Wartime

"... Large clumsy affairs which flopped about on the tops of hoods and canopies. We were much amused at the sight of these gadgets when visiting London".

referring to the vehicles converted to run on coal gas during the fuel shortages of World War 1

Photograph of female driver on horse-drawn mail van in London during World War 1.

World War 1 placed a heavy strain on contractors committed to providing regular and consistent road services, which was difficult enough during peacetime.

In 1915, Treasury Authority was given for assistance toward meeting the increased cost of vehicle upkeep due to war conditions. However, around 1916, the policy of subsidising contractors was modified.

An attitude of 'business as usual' gave way to the realisation that the war needed to be won on the home front as well as in Flanders. Expenditure needed to be strictly controlled. The introduction of compulsory military service also led to a shortage of manpower, felt very keenly by the labour intensive Post Office. The image below is an extract from the type of recruiting poster carried on some Post Office vans during World War 1. It calls for former soldiers and Non-Commissioned Officers to join up once more.

A large number of long-distance road motor services had been introduced prior to World War 1, mostly for transporting parcels. The new threat of Zeppelin and Gotha air raids saw lighting restrictions imposed on the roads in January 1916. This meant that road contractors were unable to run at the speeds necessary to meet the demands of their contracts. Instead, a great number of the services were transferred to rail.

Supplies of petrol were rationed from July 1916 onward. Contractors, in common with other petrol consumers, were required to apply for six-month licenses in order to obtain petrol. Some were reduced to using buses, taxicabs or hire cars for the movement of mails. There was a steady reduction of services. Sunday despatches virtually ceased and road services in Scotland were reduced from six to three days a week.

At the same time, the volume of mail increased, due to the letters and parcels sent to and from the British Expeditionary Forces. To meet this increase in demand, the London Postal Service had to rely on the aid given by the Army Postal Service and lorries lent by the War Office. It is a tribute to the remaining postal workers - and their new female colleagues - that any kind of efficient service was maintained.

Where necessary, the Post Office assisted contractors by intervening to protect drivers and mechanics against enlistment when substitutes were unobtainable. Women were employed as drivers of horsed vehicles. Even in light of the general need to control spending, there was increased renumeration made to the mail contractors to meet the increase in expenditure on wages, fodder and petrol.

(Left image) Photograph of corps of women drivers during World War 1.
A Morris Z-type van prepared for work in the blackout, with covered headlamps and white detailing. (Right image)

A similar situation existed during World War 2. The use of horse-drawn vans continued alongside the motor-driven fleet. Vehicle wings and bumpers were painted white to allow for greater visibility in the blackout whilst lights were masked. Following a practice that began in the previous war, some vans were adapted to run on coal gas.

During World War 2 the majority of the vehicles became dilapidated due to reduced maintenance. The photograph below shows an exhausted-looking Morris Z-type van arriving at the Yeading repair depot after the war. A freshly-restored model is leaving at the same time.

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