Motor Cars

At the outbreak of war in 1914 the army requisitioned privately owned vehicles for use as staff cars this resulted in proliferation of different makes from Austin to Wolseley. The war department subsequently issued contracts for its standard staff car to Crossley, Sunbeam and Vauxhall. The 801st had two Sunbeam staff cars similar to the one pictured here. The staff cars served three main purposes; as personal transport for the commanding officer for example to take him to Corps HQ or the Base Mechanical Transport Depot at Kalamaria near Salonika, for making road reconnaissance patrols to determine their suitability for mechanical transport and at the head of convoys to carry the convoy officer as can be seen on the website homepage.

On the right is another Sunbeam staff car number LC 1793, the two Sunbeam staff cars belonging to 801st were numbered LC 821 and LC 822.

This picture is reproduced with permission of Tim Gosling.