Chariots of War I Have Driven.
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No. 5.—THE COMNIER.
Experiences at the Front With an Old Commer..
By One of Our "Despatches" Contributors.
(Continued front page 656.)
Arrived in France, there was no time for fitting a new fan and fan support before we commenced the journey up conntry. At the port of disembarkation I took on a load of spare parts, such. as radiators, chains, springs and ball bearings suitable for the vehicles composing. our column. To compensate for the absence of a fan, I removed the bonnet entirely on the first day's run, but on subsequent days there was no tendency for the water to boil although the bonnet was used. Shortly after the start one of the repaired water connections gave out on a very severe hill. To a newly-formed company just arrived in France and on its way up country these small breakdowns are trying, because, as in this instance, much delay is caused in searching stores vans 4,,nd workshops for parts and tools. Our company, having been sent Overseas immediately after its formation, had no training or practice in dealing with emote genoies, wherefore it was at a greater disadvantage in correcting roadside troubles than were those M.T. units which spent some weeks or months in England after their formation.
Comrners are among the few lorries on war service employing thermo-syphon cooling. So far as I am aware this cooling system has fulfilled all requirements. Water pumps being fruitful sources of trouble the absence of them from Comrners is a point distinctly in favour of the Luton make.
The Journey to "Somewhere."
Our journey to " somewhere " 'near the fighting area occupied five days, during which most of us experienced-constant and acute hunger and thirst. The -ration lorry seemed to contain a large quantity of food but doubtless this supply had to be carefully nursed, owing to the uncertainty of our movements and consequent difficulty of replenishing food supplies. Very few had money until the third day. and, in any event, the opportunities for purchasing were rare. I wondered at the time whether the meagre rations were intended to make us so hungry that we should thereafter enjoy food of any kind, and to put us in good physical condition for hard campaigning. One morning -when no breakfast was provided a baker's boy came out from the nearest town and did a fine trade in hot "petits pains." A further cltsoomfort I expericep enced was a raw sore throat aggra.vated by the dust and fumes from the vehicles in front. We had been furnished with goggles, which are invaluable when driving in convoy, but what I needed far more was a respirator, which in those days was not part of a Soldier's equipment.
A Comfortable Bed.
At nights we stopped and slept in our vehicles, except on the fourth night, when we were fortunate in obtaining billets in inhabited houses, and I caught up arreais in personal cleanliness. Since that night, two years ago, I have not slept in a furnished house in this country of France. My Commer had a roomy and well-cushioned seat, which made a comfortable bed. It had also a good apron and canvas side doors. These canvas doors are practically universal for lorries on war service and are far more practical than wood or metal doors, being fastened with a rod and spring which accommodates itself to frame distortions that alter the relative positions of dashboard and driver's cab. Consequently they are noiseless, free from lock or latch troubles and easily repaired.
Signs of the Fearful Past.
Until the fifth day the Common kept its place somewhere near the tail end of the column. Occasionally there were exciting moments dodging lorries whose drivers had bungled the change-down on bills and the need of aprags was again demonstrated, but very few lorries in our mixed convoy of Daimlers, Commers and Wolseleys had this fitment.
About the middle of the fifth day after a, long morning run over hilly roads the fearful past of the old Commer began to tell.• She stopped on a hill, engine running, clutch in, gears engaged ; so obviously something in the transmission had "gone." At this time there were two spare drivers allotted to my lorry, the original spare man having achieved the distinction of becoming the first prisoner in the company for some offence against discipline. We descended to investigate the reason for the Cominer's sudden stop and an officer drove up to be present at the inquest. Being unwilling to delay the convoy while chain cases were removed, he decided that we would rely upon the hand brakes the transmission brake being. of course, inoperative ; so a first-aid Wolseiey was called up to tow us. Towards the top of the hill the Wolseley driver, finding his new subsidy-type lorry pulling strongly, essayed to change to a higher gear. He made a bad attempt, stopped momentarily; and then tried to get away in the higher gear. The terrific jerk which resulted pulled the towing hook off the Oommer and fractured -her side-frame member.
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Left Behind.
The tow-rope was then attached to the other frame-side and we proceeded. Descending the next hill the Wolseley got away with a rush, and, our hand-brakes proving inadequate, -the Commer radiator had a bad time in collision with the tailboard of the Wolscley. After this it was decided to leave us behind to repair the transmission if possible, so one of the mobile woekshops and its crew took the Cornmer in hand. There followed a struggle with the chain cases. It is remarkable what a number of bolts is requiredchain cases and how much black grease accumulates in these examples of frightfulness. I refer to chain eases in general and not to those on the C,ommer in particular. It presently appeared that one of the sprockets had sheared its key. No key steel being available, a temporary key was fashioned from soft steel. After this had been fitted the Cornmen proceeded under its own power despite the missing fan concertinad radiator, and patched-up main frame member. Our escort comprised a mobile workshop, a store van a first-aid lorry in case it should' be necessary to tow again, one passenger car and a motorcycle. Later another stranded lorry was picked up. so we made quite an imposing column.
Jobs for the Mobile Workshop.
On account of its liability to break down, the Commer led the way, and so well did it go that the motorcyclist had to overtake and tell us about speeding. Frequently the sprocket key sheared and had to be renewed. After a time the bore of the sprocket and tapered end of the shaft wore to such an extent that washers had to be fitted under the nut to proven% it tightening on to the shoulder instead of the sprocket. This meant that a. new shaft would be required later on, as well as a new sprocket. Our mobile workshop had to make the special washers, but otherwise the renewals of keys did not take long, because the chain cases had been put in the body of the lorry, where
they reposed for a week, smothering everything with which they came in contact with a liberal coating of stale lubricant.
We reached the little town where the main convoy had halted for the night many hours late. Although parts of France are sparsely populated, it is impossible to be en panne" on a, main road without being near an "estaminet " of some kind. Our Comxner exhibited. -a sort of sagacity in always stopping very close to a place where refreshment of some kind could be purchased,' proving the truth of the old adage "It's an ill wind, etc.," because each breakdown enabled us to make up for the privations of the previous few days in food and drink. I was glad, too, of the escape from the dust and fumes that had been, trying my throat so badly.
Off Again.
The following morning while comrades were being handed such warlike appliances as small arms ammunition and bayonets, with entreaties to put them deep in their kit-bags until such time as they could be instructed in the use of these alarming additions to their equipment, I was warned to prepare to leave immediately for a distant base. The name of the city for which I was labelled sounded attractive. In company with a chum I drove the Commer for the last time, to the railway station. Here we camped out for two days awaiting a flat truck which should carry the Commer away for the extensive repairs she now required. As may be imagined, she was hardly in a condition to keep trekking with a company uncertain of its movements for some time to
Our sleeping apartment for two nights was the waiting-room of the little station, a dormitory we
shared with stranded passengers of both sexes and all ages. Here, and during the subsequent railway journey, we experienced the generosity of other Tommies who were more fortunately provided with rations, so that the "bullybeef" and biscuits which were to have been our unvarying diet were left neglected.
A Memorable Railway Journey.
When the flat truck, expected every hour, at length arrived, the loading bay at that small station proved rather cramped for motor -lorries,. and if we had not enlisted the assistance of some twenty men in khaki from a train lying in the station the transfer of Commer to railway-truck would lave proved very difficult: As it was she was practically lifted on to the truck and secured with ropes and chains. Then we mounted to the driving seat and began a memorable railway journey, consisting mostly of shunting, stopping, and coupling to an endless variety of trucks, sometimes German, sometimes French or Belgian. Often we were lying on a siding unattached for hours. Our time was spent mostly foraging. forhot water, sleeping and feeding. What remained of the Commer's cooling water served for washing. One morning we cooked our breakfast bacon in a signahnan's cabin, while the engine-drivers gave us hot water for making tea.
Many hundreds of M.T, men
must have made similar journeys with a variety of queer experiences. One cold morning when the truck bearing our Commer had been stationary for some hours I essayed a shave in a neighbouring passenger compartment-. But half way through my shave I heard our truck moving away and had to gather up ghaving kit and bolt down the line after the Commer to the huge delight of railwaymen and Ruff, my mate. The last I saw of tha,t old Commer she was perched on the railway truck, stripped of accessories, waiting to be unloaded and swallowed up in the big works which dealt with complete overhauls, and at which there was a striking display of condemned M.T. vehicles of all kinds, the wastage of war.
Some Other Commer Veterans.
Sine'e then it has been my luck to. handle only the oldest of impressed. Commers. One was a huge 5-ton' Sunlight Soap van that had been sent to my unit instead of to the Base where she properly belonged, being ripe for a well-deserved overhaul. Another veteran that had been in the country two years was working for my unit, " The Rats," for a few weeks 'when it Was recalled, still in working order, to ba.‘ placed in a war museum so it was rumoured. Yet-another whose life on our strenuous work I mentally assessed at a month on first seeing her, proved the most useful and reliable lorry we possessed, always in demand for the heaviest loads and .hilliest routes. It was withdrawn 'after several months hard work, still going as good as ever. Seemingly, some, other unit near us coveted her ; for they kept her instead of returning her toa "pool." Some of the first Divisions to come out here have whole columns of Commers. I hear there is no desire to exchange them for any other make, which fact speaks for itself. • It might interest the makers to know the Cornmer is about the only English lorry familiar to our Canadian M.T. menbefore the war. They speak highly of it, 'elasaing it with their beloved fYankee trucks such as PierceArrow, Peerless, and Locomobik, which they believe to be second to none and better than most. Now this is specially noteworthy because ,Conamers had the enterprise to open a Canadian depot, being, so far as I know, the only English makers of heavy vehicles to do so.