Ready for military duty (Upd. Delahaye and Spyker)

By keeping a neutral position the county of Holland managed to stay out of the Great War of 1914-1918. Nevertheless the army was mobilized and private cars and lorries were requisitioned to be used for military purposes. Seen here is a photo that was recently found by John Elema. We think it depicts such a scene where the seized automobiles were assembled, probably a military barracks or a railway station somewhere in Holland. In front are probably several Delahaye’s, although we’ll better leave the exact determination to you. Another question is where this photo was taken, but to pinpoint that spot, we think we can better ask the members of Conam, the Dutch Society of Automotive Historians.

Gepubliceerd:

woensdag augustus 15th, 2012

Onbekend

25 September 2012, 15:23

I would like to ask if someone knows what car this is.
Her (Dutch) Royal Highness Queen Wilhelmina was in this car visiting the town of Zutphen (Gelderland, The Netherlands)before WWII.

Furthermore I would like to know if someone knows who has a virtual 3D model of that car to use it in a pre-war 'game' for the Zutphen Museum.

Thanks
Willem van Spanje

Lees verder

Onbekend

17 Augustus 2012, 07:58

The location is not the AI in Delft. Requisitioned cars were converted at the firm Vitter in Schiedam into pickup trucks with an average payload of 500 kg, this was painted on the wood. The body was stored at Vitterâ€™s and some of the cars were later given back to the owners with the body mounted again (after the Dutch army had acquired sufficient trucks from Switzerland and America). On 13 August 1914 the first car train consisting of 300 cars left with supplies for the troops in Brabant, who were stationed at the border. In the foreground are two Delahayes and a Spyker. The Spyker is not converted and will be an officer car, the rest all seem to have been converted into pickups (although that word was not yet known).

Lees verder

Onbekend

16 Augustus 2012, 09:49

During the first world war no cars of individuals were â€˜askedâ€™ by the army. Before the war horses were used in times of danger, but with the arrival of the motor car the â€˜right to claimâ€™ also applied to cars and motorcycles. When the first world war broke out owners of suitable cars were asked to report with their vehicle on a certain day, at a certain spot. The army preferred large and luxury cars, which were then confiscated and the owners later got an allowance. Most cars were stripped of the luxury bodywork and a large cargo boxwas mounted on the rear. The larger the car, the better it was suitable for military use and transport. In 1914 several hundred cars were confiscated advanced. The photo was presumably taken in the courtyard of the artillery-establishments in Delft. The car with license plate G-421 is a Spyker, registered by the Spyker factory.

Lees verder

Onbekend

16 Augustus 2012, 06:55

I never cease to be astounded at the unselfish patriotism of our forebears. Would we do the same again?

Lees verder

Ready for military duty (Upd. Delahaye and Spyker)

Reacties

Plaats een reactie, stel een vraag, geef uw mening, deel aanvullende informatie of start een discussie door de onderstaande velden in te vullen