WW1 Military Motors - 1916 set x 50 cards

[Lancashire Fusilier]

AOC ( Army Ordnance Corps ) cap badges.

Top - Army Ordnace Corps - 1896 - 1907.

Bottom left - Army Ordnance Corps - 1907 - 1918.

Bottom right - Army Ordnance Corps Department - 1896 - 1918.

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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

An AOC officer examining an 18 pdr Quick Firing Gun in the Army Ordnance Corps workshops at Lovie, close to Poperinghe on the Ypres Salient, 22nd August, 1917.

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.

[patrick Eggs]

Relaxed gun crew, from our photo album

Crimson Rambler.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Packard

Remarkably, yet again we see innovative and entrepreneurial brothers, in this case William Doud Packard and his brother James Ward Packard, founding an iconic motor company, ' The Packard Motor Company '.

The Packard brothers were born in the small American town of Warren in the State of Ohio, where their father, Warren Packard owned several businesses.

After leaving College, the brothers returned to Warren and in 1890, started a business manufacturing the new incandescent light bulbs. The business was extremely successful and the brothers themselves held 13 incandescent lamp patents, with one of their electric light bulbs interestingly sold under the brand name of the ' Mazda ' light bulb, so for those old enough to remember the British television ad ' Mazda bulbs stay brighter longer ' they obviously did, with the Mazda light bulb brand dating back to before WW1.

The brothers had always had an interest in the new ' automobiles ' and in 1989, James Ward Packard purchased his first automobile a ' Winton ', however, after purchasing the vehicle, Packard was extremely disappointed with the vehicle's unreliability and poor quality and being a qualified Mechanical Engineer himself, James Packard identified various modifications which he knew would greatly improve the ' Winton's ' performance and reliability.

James Packard contacted the Winton Company owner, Alexander Winton, a Scottish immigrant who had started by making bicycles and then expanded into motorcars, thinking that he would be pleased to hear Packard's suggestions for improving his ' Winton ' automobile. However, instead of being pleased, Alexander Winton rebuffed Packard and challenged him that if he thought he could build a better motorcar, then he should do so. Alexander Winton throwing down that challenge to James Packard, was to change both their lives and the history of the motor vehicle.

The Packard brothers immediately began work on designing their own motorcar, and one year later, their first automobile a one-cylinder vehicle was ready for manufacture by their new company, the Ohio Automobile Company.

The Packard brothers continued their strive for perfection and quality. They proved their vehicles in endurance races, where they won many of the cross-country reliability runs. The challenge made by Alexander Winton had been proven many times over, and the brothers continued to produce bigger and better automobiles. They positioned their vehicles to challenge the largest and most exciting luxury cars. However, their motorcars came at a price, usually higher than most other manufacturers. Packard concentrated their production on high end luxury motor cars which started with the then expensive price tag of almost $3000, compared with Henry Ford's Model T selling for far less at $400.

The ' Packard's ' reputation for quality and reliability, attracted the attention of Henry Joy, a member of one of Detroit's oldest and wealthiest families, not only did Henry Joy invest large sums of money in the Packard Motor Company, he also encouraged many other wealthy friends to do likewise.

The Packard brothers' automobiles were engineered with quality and dependability in mind, and in 1903 following continuing success, they changed the company name to The Packard Motor Car Company and moved their motorcar manufacturing operation from Warren to Detroit, Michigan, at which time Henry Joy became a Director of the new Packard Motor Company.

Packard rapidly became the luxury motorcar of choice, and in 1912 moved firmly into the motor industry's front ranks with their 48 hp model ' Six ' and then in 1915, Packard launched their V-12 model and in 1916 out sold Cadillac with their fabled Packard ' Twin Six ' motorcar.

Due to their financial success both with their Packard Light Bulb Company and their Packard Motor Company, the Packard brothers were able to provide their home town of Warren with street lighting, and Warren, Ohio became one of the first towns in the United States to completely light its streets with incandescent light bulbs.

As with many other Motor Companies, at the start of WW1, Packard began producing Military vehicles and had contracts both with the American and British Governments. As with their motorcars, the Packard military vehicles had a reputation for quality and dependability.

Packard sold several hundred trucks to the British and French Governments ranging from 1.1/2 tons to 5 tons during the years 1914-16, and almost 5000 3-ton trucks to the American Government during 1917-18.

As with their luxury motorcars, Packard added various features to their military trucks including their stylish radiators having a ' Moto Meter ' or temperature gauge fitted to the radiator cap.

Although the ' Packard ' trucks were mainly used on the Western Front, they are found in other war zones, including being used in the German East Africa campaign and also in Russia.

William Doud Packard who was born in November 1861, died in November 1923, and his brother James Ward Packard, born November 1863, died in March 1928.

Although the tonnage capacity is not marked on the lorry in the attached photograph, based on the size of the massive chain drive, this is a Packard 5-ton truck, which was the largest they produced and supplied to the British Army.

LF

[Lancashire Fusilier]

A British Army Packard truck by the road in Authuille, a small town in the Picardy region of N. France, just SW of Thiepval and S of Beaumont-Hamel.

The photograph taken during the Battle of the Somme in August 1916, shows the Packard's distinctive stylish radiator, and we can also see the ' Moto Meter ' mounted on top of the radiator cap.

LF

IWMQ1144 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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

A British Army Packard truck photographed during the German East Africa campaign.

LF

IWM5482 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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

A Packard truck delivering American supplies dockside, for shipment to the Western Front.

LF

American Military Vehicles of WW1 - A. Mroz. 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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

A line-up of Packard military trucks, complete with young admirer.

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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Packard military truck 1917.

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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

A 1918 Packard military 1.1/2 ton truck, and by 1918 we can see the advancements in the American truck design, note the new larger tyres.

LF

American Military Vehicles of WW1 - A. Mroz. 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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

A new Packard military truck chassis leaving their Detroit factory, bound for the European war zone.

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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Packard Military truck.

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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

The Packard truck chassis used on a Detroit motorbus.

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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

The Packard truck chassis, along with American pricing.

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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Packard truck advertisements 1911 - 1917.

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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

The Packard brothers, James Ward Packard ( left ) and William Doud Packard ( right ).

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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

The superb 1916 Packard Twin Six Tourer.

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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Packard motorcar advertisements.

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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Packard trucks in Russia.

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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Packard equipped their cars and trucks with the ' Boyce ' MotoMeter which was patented in 1912, and was used to read the temperature of the radiator.

The Packard Moto Meter usually carried the design of a bi-plane on the glass.

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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Packard Electric Light Bulb Advertisement.

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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

The Packard Motor Company factory in Detriot, Michigan, U.S.A., 1905.

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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

The amazing Packard 1916 ' Funeral Bus ', designed to allow the coffin and all the mourners to all travel to the funeral together.

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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Further photographic evidence of the Packard trucks being used in the German East Africa campaign, here we see a convoy of Indian Sappers making their way to Rufiji German East Africa, with the two lead trucks being Packards.

LF

IWM5609 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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

An American Packard truck used in France as a horse ambulance.

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.