WW1 Military Motors - 1916 set x 50 cards

[johnboy]

[MikeyH]

Car in photo in post 2092 is an example of the ubiquitous and almost indestructible 'Model T' Ford.

Mike.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Johnboy,

Your photo of the seldom seen U.S. Army mobile X-Ray truck shows an American ' GMC ' ( General Motor Company ) Model 16AA, which was GM's version of the American Military's Class AA 3/4 Ton Truck, the most common application for which during WW1 was for use as a Military Field Ambulance.

The Model 16AA had a 132-inch wheelbase with 35-by-5 pneumatic ties, and its 30 horsepower engine gave the truck a max speed of 25 miles per hour.

Although most of the ambulances were assembled by GMC, demand soon exceeded the production capacity of GM's Pontiac division facility, so kits were devised that included all of the parts required to build an ambulance. Some of those kits were assembled by subcontractors in the U.S. such as Huppmobile and others were built by American troops in France.

Of the 13,316 Model 16 trucks produced by the various American Motor Companies, the major portion being built in 1917 and 1918, were for military use.

Other GMC trucks were used during World War I including more than 2,400 Model 23, 1-ton trucks used by the Signal Corps as light aviation tenders to support airplanes used for filed reconnaissance. Some Model 23s carried troops and others supported artillery operations.

By the time armistice was declared on November 11, 1918 nearly 90 percent of GMC's truck production had been dedicated to building a total of 8,512 military vehicles.

In addition to supplying vehicles to the American Military, the General Motor Company also supplied a large quantity of chassis to Britain, again, the majority of those GMC chassis were fitted out as Field Ambulances, with many being donated to the British Army by various private donors or charities.

Attached is another photograph of the ' GMC ' Model 16AA used as a U.S. Army Field Ambulance, which could be fitted with either the enclosed ambulance body or the convertible ambulance body as shown in the attached photograph.

The American ' GMC ' enclosed ambulance body has a hinged panel on the side of the ambulance, which could be opened to provide ventilation to the ambulance.

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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

A GMC Model 16AA American Army Field 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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

A convertible ' GMC ' Model 16AA U.S. Army Field Ambulance, with its driver and nurses.

Note the expanding stretchers fitted to the side of the ambulance, as also shown in the previous post.

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 ' GMC ' Model 16AA U.S. Army Field Ambulance evacuating wounded onto an American ship, note the ambulance's hinged side panel which has been opened to provide additional ventilation to the ambulance's patients.

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]

Car in photo in post 2092 is an example of the ubiquitous and almost indestructible 'Model T' Ford.

Mike.

Mike,

Thanks for the Ford Model T motorcar identification in post # 2092.

Regards,

LF

[Lancashire Fusilier]

An American ' GMC ' General Motor Company chassis fitted out as a British Military Ambulance, this particular ambulance having been donated to the British Red Cross, Scottish Branch by the Scottish Farmers and was one of the many donated either privately by individuals, groups or charities.

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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

An American ' GMC ' chassis fitted out as a British Red Cross ambulance, being worked on by the ambulance's V.A.D. ( Voluntary Aid Detachment ) driver and an A.S.C. ( Army Service Corps ) mechanic at the A.S.C. Base Depot at Etaples in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of Northern France.

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.

[Rockdoc]

The first photo, shows Turkish P.O.W.s working on the Stavros Light Railway guarded by British troops. At the head of the train, we can see the roof of a ' Protected ' Simplex 40 hp Trench Tractor.

Relatively few Turkish soldiers served on the Salonika Front. Although they were nominal allies, the Bulgarians fiercely resisted their deployment - only giving way at German insistence - for the understandable reason that it was only a few years since Bulgaria has been a part of the forces who threw the Turks out of Macedonia and Thrace so the Turkish motives were suspect to say the very least. There were, however, a lot of ethnic Turks in the area. The population was very mixed back then, with ethnic Greek, Bulgarian, Turkish and Serbian villages pretty much throughout the war zone. The Entente powers employed members of the local population on civil engineering projects, such as upgrading some roads to take motor vehicles, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if the men in the photo were locals rather than POWs.

Keith

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Relatively few Turkish soldiers served on the Salonika Front.

Keith

Keith,

The IWM photo in post # 2092 is captioned as showing Turkish P.O.W.s ( we all know not to completely trust photo captions ), and the presence of the British soldier armed with a rifle with a fixed bayonet would probably confirm that P.O.W.s were being put to work, be they Turkish or maybe Bulgarian.

The second photo in post # 2093, I agree is more likely showing men from the local population working for the British Army.

Regards,

LF

[Lancashire Fusilier]

With reference to post # 2048, attached are 2 photographs of a finely detailed scale model from the Imperial War Museum's model collection, of a British Army 108 gallon capacity horse-drawn Water Cart.

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.

2

[Gardenerbill]

I have just finished reading the History of the Surrrey Yeomanry, who had 2 squadrons on the Salonika front. One of the squadrons was sent to Stavros to sort out a revolt amongst the Turkish Prisoners of war building the decauville line there. Is it possible they were brought from elsewhere?

[David Filsell]

Post 2013

The Jack Russel returns - see earlier forum thread on this, the best of all dogs!

[Lancashire Fusilier]

I have just finished reading the History of the Surrrey Yeomanry, who had 2 squadrons on the Salonika front. One of the squadrons was sent to Stavros to sort out a revolt amongst the Turkish Prisoners of war building the decauville line there. Is it possible they were brought from elsewhere?

Mark,

The photograph of Turkish P.O.W.s working on the Stavros Light Railway laying Decauville lines, shown in post # 2091, confirms the Surrey Yeomanry report and vice versa. However, attached is another photograph of Turkish P.O.W.s under guard aboard a British steamer being taken to Salonika, which also confirms that some Turkish P.O.W.s were taken to Salonika from elsewhere.

Regards,

LF

IWM32528 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.

[Gardenerbill]

That's a great connection between the pictures and the written record. Fantastic thread incidentally.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

That's a great connection between the pictures and the written record.

Mark,

I agree, it is particularly nice to have both the photographic and documentary evidence support each other, and I am also pleased to hear that you are finding this Thread interesting.

Attached are two more photos, which tie in with your Surrey Yeomanry report, the first shows Turkish and Bulgarian P.O.W.s captured on the Salonika Front parading at the British No.60 General Hospital in Salonika, and the other shows Turkish P.O.W.s held at a prison camp in Salonika, who may have been brought to Salonika from elsewhere.

Regards,

LF

Turkish and Bulgarian Prisoners of War captured on the Salonika Front, parading at No.60 General Hospital in Salonika.

AWMC04341 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]

Turkish Prisoners of War at a Prison Camp in Salonika.

LF

AWMC04346 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 British Sergeant shown standing on the right in the previous post, could be the same British soldier shown on the right in post # 2116.

LF

[Lancashire Fusilier]

A interesting 1916 photograph which illustrates two previous topics, the 20 hp ' Simplex ' Trench Tractor, and the ' Decauville ' light railway lines.

The photo shows a 20 hp Simplex Trench Tractor hauling 2 ' Phillips ' bolsters used to transport sections of prefabricated ' Decauville ' light railways lines, which came complete with both the rail and the metal sleepers already attached and ready for laying by just bolting the ends of each section of rail together.

The Trench Tractor is on the light railway which ran close to High Wood, the scene of the earlier Battle of Bazentin Ridge ( 14th July 1916 ) in the Somme region of Northern France.

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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Dummy Decauville light railway lines painted in black paint on Hessian Canvas, and placed over a British gun position to provide camouflage for the emplacement.

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.

[Rockdoc]

I'd love to see an aerial photo of something like this to gauge its effectiveness.

Keith

[GRANVILLE]

I can imagine that from several hundred feet up, it would have been pretty hard to tell, but I do have to say this is the first time I've ever seen such a photograh - well done for sourcing.

David

[Lancashire Fusilier]

A regular supply of clean water was critical to the British Army, and in the attached 2 photographs we see Royal Engineers using a mobile steam powered drilling rig to sink an Artesian Well to supply water to a local Army Camp in Salonika.

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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

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.