Show us your impressed/confiscated vehicle photos

[Bill Murray]

OK, Guys:
The objective here is to post photos of confiscated/impressed civilian transport vehicles used by German Forces in all theatres of the war.
Not combat vehicles, transport vehicles. We all know that the vast majority of German transport vehicles were not pure military vehicles and more to the point, were civilian vehicles from not only Germany but also all of the occupied countries that were pressed into service with not only regular military units but also auxilliary organizations such as the NSKK etc.

I will strt out with a few myself.
Bill

[Bill Murray]

Another one

[Bill Murray]

And another

[Bill Murray]

And the last for this time.

[Bill Murray]

Sorry, again, I forgot to ID the pics.


1. 1940 Chevrolet probably Dutch/Belgian in Russia
2. I believe this is a Ford AA probably in Germany
3. Ford Eiffel probably also in Russia
4. I believe this is a most rare 1939/1940 American Mercury Convertible Sedan in Norway.

Hope to see more of you post such unusual photos here.
Cheers
Bill

[R MICHAEL]

Bill nice thread! Glad to see you posting.. sorry Bill didn't read thoroughly your first post... here is what looks to me a Dodge truck somewhere in Russia and comes from a luftwaffe signals album I have.

[Tim DC]

Lochristi, Belgium, 28th of May 1940. Day of the capitulation of the Belgian army.

Belgian POW's are about to be transported in what I believe is a confiscated truck. Civilians fleeing are passing by.

[Tim DC]

Same place, same day.

Germans on Belgian bikes. Interesting is that the Belgian officer at the back could also ride a bike.

[Tim DC]

Same place, same day.

Belgian POW's are being transported in a civil Belgian truck.

[Bill Murray]

Evening Tim:


Thanks for the excellent photos. Your first is a Ford V8-51 of the mid 1930's and is definitely of Belgian origin due to the cab design. Note also the rather crude application of the WH marking etc.

Regarding the Belgian Officer, seems he also got to keep his full kit. Were the Officers also allowed to keep their side-arms I wonder.

Your third photo is, in my opinion, a Belgian marque but I do not know which just yet. It is always easy to say all Belgian and Dutch trucks were either Fords or Chevrolets as they more or less dominated those markets but Belgium had 3/4 national manufacturers and I think this is one of them Sadly, not much has been published about the Belgian truck industry so trying to ID them is alway hard.
As to the truck itself, it may have been "double confiscated" or whatever. Sort of looks like it was impressed by the Belgian Armed Forces because of the markings on the side which I do not recognize as German and then captured by the Germans. What do you think??

I should have posted this in my first posting but better late than never, and, I am not trying to be Herr Professor, just telling you how I look at it.

I separate this field of intest into three categories.
1. Impressed vehicles were taken over by the military authorities of the country involved, ie: the Belgian Army impresses civilian vehicles for their own use with a promise to return after hostilities cease.
2. Confiscated vehicles were taken over by the occupying power out of whatever pool of vehicles left over that were not impressed and there was little or not promise of eventual return and if that were given it was a joke.
3. Captured or "Booty" vehicles were just that and could have been pure military vehicles of whatever country as well as a mix of that and "impressed" vehicles. I am reasonably sure none of those was ever returned.

An interesting side note to this process is that once in a while a photo will come out of the former Soviet Union of a particular vehicle that one can trace through several hands. Let us say, a civilian Belgian truck is impressed by the Belgian Army and later captured by the Germans. It is then given over to the NSKK to be used to transport materiel to Russia. It is then captured by the Russians and used by them. After the war is over, they in turn sell it on the civilian market or even put it in reserve. After the breakup of the SU, it ends up in, let us say, Ukraine either as military reserve or on the civilian economy. It then gets advertised on Ebay or some such and ends up back in Belgium some 65 years later. Fascinating, and it does happen.
Cheers
Bill

[seekwhence]

My contribution to this thread...

finis

[J Melvin]

Bill, here is a previous thread dealing strictly with the French Citroen Traction Avant and its usage by the Wehrmacht: http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...&highlight=car.

[Bill Murray]

Dave:


Your vehicle is a 1939 Chevrolet and most likely from either Belgium or Holland. The locale is very interesting as it is sort of "tropical" but may well be the South Coast of France post 1940. Such passenger cars were not that popular in the country of France which is why I choose Belgium or Holland.

Another very nice photo and thanks for that.
Bill

[R MICHAEL]

here is another from me.. can't read the hubcaps but it looks like Studebaker???

[R MICHAEL]

and last for now... Of course I don't know what model but it sure does look impressed into service..