M1917 Ford ambulance

Gustaf

Gustaf

Well-known member
Staff member
Here is a project I have been working for a while. For years I searched for an original Ford Model T ambulance. To date, I have not been able to locate an original in the US, although I suspect there is at least one. All of the examples displayed in the various museums around the US are replicas, made by a couple of Montana farmers in the 1980s, so I figured that was the only way I could have one. The Chassis is a 1919 Ford Model T that I acquired last spring. I started constructing the body a few weeks ago. There are no plans for the M1917 available, the boys in Montana checked out an original set but it seems that they did not return them. With the help of several people around the US, and by using period photos, dimensions and construction was pieced together. It is not finished yet, but is together enough to make it to a local car show, complete with casualty on a stretcher in the back.
aaa038-1.jpg

Best
Gus
 
Looks good Gus. Dragonman Arms here in Colorado Springs has an original White (I Think...haven't seen it for a while) ambulance. with the solid rubber tires. Can't think that would be the greatest for casualties, but beats the back of a wagon I guess

Keith
 
usa1918 said:
Looks good Gus. Dragonman Arms here in Colorado Springs has an original White (I Think...haven't seen it for a while) ambulance. with the solid rubber tires. Can't think that would be the greatest for casualties, but beats the back of a wagon I guess

Keith
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Hey Keith,
I have not heard of a White ambulance, and have have only seen solid tires on Fiat ambulances. If you have a photo, I would like to see it. I have a friend who has an original GMC M1916 ambulance, I had the opportunity to get a GMC running gear, but the spokes were shot, and it was missing one wheel rim and I do not know where one could get tires for it.
Best
Gus
 
Very cool Gus, good job..that is a neat looking old vehicle.

A local collector has a Liberty Truck that came out of the Picacho Peak collection around 35 years ago. One of your Montana neighbors bought the pile, so the truck went from Arizona to Montana and back to Arizona again. Our local guy's been working on it, off and on for all these years and now he's getting close to finishing it.

You guy's that do vehicle restorations, I tip my hat (bald head exposed now) to you..

Larry
 
That's a great job Gus! I don't know if this will help you, but here are some pics of a grouping of an ambulance driver I acquired a while ago. On the trunk there's a nice painting of an ambulance, but I don't know how acurate the painter did his job... In the grouping ther's also a picture with some ambulances as you can see...

Adler





 
Now that trunk is really cool! I don't think we have space for it but that is really cool. Thank you for sharing it.
 
Hey Karol,
The painter did an outstanding job, the ambulance shown is a 1916 GMC ambulance marked for use in Italy. Evacuation Ambulance Company #8 used GMCs too.
infrontoftheAmericanembassyatBrussels.jpg

Here is a photo of one of Evac Amb Co #8's GMCs in front of the American Embassy in Brussels
The photo you have does not go with your trunk, I forget the section number related to the trunk, but it was one of the sections that served in Italy. The photo is of Evacuation Ambulance Company # 8, I have been unable to ID all the men in the photo due to its poor quality, but the fellow on the left in front of the Packard truck is most likely Mechanic John Morris, the second is Perry Clark. These are 1916 GMC closed ambulances.
I saw when your trunk came up for sale, but missed it. Last December, I bought a uniform of a mechanic from Evac Amb Co #8, it came with 430 photos, about half captioned, 300 post cards, most of little value, two diarys, 1918 and 1919, and numerous other papers. I did a google search on his name and found that a book on his unit had been written in 1920, it is on line, but I was able to find an original copy as well.
JohnMorris2.jpg

John Morris
PerryClark3.jpg

Perry Clark
The photo is one of the many that is captioned. "Ambulances and Packard truck of Ambulance Company #8, Fluer Sur Aire France, Sept 1918"
Here is a close up of Morris and Clark
AmbulancesandPackardtruckpropertyofAmbulanceCo8FluerSurAireFranceSept1918xx.jpg

Best
Gus
 
Adler, I LOVE that trunk, wow :thumb up: :thumb up:, that couldn't possibly have belonged to Ernest Hemingway by any chance? :wink:

Larmo
 
Hi Gus

I dug through my pile and found these photos which you might find useful for your files. They form part of a grouping which I purchased from the man's family many years ago. His name was Roy Stockwell and he drove an ambulance in France prior to the US entry into the war. Later he served with the US 2nd Division as an artillery officer, he survived and was awarded the Silver Star.

First up his ambulance and himself

rc1y.jpg


The second image is of Stockwell standing in the ruins of a building, the reverse is marked Verdun 1917.

rc2m.jpg


Cheers

Larmo
 
Hey Larry,
Great photos, and history. It looks like he was in SSU 4. but I can not be sure. Not all AFS men opted to serve in the USAAS, many wanted to get into the fighting when we entered the war.
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Gus
 
Hi Gus,
The original owner of the trunk was Neil A. Mosteller. I still need to do some research on him, but it seems he served first in France and was later transferred to Italy. I don't know where the picture was taken, but it was in the package of yearbook, photos, postcards etc...

Karel
 
Hey Karel.
Neil A. Mosteller did not serve with Evac Amb Co # 8, I have a complete roster on them as well as one of the members diarys. He listed everyone who went through the company. I would question the caption on my copy of the photo, but as I ca recognize two of the members of Co #8, I have no question that this photo is correctly IDed. What is the size of your copy of the photo? Mine is a contact print, and is rather small. I believe that the photos of Co #8 were taken by Harry Lutzen, as many of the photos have him in them with a camera case over his shoulder. Frank Frankenfield tells in his letters that he is sending photos home, because one of the fellows in the co has a camera, and has given him copies.
I saw this trunk when you acquired it, but could not afford it. I am glad it found a good home, as it is really outstanding.
Best
Gus
 
Hey Adler,
I think I have discovered how the photo of Evacuation Ambulance Co #8 found its way into your grouping. There was a discussion on in this thread
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=559709&highlight=ambulance&page=2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
and I posted the photo in that thread. The previous owner of the trunk might have printed a copy and placed in the grouping, there is a bit of history of the trunk and its contents in the thread.
Best
Gus
 
Yes, I have seen this thread also. It's actually sad that one of the previous owners took the group apart, but nevertheless it's a fine grouping...
 
Adler said:
Yes, I have seen this thread also. It's actually sad that one of the previous owners took the group apart, but nevertheless it's a fine grouping...
Click to expand...
Adler
That is true, but it also shows that we need to be aware that groupings do have things taken away, and things added as well. The trunk by its self is still a gem.
Best
Gus
 
Another update, I finished the tail gate and rear windows, I need to make the canvas cover for the upper stretcher and do the interior details. I am waiting on some photos from 1910Coupe, to decide how to assemble those bits. I also sorted a wonky coil, so it runs better.
aaa047.jpg
 
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