WW1 Military Motors - 1916 set x 50 cards

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Will's WW1 Military Motors - Card No.13 - British Motor Restaurant.

" Everything that organization can accomplish is being done to alleviate the trying conditions under which our brave soldiers are fighting. H.R.H. Princess Victoria and the ladies of the Auxiliary Committee in connection with the Y.M.C.A. presented a number of these Refreshment Cars for the use of our soldiers at the front ".

LF

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Will's WW1 Military Motors - Card No.14 - British Motor Searchlight.

" It is gratifying to be able to record the success that has attended the use of these splendidly equipped searchlights, which are mounted on rubber-tyred wheels - The motor lorry carries a complete generating outfit for making the current for supplying the powerful lamps - These three-ton lorries are made by the Austin Motor Co. Ltd. "

LF

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Will's WW1 Military Motors - Card No.15 - British Motor Soup Kitchen.

" Numbers of these compact and servicable vehicles are used by the British Red Cross Society on the different battle-fields. Wounded soldiers are supplied with comforting hot soup, coffee, tea and other warm necessaries, right up to, and almost within the firing lines - Our picture shows the car presented by Messrs. Burberry, London, to the R.C.S ".

LF

[truthergw]

While some of these vehicles were produced and used, I am wondering if some of these ever made it to the prototype stage and beyond, let alone actually being used in action. It seems that some of them might just be ideas and images to keep up morale on the Home Front...the manufacture of "light, tough steel plates which rifle and machine gun fire cannot penetrate" was never achieved in WW1 IIRC.

I agree, Mr S. These were weapons for fighting the last war i.e. the Boer War. None of them envisaged the artillery battle which took place from behind the trenches on either side. Interesting to see the caterpillar tractor in use without comment. Perhaps the tank was not such a brilliant leap of the imagination as we are sometimes led to believe. Great series of cards and I look forward to seeing all of them. Perhaps we ought to bear in mind that Wills Cigarette Co, like Granda reminiscing, were not on oath.

[squirrel]

I am surprised that we have yet to see an armoured cigarette van dispensing fags to the troops in the front line.

[GRANVILLE]

For us Baby Boomer, or older members, we are very familiar with Cigarette Cards, and can probably all remember playing " Ciggies " in the school playground flicking the Cigarette Cards against the school wall, and whomever's card got closest to the wall, or stood up against the wall, won all the cards that had been flicked, and we carried our stash of ciggie cards around in a rubber band.

For the younger members who may not be familiar with Cigarette Cards, they were given away free in packets of cigarettes by all the different cigarette manufacturers, one random card in each packet. So collecting a whole set of 50 cards, would probably take ages. However, back then 20s - 30s - 40s people were very heavy smokers, some using several packs a day!

Today, Cigarette Cards are very collectible, this early 1916 Wills Military Motors set sells for 40 - 80 pounds depending on the condition.

The cards were usually, as is this set, 1.3/8ths x 2.5/8ths inches, and considering they are almost 100 years old, the quality of the printing, and artwork is excellent.

The backs of the cards were usually very informative, and often had a very similar format.

Attached is a photograph of the cards in their period album, and a copy of the card back.

LF.

I notice that even in the text there is no clarification if this tricycle is motorised or pedal powered?

DU

[Lancashire Fusilier]

I notice that even in the text there is no clarification if this tricycle is motorised or pedal powered?

DU

These vehicles most likely existed, either as experiments, or were actually used in service.

I am hoping that someone will eventually come up with photographs, and or more information. With regard to the Tricycle, as it seems to be fully enclosed, it was probably pedal powered ?

[GRANVILLE]

Here's quite a good one featuring the motor cycle mounted machine gun. So far I've been unable to find any reference to an armoured tricycle, however if interested I have come across the armoured stetcher, which is not too dissimilar.

Dave Upton

[centurion]

Will's WW1 Military Motors - Card No.9 - British Motor Fortress.

" For outpost duty and for scouting purposes, as well as the execution of daring raids, mobilty, speed and reliability are necessary essentials for ensuring the success of these Motor Forts - their engines are almost noiseless, thanks to the invention of the sleeve-valve engine - The car is covered with light, tough steel plates which rifle and machine gun fire cannot penetrate - sometimes two machine guns are carried, with a crew of between four to eight men ".

LF.

This represents a mobile blockhouse used by Spanish forces in North Africa BEFORE 1914. They were used to hold vital cross roads ets. A Schnieder product. As for mobility , speed etc - well they moved at a moderate trundle .Never used in British service I think the writer must have been NotW trained - make it up as you go along.

[centurion]

These vehicles most likely existed, either as experiments, or were actually used in service.

I am hoping that someone will eventually come up with photographs, and or more information. With regard to the Tricycle, as it seems to be fully enclosed, it was probably pedal powered ?

It was not pedal powered nor was it fully enclosed. There are photos and tomorrow I'll try and find a link (I have hard copy in books). The machine gun sticking out the front is the illustrator's fantasy. It appears to have been a semi armoured machine gun carrier based on a motorcycle combination. The rider would have sat up so his top half was exposed. All of the vehicles illustrated existed but not always in the form as illustrated and not all were armoured. Most saw service.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Great follow up information from everyone, and an excellent photograph of the motorcycle mounted machine gun.

Hopefully, we shall get to see other photographs, including the Armoured Tricycle.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Will's WW1 Military Motors - Card No.16 - British Officer's Side Car.

" These handy motor cycles, with their side cars, were quickly adopted by the Military authorities as a very satisfactory means of rapid transit. With their aid, much ground can be covered by Officers ".

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Will's WW1 Military Motors - Card No.17 - British Wireless Motor.

" The latest methods and inventions of modern science are utilised on the battlefields of the great war.

Field communications are much simplified and rendered more efficient by the aid of Wireless Telegraphy. The car carries a complete wireless outfit, and the mast is carried in sections by the side of the car ".

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Will's WW1 Military Motors - Card No.18 - British Colonial Motor Lorry.

" Motor traction is proving of great service to the British forces in East Africa. Motor Lorries are extensively used for transporting the necessary guns, ammunition and stores by our Army Transport Corps - through the dense scrub and over parched, desolate wastes ".

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Will's WW1 Military Motors - Card No.19 - British Colonial Motor Searchlight.

" These powerful Motor searchlights were specially designed and built for travelling over the rough roads and sandy deserts of South West Africa ".

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Will's WW1 Military Motors - Card No.20 - British/Australian Motor Ambulance.

" This Ambulance and its lady driver is one of a number that were used for conveying the Australian wounded to the hospitals in Egypt - The Heliopolis Hotel and many other large buildings in Cairo were fitted up as hospitals by the Australian Military authorities ".

[GRANVILLE]

Here's a couple of nice original photos to compliment the cards, although the picture quality of this first one was not good from the beginning. This one concerns the searchlight vehicle, depicted in the cigarette card somewhere in the Middle East. This vehicle looks almost identical in a similar setting.

DU

[GRANVILLE]

This image catches my eye because of the way it captures the birth of armoured car development. This photo was apparently taken in 1914 at Antwerp and shows a known Belgium officer, Lieutenant Henkart making use of the binoculars to observe the recent fall of a shell. Again, according to the photo caption, Henkart was the first to draw attention to the potential of the armoured car and such was his commitment he took two of his own cars and suitably armoured them as can be seen here with this one, named MIINERVA. He manned one of the vehicles himself, aided by his own servants and made the two vehicles available to the Belgium Government.

DU

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Granville,

These are great photographs, and confirm that some of these vehicles did exist, and were used in service.

With regard to the Belgian Armoured Car, card No.28 actually depicts that very same vehicle! which is described as a Belgian Motor Mitrailleuse.

In fact, it looks as though the Cigarette Card illustration is taken from your actual photograph.

[centurion]

This image catches my eye because of the way it captures the birth of armoured car development. This photo was apparently taken in 1914 at Antwerp and shows a known Belgium officer, Lieutenant Henkart making use of the binoculars to observe the recent fall of a shell. Again, according to the photo caption, Henkart was the first to draw attention to the potential of the armoured car and such was his commitment he took two of his own cars and suitably armoured them as can be seen here with this one, named MIINERVA. He manned one of the vehicles himself, aided by his own servants and made the two vehicles available to the Belgium Government.

DU

The car is not named Minerva - that is the name of a manufacturer of motor vehicles who built many armoured cars (at least eight of this particular model) and the officer may in fact be Lt Kervyn de Letterhove

[centurion]

and

I think this is in fact one of Henkart 's improvised cars

[centurion]

Seen again here

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Centurion,

Thanks for the great photographs.

[tipperary]

Minerva was a company name they even produced licence built landrovers in the 1950s.john

[GRANVILLE]

Thanks Centurion. I would agree that the MINERVA (Make) car will actually be the type used to create the image of the Motor Mitrailleuse or machine gun car for the cigarette card, and Lt Henkart's own imporovised car will clearly be the one you have posted. This only goes to show once again, how you cannot take the text of even period publications to be always correct - the very reason why I inserted the word apparently into my own posting.

On the other hand, you certainly could imagine the cigarette card artist making use of some of these original photos to produce his sketches - the Searchlight vehicle is virtually identical to the cigarette card - complete with flag out the top of it.

DU