Some of the most important military vehicles of the Second World War didn’t feature huge main guns, neither were they bedecked with ever thicker armour plating, but are no less fascinating to study. One of the most crucial abilities on any battlefield is to be able to transport your wounded troops quickly and efficiently from the front line, to field medical stations some distance behind the fighting, where they could receive the medical attention they needed and potentially save their lives. Although clearly any vehicle could be used for this task, a dedicated ambulance would often allow the wounded to start receiving care straight away and if you were ever in need of one’s services, you would no doubt class these as the most important vehicles on the battlefield.
One of the most famous vehicles of its type, the Austin K2/Y Ambulance was used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout WWII, both in the combat zones of the world and on the home front. Built around the chassis of the Austin K30 light truck, the casualty compartment was developed in conjunction with the Royal Army Medical Corps and therefore proved to be highly functional.