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WW1 Military Motors - 1916 set x 50 cards


Lancashire Fusilier

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Here is another rare and interesting variation of the Albion A10 GS Lorry, the A10 Mobile X-Ray Unit. This particular Albion A10 has ended up in a transport museum in Istanbul, Turkey and is on display showing Turkish Army insignia. The Museum Curator, has in the past stated that the A10 came via the Turkish Red Crescent ( our Red Cross ), most likely by way of Salonika.


This fully equipped Albion A10 Mobile X-Ray Unit was originally a WW1 British Army Mobile X-Ray vehicle, and at some point and in some way, was acquired by the Turks probably in the Salonika region.


I am surprised that this rare Albion A10 variation has not be repatriated back to Britain, as it is probably the only fully equipped WW1 British Army Albion A10 Mobile X-Ray Unit still in existence.



LF




This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.




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2 Albion A10 Lorries, badly damaged by shelling, are stored in the damaged lorry park of the Army Service Corps' Motor Transport Depot at Rouen in North France.


Although the A10s are badly damaged, this photograph gives us some good details of the A10's chassis, particularly details of the radiator grill design and assembly.



LF




IWM This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.



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Very nice selection of images LF. Whilst one has always been impressed by those who would "ground up" restore an aircraft to flying condition, one is equally impressed with those preservationists who do a ground up rebuild of a WW1 motor vehicle particularly when many of the components have to be re-engineered. Note re your #2555 post. The troops are Australian Artillery in Taunton. The 8inch battery of the 36th Brigade was the 54th and these are some of said Unit being trained by their English hosts. They later became the 1st Australian Siege battery. Regards... Rod

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Very nice selection of images LF. Whilst one has always been impressed by those who would "ground up" restore an aircraft to flying condition, one is equally impressed with those preservationists who do a ground up rebuild of a WW1 motor vehicle particularly when many of the components have to be re-engineered. Note re your #2555 post. The troops are Australian Artillery in Taunton. The 8inch battery of the 36th Brigade was the 54th and these are some of said Unit being trained by their English hosts. They later became the 1st Australian Siege battery. Regards... Rod

Rod,

Many thanks for the information regarding the Australian troops in Taunton, and with regard to vehicle restoration, here is a superb example of a fully restored WW1 Albion A10 Lorry, it is so nice to see the previous black and white photographs of the Albion A10 come to life in full colour.

Regards,

LF

2

These images are reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

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Yes it is a good job. Know the owner well and he is very knowledgeable on matters "Albion". The lorry has been on loan to the Aust. Army Transport Museum at Bandiana, Victoria. The gum trees are difficult to miss! Rod

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Yes it is a good job. Know the owner well and he is very knowledgeable on matters "Albion". The lorry has been on loan to the Aust. Army Transport Museum at Bandiana, Victoria. The gum trees are difficult to miss! Rod

Rod,

I thought you would like that one !

Regards,

LF

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Yes it is a good job. Know the owner well and he is very knowledgeable on matters "Albion". The lorry has been on loan to the Aust. Army Transport Museum at Bandiana, Victoria. The gum trees are difficult to miss! Rod

Is that the Albion that was in Anzac Girls?

Nice truck.

Scott

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Is that the Albion that was in Anzac Girls?

Nice truck.

Scott

Scott,

Yes, that is the Albion A10 used in the Australian miniseries ' Anzac Girls ', and here is a still photo from the film showing the Albion A10 on the film set.

Well spotted.

Regards,

LF

This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

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Here is an excellent example of Albion's quality motor engineering shown in an Albion A3 tanker truck produced for the Pumpherston Oil Co. Ltd., of 135 Buchanan Street, in Albion's home town of Glasgow.


In 1905, the Pumpherston Oil Co. Ltd., ( later Scottish Oils ) was owned by Archibald and William Fraser, who may well be the two men shown in this A3 photograph.


Note the encased rear wheel chain-drive.



LF




This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.


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2 final photographs of the Albion A10 General Service Lorry as used during WW1.

LF

These images are reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

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Interesting Albion pics LF. Do you happen to know the date of the lower image in #2584? Rod

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The basic design of the "army" truck has hardly changed. Basic cab, flatbed rear with canvas cover. Staggering.

Scalyback,

As seen in this 1939 Albion Army General Service Lorry.

Note the Albion ' Sunrise ' radiator badge.

Regards,

LF

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Interesting Albion pics LF. Do you happen to know the date of the lower image in #2584? Rod

Rod,

I shall check and see if the photo is dated, that particular Albion A10 is definitely WW1 period based on the WD bonnet markings and the radiator design, and although the A10's cabs are different on each of the vehicles in post # 2584, that style of Albion A10 cab is shown on the A10s in Salonika ( post # 2544 ) which is where I suspect that photograph was taken.

Regards,

LF

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Production of the Albion A10 continued after the end of WW1, and Albion continued to supply the A10 to the British Army into the mid-1920s, with some further 2000 A10s being produced after 1918.

The only noticeable change to the post-WW1 Albion A10 being the radiator design, which included the ' Albion ' lettering previously being on the radiator grill, now incorporated into the radiator badge design.

Attached is a photograph of British troops in Ireland after WW1, along with a post-WW1 Albion A10 showing the revised radiator design.

LF

This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

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A post WW1 Albion A10, showing the revised radiator design.

LF

This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

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Rod,

I shall check and see if the photo is dated, that particular Albion A10 is definitely WW1 period based on the WD bonnet markings and the radiator design, and although the A10's cabs are different on each of the vehicles in post # 2584, that style of Albion A10 cab is shown on the A10s in Salonika ( post # 2544 ) which is where I suspect that photograph was taken.

Regards,

LF

LF, I believe you are on the money re the general location. The "L" prefix to the Census number was in use for both the EEF and Salonika etc (excluding Mesopotamia) during the conflict however it appeared later on lorries in Europe after the War, only on 'occupation' vehicles per the images viewed thus far. An official 'authority' for the use of this prefix in Europe is yet to emerge when our cousins in the UK do some more homework on the subject! Rod

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The FWD 4-Wheel Drive Truck
Founded in 1891 by Otto Zachow and his brother-in-law William Besserdich in the small town of Clintonville, in Wisconsin, U.S.A., their new company, which operated out of a small machine shop, was to eventually perfect and patent the 4-wheel drive mechanism for motor vehicles.
Known originally as the ' Badger Four Wheel Drive Company ', named after the Badger, which was the State Animal for Wisconsin, the company name was changed in 1910 to the ' Four Wheel Drive Company ', and was subsequently to become known worldwide just as ' FWD '.
FWD's first 4-wheel drive vehicles were motor cars, with their most successful model being their 1909 4-wheel drive motor car known as the ' Battleship ', due to its formidable off-road capabilities.
The FWD company was to receive a massive boost, when a Captain Alexander E. Williams, who had been appointed by the U.S. Army's Quartermaster General to investigate and procure suitable vehicles for use by the U.S. Military in their strive towards mechanization, having heard of FWD's 4-Wheel drive vehicles and their superb off-road capabilities, travelled to Clintonville to meet with Zachow and Besserdich and test drive their 4-wheel drive motor car.
The meeting with FWD and the testing of their 4-wheel drive vehicle was a great success, and as a result, it was arranged for FWD to produce a prototype 4-wheel drive truck suitable for use by the U.S.Army, which Captain Williams wanted to include in an upcoming 1912 U.S.Army 1500 mile vehicle road trial from Washington D.C., to Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana, with much of the gruelling trek to be off-road.
The U.S. Army selected several different American made trucks for the 1500 mile road trial, including FWD's prototype 3-ton truck, and each of the 3-ton trucks entering for the road trial, was to be fully laden to capacity.
The FWD 4-wheel drive vehicle performed exceptionally well during the 1500 mile road test which took from February 8 to March 28, 1912, and as a result, the U.S. Army placed an initial order for a small shipment of FWD 4-wheel drive trucks. Following this truck order, FWD ceased producing motor cars, and switched exclusively to 4-wheel drive truck production.
With the start of WW1 in 1914, FWD saw significant orders from Europe for their 4-wheel drive trucks, with the British War Department purchasing FWD trucks through their Agents, Gaston Williams & Wigmore.
With America entering the war in 1917, FWD received substantial orders from the U.S. Army with some 15,000 FWD Model B 3-ton 4-wheel drive trucks eventually being produced for America, Britain and her Allies during WW1.
The 3-ton FWD Model B 4-wheel drive truck, was powered by a 56 hp engine providing power to all 4 wheels.
During WW1, the FWD 4-wheel drive truck was mainly used as an Artillery Tractor, an Ammunition Carrier, and a General Service Truck, as well as a Mobile Machine Shop and Balloon Winch Vehicle.
After WW1, FWD set up a British subsidiary at Slough in 1921, which initially converted and refurbished FWD ex-U.S. Military 4-wheel drive trucks for civilian use, later importing and assembling new FWD trucks from the U.S. for the British commercial market.
LF

The attached photograph shows FWD founders, Otto Zachow ( sitting on the back of the vehicle ) and William Besserdich with one of their original prototype 4-wheel drive vehicles.

This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

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Otto Zachow's and William Besserdich's 1907 Patent Drawings for their 4-Wheel Drive Mechanism.

LF

These images are reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

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Otto Zachow's and William Besserdich's highly successful 1909 ' Battleship ' 4-wheel drive motor car.

LF

This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

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FWD's prototype 4-wheel drive truck entered in the U.S. Army's 1500 mile vehicle road trial from Washington D.C., to Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana, held between February 8 to March 28, 1912.



LF




This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.


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Testing one of the early FWD 4-wheel drive chassis' off-road capabilities on snow covered open ground around Clintonville, Wisconsin, U.S.A.

LF

This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

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Following the success of FWD's 4-wheel drive prototype truck during the 1912 U.S. Army road trial, Captain A.E. Williams continued to work with FWD on the development of a 4-wheel drive truck suitable for use with the U.S. Army.

In the attached two photographs, we see Capt. Williams taking part in the testing in and around Clintonville of FWD's prototype 4-wheel drive truck, which is starting to resemble FWD's later iconic 4-wheel drive truck design.

LF

This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

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The FWD 4-wheel drive prototype truck being tested in Clintonville, with Capt. Williams at the wheel, and local Clintonville inhabitants acting as the passengers.


It is probably, Otto Zachow and William Besserdich on the far left.



This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.


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An early version of the FWD 4-wheel drive 3 ton Model B General Service Truck, as supplied to the U.S. Army.

This early version, still has the original brass radiator, and the ' Chuck Wagon ' style canvas.

The Model B's brass radiator, was subsequently replaced by the sturdier cast iron radiator with the ' FWD ' lettering on the grill.

LF

This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

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