This is a list of soft-skinned vehicles of the British Empire's militaries in the First World War, including military lorry, motorcycle, steam wagon and tractor models that saw active service with a military arm of any country within the British Empire during the First World War.
Historical overview In 1911, the British War Office revised the terms of their motor vehicle "subsidy scheme", which sought to provide a financial subsidy to commercial truck operators to purchase approved vehicles that were suitable for military service. In exchange for the subsidy, in the event of a national emergency the vehicle had to be handed over to the War Office for issue to the military.
The subsidy scheme divided lorries into two classes defined by payload capacity, A-type for lorries of 3-ton payload capacity, and B-type for lorries of 30-cwt payload capacity. The lorries all had to meet a number of requirements, including a petrol 4-cylinder engine of greater than , a 4-forward 1-reverse transmission, leaf spring suspension, standardised controls and standardised weight and dimensions. To be deemed eligible for the subsidy, lorry manufacturers had to complete a trial run by the War Office. By December 1913, approximately 1,000 lorries were enrolled in the scheme.
On the outbreak of the First World War the majority of vehicles available to the British military were subsidy scheme lorries. Despite most manufacturers turning over their entire production capacity to the war effort for the duration of the conflict, throughout the war large numbers of additional vehicles were sourced from overseas, particularly from the United States. The war saw the introduction and development of many specialist vehicle types, including ambulances, staff cars, repair trucks and artillery tractors.
By the time of the Armistice in 1918, 48,177 motorcycles, 43,187 cars and ambulances, 66,352 lorries, 1,293 steam wagons and 6,121 tractors and other miscellaneous vehicles were in British military service. These were spread across multiple theatres including France, Flanders, Italy, Mesopotamia and East Africa, as well as respective home countries of the Empire.
Classification Within the armies of the Empire, wheeled soft-skinned vehicles were usually classified by weight class and drive. The most common weight classes being: 8-cwt = 15-cwt = 30-cwt = 3-ton =
Motorcycles Name Image NotesA.G. Healing Precision Big FourMotorcycle produced by Melbourne firm A.G. Healing with HP engine.BSA HP, 4 HP & HPMotorcycles produced by the Birmingham Small Arms Company, 537 of the 4 HP model were in British service in 1918, as well as 551 of the HP and HP models.Clyno/Vickers 5–6 HPA motorcycle with sidecar jointly developed by Clyno and Vickers. It was equipped with a Vickers machine gun and tripod, a similar machine carried another passenger and ammunition. Just under 1,800 were in service in 1918.Douglas 2¾ HPProduced by Douglas, large numbers of the hp motorcycle were supplied to the forces of the British Empire. It became a standardised Army type, 13,477 were in service in 1918. Also used by the Belgian and French Armies.Douglas 4 HPLarger capacity motorcycle built by Douglas. It became a standardised Army type, 4,816 were in service in 1918 with the forces of the Empire.Phelon & Moore PantherMotorcycle produced by Phelon & Moore, was used extensively by the Royal Flying Corps / Royal Air Force and other Flying Corps of the Empire. Powered by a engine, the Royal Flying Corps purchased almost the entirety of Phelon & Moore's wartime output.Scott 486 ccScott Motorcycle Company motorcycle.Triumph TrustyMotorcycle produced by Triumph. Known as the 'Trusty' in service, it became a standardised Army type and over 17,000 were in service in 1918. Also used by the French Army.
Cars, ambulances and light lorries Name Image Type Drive NotesCommer MC1-ton lorryWorm / RWD1-ton lorry produced by Commer.Crossley 20/25 HP15-cwt tender / van / ambulance / staff carWorm / RWDThe Crossley 20/25 HP was 15-cwt chassis that was produced with a number of bodies including light tender, van, ambulance and 4-seat staff car. The staff car was used exclusively by the Royal Flying Corps/Royal Air Force as well as the Flying Corps' of other countries from the Empire, the tender was produced in much larger numbers for general service duties on airfields. It was powered by a 4-cylinder engine and had a wheelbase. Approximately 6,000 vehicles were produced between 1914 and 1918, some remained in service until 1930.Daimler TR 20 HP4-seat carWorm / RWDThe most numerous Daimler vehicle model in service during the war, it was commonly bodied as a 4-seat staff car but other body types were produced. It was powered by a 4-cylinder Knight sleeve valve engine and had a wheelbase.Ford Model T8–10-cwt lorry / car / ambulanceWorm / RWDProduced by the Ford Motor Company, it was produced in a number of body types including light 8–10 cwt trucks, vans, staff cars, soup kitchens and ambulances. Powered by a 4-cylinder engine, it was produced in both standard and long wheelbases. At the end of the war 18,984 Model Ts were in service, in addition to US built vehicles, Model Ts were built in the UK, Canada and Ireland.Garford Model 64-ton lorryChain / RWDProduced by the American firm Garford Motor Truck Co of Ohio, small numbers of the -ton chain driven Model 64 were purchased by the War Office and used primarily as water carriers. It proved to be unreliable in service.Garford Model 751-ton lorryWorm / RWDProduced by the American firm Garford Motor Truck Co of Ohio, as supply of the 1-ton Willys Model 65XT ceased, the War Office began purchasing the 1-ton worm driven Garford Model 75, primarily equipping them as water carriers. Like the Garford Model 64, the Model 75 proved to be unreliable in service.Gramm-Bernstein WIL1-ton lorryRWD1-ton lorry produced by the American firm Gramm-Bernstein, in 1915 small numbers were purchased by the War Office. They were found to be unreliable, and no further orders were placed.Lanchester Model 19BStaff car / ambulance / 15-cwt tenderWorm / RWDBased on the Lanchester Motor Company's unusual 38 hp car, which mounted the engine next to the driver, the Model 19B chassis was variously bodied as a staff car, ambulance and 15-cwt tender. It was predominantly used by the Royal Naval Air Service. The chassis was also used in the Lanchester armoured car.Napier 16/22 HP15-cwt lorry / ambulanceRWDA light lorry produced by Napier, it was based on a reinforced Napier car chassis. Approximately 2,000 Napier vehicles of various types saw service in the war.Rolls-Royce 40/50 HPStaff car / 15-cwt tenderWorm / RWDProduced by Rolls-Royce, the 40/50 HP, also known as the Silver Ghost, was used in a number of roles during the war including open topped and closed top staff cars, and a 15-cwt tender. It was powered by a 6-cylinder engine and had a wheelbase. 321 were in service in 1918, the 40/50 HP also formed the basis of the Rolls-Royce armoured car.Siddeley-Deasy Ambulance VanAmbulanceWorm / RWDHeavy ambulance produced by Siddeley-Deasy, over 500 served with the forces of the Empire during the war.StudebakerStaff carWorm / RWDCar produced by the American automaker Studebaker, 1,447 were in British service in 1918.Sunbeam T 12/16 HPAmbulance / carWorm / RWDDeveloped by the Sunbeam, the T 12/16 HP chassis was the basis for the standardised staff cars and heavy ambulances for the armies of the Empire from during the war. Powered by a 4-cylinder engine, it had a wheelbase. It was built in large numbers by Sunbeam as well as Rover, approximately 1,600 of the ambulances were in service in 1918.Talbot 25/50 HPTourer / ambulance / 15-cwt tenderWorm / RWDA heavy car chassis produced by Clément-Talbot, they were variously bodied as staff cars, tourers, vans, 15-cwt tenders, heavy ambulances and wireless vehicles. A number used by the Royal Naval Air Service armoured car division, in whose service several formed the basis of the Talbot armoured car. In 1919 there were 1,194 in service.Vauxhall 25 HP D TypeStaff car / ambulanceWorm / RWDHeavy luxury car chassis built by Vauxhall Motors, large numbers were supplied to the War Office during the war, they were bodied as a staff cars (usually with open tops, closed top cars were exclusively reserved for generals) and heavy ambulances. Powered by a engine, it had a wheelbase. 1,855 were in service in 1918/1919.Willys Model 65XT1-ton lorryRWDProduced by American firm Willys, details of the Model 65XT in British service are scarce. They were powered by a engine, and featured pneumatic tyres on the front and solid rubber tyres on the rear.Wolseley 16/20, 24/30 & CAStaff car / ambulance / 12-cwt lorryWorm / RWDA large number of different Wolseley Motors produced staff cars, ambulances and light lorries served with the forces of the British Empire during the war, many of which were privately donated or financed by public subscriptions. By 1919, 1,096 Wolseley cars, ambulances and light lorries of almost 40 different models remained in service.
Buses, medium and heavy motor / steam lorries