Chariots of War I Have Driven.
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No. 2.—THE "B" TYPE.
Experiences With a London Bus in the War Zone.
By One of Our "Despatches" Contributors.
Readers of this series are asked to keep always in mind that the chariots of war referred to were not, in most cases, originally designed or built for war purposes, but hav,e been devoted to those purposes at the dictates of stern necessity, whether strictly suitable or not. Therefore, partial failures in strenuous active-service conditions cannot be regarded as reflections upon the manufacturers who could never have foreseen their productions being put to use as war chariots. On the other hand, their successes are remarkable in the circumstances.
"B" Type Not Built for War Conditions.
. Probably no vehicle was intended for conditions more remote from those incidental to warfare than the L.G.O.C. " B " type. Handicapped by Scotland Yard regulations the makers had set out to produce vehicles for use mainly on good urban roads, subject to regular and frequent inspection, with particularly adequate arrangements for maintenance and renewals of parts. The vehicles had to be light in weight and capable of passenger vehicle speed as distinct from goods-vehicle speed. Nevertheless, these vehicles have been required to do heavy work under war conditions in Belgium and France, as the occasional narratives of M.T. drivers of " B " types have shown.
Driving Whilst Asleep.
My second war chariot was one of a fleet, kept at Bulford for depot use, of the ubiquitous " B " type. In the course of a journey to London and back with miscellaneous ordnance stores I tried two units of this 'fleet, and incidentally experienced the longest and most trying spell of military duty that has fallen to my lot. Warned unexpectedly for the run at 8 o'clock on a Saturday evening after a day's drill and fatigues we drove all through the night, had less than an flour breakfast interval, collected and loaded stores all day, and then drove back to 13ulford through Sunday night. We did not average two drivers for each of the 14 lorries, BO our opportunities for snatching an hour's sleep occasionally were all too limited. I had the greatest difficulty in keeping awake whilst driving, and must confess to dozing off occasionally. Few motoring experiences could be worse than driving in a convoy while ineffectually fighting against sleep. The cold weather and our air-proof sheep-skin coats combined with the many hours without sleep to create an uncontrollable sleepiness that converted the return journey into a veritable nightmare. Even the snowstorm which was encountered failed to freshen me up. Many times I woke with a start from a momentary doze to find myself still following the vehicle in front, but either dangerously near it or falling far behind. If we had not stooped for an hour's rest at Thornycroft's Basingstoke works I think I should have fallen soundly asleep dreaming I was following a red tail lamp.
Sprags Wanted On All War Vehicles.
An incident that occurred on this journey strikingly demonstrated the need for a sprag on all war lorries. The convoy was halted on a hill, and one of the leading drivers found that neither of hip brakes would hold the lorry from running back. Luckily, he had the presence of mind to steer to the side of the road. He thus avoided a collision with the lorries behind, but finally stopped astride a ditch, the offside wheels being on the road and the nearside wheels across the ditch.
"B" Type Needs Little Attention on Long Journeys.
. This was my second experience of Army lorry convoys The improvement on the fist convoy journey in organization and efficiency was due to the affair being controlled by an active and experienced sergeant; and to all the lorries being of similar type. Convoy running, which presents special difficulties, can be brought nearest to perfection only when all the lorries, cars or ambulances are of exactly similar make and type. The vehicles gave little or no trouble. It was a more severe test of the driver's constitutions than of the " B " type, for, as everyone knows, this make is capable of long journeys without attention except for fuel replenishment.
In for Repairs, but Not Thoroughly Tested Before Leaving the Workshops.
Many weeks later I picked up another " B " type in the Gay City, and drove it up country, the convoy on this occasion being a small one composed of a variety of makes, just out of the workshops after extensive repairs. That they had been inadequately tested was all too evident_ and perhaps excusable in those early days when organization of works and staff was less complete than it is now, after more than two years working. Sundry breakdowns of one and another lorry helped to make the journey interesting by calling for the exercise of some resource and ingenuity. We had no trouble with the " B " type, which left me free to see thing Fi which really interested me quite as much as my war chariot. I refer to the devastation wrought by friend and foe alike during the German advance on Paris. Specially impressive were the piers of a great stone bridge which had spanned a river, also the remains of an immense railway viaduct ; 'both bridge and viaduct had been demolished by explosion. Apart from these very striking features there was little to show that we were driving through a country which had, only a few months previously, been overrun by an invading army.
Borrowing Bolts from One Part for Use at
Another.
While on the subject of roadside repairs it is worth recalling that if one is stuck for a bolt, screw, nut or washer the desired part can often be obtained by removing it from an unimportant part of the car for use in the emergency. On more than one occasion during the succeeding months I was able to borrow bolts from one part of this "B " type for use at a more vital part of the chassis. Indeed, being a conversion from a double deck bus this lorry had a few surplus boltm, especially in the frame. 'Presumably they had been used for securing fenders.
The " B " type brought me through sundry bases, • and within hearing of the second battle of Ypres. Waiting at a motor transport " pool " some 25 miles away T heard the distant rumble of the guns for the first time. At any hour of the day one had only to pause and listen for that muttering thunder which was very much louder and more impressive if one woke in the night. But for the marvellous heroism
of our lads holding the Ypres salient against the utmost efforts of fauns, guns and gas (our enemy's latest and at that time unexpected diabolical weapon) I might have had to drive the " B " type westward again, instead of which we Proceeded yet further 'east where, as we passed, 9.2's barked in an alarming way, and joined up a new company of " underground artillery." It was a new variation of the co-operation of 1.4.G.0.0. and Underground. Here the old .bus, as I can correctly term her, carried men, timber, explosives and all sorts of mining gear, during days of subdued excitement. Everything was novel, everything intensely interesting, men, roads, guns, our billet in a meadow that was a blaze of wild flowers, food, people and duties. Never shall I forget .those early days of May, 1915, the rumours thatwe were • about to commence offensive action, the bivouacs of what then seemed to me -countless troops, the women praying in groups about the roadside shrines for victory in the coming battles, the general 'air of expectancy. How I got up very early on the morning of 8th May to listen to the great bombardment that did not happen until the following day. The first casualty in our new and small company, my first experience of a shell actually coming at me and eeemingly. intended for me, the women and children flying with carts, perambulators and other effects from a bombardment, the aeroplanes and the shells that burst around them. This was real war which, during the weeks I had spent. at bases, had seemed so remote.
Seven Miles in a Night.
The nights during which we waited many hours at places from which our loads of men had to walk, or stores had to be carried, were relieved by sudden outburst of artillery and all kinds of incidents, such as a solitary motor ambulance creeping up nearer the line to an advanced dressing station, a lampless ammunition convoy of lorries that seemed to make an unnecessary amount -of noise in turning and unloading (the turning was done first so that the lorry could be shifted homeward in case of sudden urgency) troops "going in" or "coming out,". the rattle of machine guns and occasional "zip" of stray bullets.
One night we were sent back to the billet with a message and to fetch some item of stores. We were unlucky, for there was a dense fog, so my mate had to sit on the mudguard with an electric torch and inform me which ditch I was in danger of running into. 'It was a district of narrow roads, full of shell boles. We were accustomed to the road, but lost our way on account of the fog. Finally, having taken all night to do a matter of six or seven miles, we got back to our loading place just as day was breaking and only just in time to take away our load of tired sappers before daylight made the vicinity unhealthy.
Steering and Brake Controls Designed to Minimize Fatigue. Quiet Running and Simplicity of Con struction Good Points. , For several weeks we used " B " types for this arduous R.E. work and although they were by no means new chassis they stood it well, until discarded when an opportunity arose for exchanging them for much heavier vehicles. Most of the time we had no spares whatever, not even a split pin, and were prac'tically unattached to any workshop. Although the " B ' type, when converted into a lorry, is rated 30 cwt. capacity by the W.D., it is frequently • called upon for heavier duty_ At such times-I wished the makers had not been _handicapped by those Scotland Yard weight limitations. Driving the B " type revealed ta-me what had often been a source of wondea, viz., how the ordinary bus driver can stay at the wheel in -Le-can traffic for so many hours each day. An easier • car to driae,• or one involving less physical .strain
could -not • be .imagined. Steering,., all controls, and brakes were _evidently arranged to minimize B50 fatigue. I could not help admiring the clever way tins problem, as well as that of quiet running, had been dealt with. Extreme simplicity was another feature that impressed me. The points at which it was necessary to lubricate were few, and lubrication took less time than usual. The method of replenishing the grease in the steering box specially appealed to me. It was only necessary to slacken a. set screw remove the large cap nut at bottom of box and introduce as much grease as could be stuffed in, then replace nuts and tighten. Much more satisfactory than having constantly to refill small and inaccessible screw-down greasers that so easily get lost.
Spring Brackets Need Watching.
I found the brackets at the forward end of rear springs wanted constant watching. On the " B" type the back springs take care of driving and braking torque, thrust, and their more usual function of in-.. sulating body and chassis from road shock. On the had roads and with the heavy loads these stresses were abnormal, SO occasionally I found a bolt loose or broken where the spring brackets are bolted to the frame.
I would have preferred a swivel grip on the starting handle ; perhaps this feature is omitted to secure silence.
Double-deck Disadvantages.
Driving a double-deck ,bus on active service cannot be an enviable job. I have had no personal experience of it, but can appreciate how easily these vehicles get out of control on the shell-torn or steeply cambered roads ; how they must sway and rock. No wonder they are severely restricted as .to load and speed in the way referred to by writers of "Despatches from the Front." The sight of a doubledecker -overturned on a steep, winding hill set me wondering why the top decks have not been done away with long since. This accident happened on a 'dark night when the road surface was slippery, and powerful lights not allowed. Any incautious driver might have had a similar accident at that spot in daylight. A further disadvantage of the top deck is its visibility to the enemy on account of its height, even on screened roads. The single-deck bodies will comfortably carry as many men as are allowed on the double-deckers. The cutting-down of the latter should not present great difficulty.