Army vans and Mayflowers

Here are some “Cars and Memories” going back many, many years. We enjoy receiving stories like this with old snaps included.

Our reader writes, “Good Day Paul: I truly enjoy reading your column on Saturdays. I thought that you would appreciate some more material that I have attached to this e-mail.

“My parents (Graham and Ida Wells of St. John’s) purchased their first car in 1953 at Mckinlay Motors on Lemarchant Road. It was a two-door standard shift British made “Mayflower”. Could your readers provide me with more information on this car? I enclose a copy of the bill of sale for those readers who would appreciate the information regarding price and taxes. That car took us everywhere, but very slowly! I remember taking a vacation to Sunnyside and Goobies and it took us five hours to get there. My father is in the picture of the car with my twin brother Eric standing outside. We were 7 or 8 years old at the time. We are 71 now. The car was traded in 1960 at Terra Nova Motors for a Vauxhall Victor. More information regarding this car would also be appreciated.

“The picture above is of my mother who at the time (in the mid 40’s) was Ida Grace Tibbs. She was born in Trinity, Trinity Bay but moved to St. John’s at an early age and eventually graduated from Bishop Spencer College with Honours. She was a member of the Canadian Women’s Army Corp (CWACS) stationed in Kitchener, Ontario. Can anyone name the make and the model of the van? She was trained as a stenographer and as an army truck driver and was scheduled to go overseas, but the war ended. By then she was also a “crack” shot with a pistol and was promoted to sergeant. She then travelled to Halifax to meet my father (he was still a private) who was returning from Europe as a member of the Canadian Army Corp of Signals. Instead of returning to Newfoundland they decided to go to Boston where my father’s brother was living and that was where they were married in February of 1946.”