In 1939 a number of young men from the rural area of Mologa in central Victoria volunteered to serve their country. It was the start of World War 2. Shirley's mother, Mary Alford, was the local Red Cross coordinator and put a lot of time and effort into fund raising, recruiting members and making items for the soldiers. It must have been a cause close to her heart because her brother was killed in France in the first World War. For several years a truck was decorated and driven in Pyramid Hill, a nearby town (possibly at the annual show). Shirley and her cousin Mary Leed dressed as nurses, and two local men, Ernie Boorn and Dave Williams, as soldiers.
 |
| Patriotic Red Cross truck, Pyramid Hill, c1939 |
Apart from the four persons you mention I believe I also see a "victim" in bed. Or is it a doll? And then this airplane up front, a lot of effort was put in this RC promo!
ReplyDeleteThere is a child in the bed but Shirley can't remember who it was.
DeleteVery decorative float. I hope they had something to hang onto.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the truck was moving fast enough to worry about needing something to hang on to.
DeleteA tray on a truck must be what a bed on a truck is here.
ReplyDeleteI can see why you thought of your photo when you
ReplyDeletesaw this week's prompt. We cannot ever forget about all the hard-working volunteers and their efforts during wars. Nice photo.
A wonderful picture which matches the prompt perfectly.
ReplyDeleteWho could mistake those Aussie hats? A float to be proud of.
ReplyDeleteWe love our Digger hats:)
DeleteI was thinking the same as Wendy - it must have been quaite a balancing act. An interesting photograph, and a good take on this week's theme photo, thank you.
ReplyDeleteYes a perfect match for the theme photo. And what is a tray to you and a bed to postcardy, is simply a back to us.
ReplyDeleteThe truck is nicely decorated. I hope it has yielded much for charity. And the back of a truck is a ‘laadbak’ in Dutch.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome picture!
ReplyDeleteKathy M.
first i thought it´s a marriage :) than i had a closer look :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a perfect way to travel with this week's theme! I wish there were more places we could join with decorating our vehicles as floats for worthy causes!
ReplyDeleteMy laptop was running out of battery, and I'm not sure that my comment will be here, so I'm reposting it! You certainly came up with an amazing postcard photo of quite a fine float- they do look steady as it moves. Great story too!
ReplyDeletegreat match with the photo,.I.can't believe that's a float, it made my heart stop to see.it
ReplyDeletePerfect post and picture for the prompt -- my mind danced with images from "For Whom The Bell Tolls" and the Spanish Civil War, Red Cross trucks in WWI and WWII. Red Cross played such and important part in those years. Really enjoyed your post and picture.
ReplyDeleteAs I watched the Rose Parade this year and saw everyone strapped into safety harnesses, I thought back to the floats a hundred years ago, when people just hung on and hoped the driver didn't make any sudden sharp turns! I like this particular "float" as well.
ReplyDeleteA great photo for the theme. Such a pity that decorated floats have in so many places succumbed to the health and safty culture and been banned.
ReplyDeleteGood find!
ReplyDeleteVery patriotic indeed!!
ReplyDeleteNice to see what common folks can do in extraordinary circumstances.
:)~
HUGZ