ON THIS DAY... 23 DECEMBER 1909 Fortunately there aren't too many hills in Northern France and Belgium, because our man on the frontline didn't like climbing them. This week he told us why, recounting how he'd had to climb a particularly steep one in a clapped-out old Maudslay charabanc. The fuel tank was gravity fed instead of pressure fed, which was fine on the level, but not so clever when ascending hills, on account of the carburettor being above the fuel level. Needless to say it soon started to "chug", meaning he had to do a three-point-turn on the narrow road, and reverse up instead. At one point, the back wheels lost traction on the loose surface, almost sending the vehicle off the road. But while many of the vehicles he encountered weren't fit for purpose, by this stage in the war, the first armoured cars were appearing. Check out the photo on this page.
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