I learnt to drive in one of these in Dusseldorf in 1958. We had 5 days to learn to drive and learn the German Hi-way Code.
On My first mornings first trip the Corporal said this is the wheel turn it left you go left turn it right you go right. That is the brake push it to stop. Thats the go pedal well thats obvious.
Right , Now you know all you need to know so lets move it. With that he opened the door and swivelled in his seat half hanging out the cab. I stopped and he bawled at me :*****WOT U ***STOPPED FOR. I said you were getting out. No!, he said I was just getting ready incase you did sumfink stupid.
That was my induction. I had never sat behind a wheel before,What a way to build confidenc. We had 4 men to a truck 1 driving 3 in the back. Taking turns of an hour. On My first trip out on my second day down the town I was in the back laying on a ground sheet when all the trees went sideways past the back ( we were skidding accross the road ) and we juddered to a halt, a lot of shouting from the cab and doors slamming. Next the corporals face over the tail RITE YOU Next.
When I climed in the cab I said the seats all wet. Yes your mates just pissed in it now get in or get off its up to you. So my next hours lesson was sitting in a wet seat.
When we got back to camp the poor blighter who wet it was sent back to his regiment FAILED.
On the day before my Test I was going through Dusseldorf and was told turn right NOW.
I swung between the evergreen hedge that ran down the middle of the road which was over the track of the Shnel Zug. Just missing the Zug and my front wheels went over the path.
Do that tomorrow and you are out got it. Next we stopped on a steep hill. He got out and put a packet of fags behind my rear wheel. Now we do Hill Start,He said squash them and you wont even get to tomorrow now move off and stop when I shout stop. I never squashed his fags.
On the fifth day we had a German civilian examiner overseeing the test and testing our hi-way code.
When we got back to camp Corporal just said right ,now take this to the pound and I want to see it spotless. I asked have I passed he said remember I want to see it spotless. I thought Oh well never mind. When it was hosed down and cleaned , oil checked and watered, I reported back to MT office. He shoved a bit of brown paper in front of me and said sign that.
When I finished he simply said thats your BOAR driving Licence look after it. ( Still have it today ) Now pack your gear pick up your warrant and get back to your unit.
I was now the official driver for Sennelarger APO. We used mainly Krout Drivers but I used to have a regular run of my own. I never thought then that one day I would be driving a similar thing for pleasure, life is strange isnt it.
An update since I put this on:- Ive just done about 4000 miles round trip down to spain.