Pictures from the Heritage Archives

Last year we looked at the Siddeley-Deasy entry into WW1, this week we take a look at the war time ambulances that were built on S-D chassis. Our first two images are official war department photographs of a fleet of Siddeley-Deasy motor ambulances outside the railway station at Proven, France, on the 30th July 1917. They were a gift from the city of Calcutta, India.

© IWM Q 2646

© IWM Q 2643

All of these ambulances are mounted on a Siddeley-Deasy chassis, the same body was also mounted on a variety of different manufactures chassis. Note the Calcutta War Gift lettering around an unrecognisable crest; could it be the crest of Calcutta at the time of the British Raj? If anyone recognises it perhaps you could let us know.

This is a more informal shot with everyone lounging around, perhaps a snap taken to send home? Apologies for the poor quality of this image.

John Siddeley was not one to miss an opportunity to publicise the quality of his company’s products.

Finally a Siddeley-Deasy with a completely different ambulance body, the lettering on the scuttle is in French which suggests that it was operated by the French government or agency. The image was copied Wikipedia with the following caption “this ambulance has been in service for two years, and has saved over 200 people who were hidden in cellars during heavy bombardments”.