab 13 F60L ARN 58171 Mach "D" Loading
1942 Cab 13 C15 ARN 62400
1945 Cab 13 C60L ARN 77821
1941 Chevrolet 3 Ton GS ARN AIF L16070 Middle East veteran
Canadian REL (APF) radar trailer
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  #12  
Old 20-11-18, 11:57
Matthew P Matthew P is offline
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Ken,

Lindsay Cox the territorial archivist in Melbourne supplied me with a scan of the article. The left edge is cut off because the War Cry archives are bound editions. He gave permission to share the article. So here it is. I'll also post it to the Welfare Vehicle thread just to keep things tidy.

Matt
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