Military Driving Test???

[daisy1942]

Dad talked of taking a "driving test" that involved taking a Matador towing a field gun downhill without touching the brakes and keeping control of the vehicle.

My question is does anyone else remember/recall or recognise doing something similar? What unit/service were you in? Anything that people know about such an experience is of interest.

[Marmalady]

My Grandfather never took a driving test in his entire life .

His introduction to driving was in WW1 when as a new recruit he was told "take this truck to Catterick"

That was sufficient to provide him with a driving licence for the rest of his days ( he finally gave up driving around the age of 90 when he had a few near misses)

[ALAMO2008]

My Dad aged 15 was a Bicycle Messenger in Bootle during the 1940/1941 Liverpool Blitz his role was to take messages of Fires from Bootle Town Hall HQ to the Fire Station because Telephones lines were often down. One night he came across an ambulance full of injured people including the two drivers. His first Driving Lesson without tuition was to put his foot on the accelerator and drive the vehicle to the hospital without any help.
He was due to be awarded a bravery award but they gave it to his best friend also a bicycle messenger that night - posthumously.
Dad  when in in 80's was often found in his lounge in his wheelchair in the dark by his Carers after a Hospital visit, because the same Merseyside Ambulance Service years later, without any bombs falling around them - under Health & Safety the Ambulance Crew  were not allowed to transfer him the 3 feet from his wheelchair to his armchair in his lounge.
I had to travel 300 miles round trip and take a day off work for all his Future Hospital Visits.

[Jebber]

Driving tests for new  drivers were first introduced  in 1935, then were suspended for the duration of the war.

The test in question was probably an Army proficiency test.

[daisy1942]

..........
Dad  when in in 80's was often found in his lounge in his wheelchair in the dark by his Carers after a Hospital visit, because the same Merseyside Ambulance Service years later, without any bombs falling around them - under Health & Safety the Ambulance Crew  were not allowed to transfer him the 3 feet from his wheelchair to his armchair in his lounge.
I had to travel 300 miles round trip and take a day off work for all his Future Hospital Visits.

.
That's disgraceful Alamo2008 but hardly surprising  My mother in law was chairbound and I had many similar experiences

[mirl]

My Dad was a diesel mechanic in REME during WWII and had a six week driving course learning to drive all types of military vehicles.  He never took an official driving test after demob as his military certificate was enough.

[mazi]

There was a thread about military driving licences a while back, I think it was decided there were three categories, motor bikes, cars and wagons, and track laying vehicles.

You needed one if you drove a military vehicle on public roads in the uk

Mike

[Rockford]

Driving tests for new  drivers were first introduced  in 1935, then were suspended for the duration of the war.

The test in question was probably an Army proficiency test.

My grandfather got his 'licence' this way in WW2, and after the war drove buses, HGVs, taxis and was also a driving instructor, retiring at 76.  The story is that he was able to do all of this on the strength of the army test. 

Rockford