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Ford GPW 1942 - Owned Finlay Skinner
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I n 1978, we*(Warwick Offredi, Nigel Godfrey, my brother and I) found it in  Shaw's Scrapyard in Hounslow (now a bijou housing estate), 2 'storeys' up .. in a trailer ..in the back of a lorry, where it had remained in the open (surrounded by half-tracks, Shermans, search-lights, AA guns and Mr.Shaw's collection of mint aero engines) for the previous "19 years". We scrambled up to find a very shabby, but theoretically restorable, two wheeled GPW. Having been hunting for an affordable jeep since I was a child, and on the assumption that it was just an overgrown Meccano set, I decided to give it a go. Money changed hands the following week and a Land Rover & trailer hired. When we went to collect the jeep (now with 4 wheels; 2 on loan!), it was already dangling from the yard crane, ready to be lowered straight on to the trailer. When we got it back to the hired lock-up garage, we discovered that, whilst the heavily rusted body tub was far from solid, all the mechanicals most definately were and the jeep had to be carried/bounced off the trailer!
Over the next few years, it was stripped down to the last nut and bolt, cleaned, rebored and reassembled. Having volunteered to take over the Club Newsletter, it became necessary for me to abandon the rebuild and take 4 years out for the new magazine (we* not only invented Windscreen, but typed it, edited it and printed it as well ...and that was before computers came along!). So 6 years after starting, and with goading, encouragement and help from Jim Dowdall, it fired up for the first time in over 25 years! What a fabulous sound! And I still have no idea why it was abandoned in the scrap yard all those years before! 
In an attempt to break the monotony of the rows of jeeps at shows, I drew up plans for the stretcher carrier, copying as closely as possible the British front line ambulances, as first used in Italy and in Holland, but with one serious difference. It folds flat against the back of the jeep, within the bumperettes, and therefore costs no more on the cross channel ferry than a standard jeep. It was beautifully constructed by Alan Holmes and special canvas was tailor made by John & Mary Worthing.
It successfully completed 3 of Peter Gray's Normandy tours before being shut away, after the '89 tour, for another 15 years. It was resuscitated (just) in time for the 60th Anniversary of D-Day tour of Normandy in 2004 and appeared at Kemble (see picture) in '05.
I know nothing of it's military history, as the rust had destroyed any vestige of unit markings. The serial number (M159948) appeared on a brass 'Base Workshops' overhaul plate (dated 1955), screwed to the chassis behind the front right wheel. Chassis No. GPW 73992 (delivery date 10.30.1942 - my birthday too!). I now believe that M159948 (Post war 75YJ49) may have been RAF issue, not army, and will appreciate any information that can be given, please. It was sold through Ruddington in October 1957 ('38' lot 883H) to Metamet. Civilian Registration is M1599.
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