My Grandfather, William King who took this film and who founded the firm King and Harpers with his partner Harold Harper had some garages in Cambridge where they maintained Army vehicles during WW2. These scenes were shot in 1943 at King & Harper Ltd, a garage and filling station on Milton Road. In the carpenter’s workshop, staff are addressed by a man in a corporal’s uniform. This suggests that the employees were being given instructions and encouragement to do their bit for the war effort. Two of the workers in the crowd are Sidney Steward, in a black beret and Arthur (Billie) Wells. Female workers were also employed at King & Harper to help with administration tasks. In the office a clerk is stamping invoices. Founded in 1900, King & Harper were a highly regarded enterprise by the early 1940’s. The film contains ‘behind-the-scenes’ footage of skilled engineering workers repairing and servicing military vehicle -very different from the elegant cars they had been working with before the war. The mechanics in the garage are kept busy fitting large tyres, fixing engine parts and welding gear boxes. The film features Sidney Steward and a younger mechanic, working together to fit a radiator grill onto an American Army truck. At the petrol pump outside,pertol, attendant Charlie Guyton fills a bus. The army trucks, refuelling alongside him demonstrate how important the company was during the war, maintaining and supplying these heavy vehicles. William King made a number of quality films about his companies and Cambridge in peace and wartime.The King collectionsare held at the East Anglian Film Archive in Norwich. King and Harper War work 1943 http://www.archivealive.org/video/index/id/82
Marvellous ! I thoroughly enjoyed that. Quite possibly the best film that I've seen all year ! Phylo will be disappointed that it wasn't an Austin K5 engine being rebuilt !
Excellent. Thank you - it has me reaching for the references for a specialist wide body on a 15cwt truck.... Also, it's is good to see recognition of the role of dogs on the home front - they had a hard time during rationing! Keith
Hi, I really enjoyed the Morris Quad C8 tractors used by Dad in the desert & Europe towing 25pdr & trailer I believe. I have had to sell my saloon car (back trouble groan) and buy a Citroen MPV I think a Quad would give just as good a driving position and loads a room for the shopping, worth a try. Excelent film not seen very much of Quads moving until now, will watch this again and again. Thanks Neil
I notice some of the Quads appear to be on "slave" wheels with absolutely bald tyres. Perhaps these were fitted for movement around the premises whilst awaiting to be newly shod.
