Jones's van (Dad's Army)

Jones's van (1935 Fordson Model BB)
Jones's van displayed at the Charles Burrell Museum, Thetford in 2015.
Overview
TypeBox van
ManufacturerFordson
Production1935
AssemblyEngland: Dagenham, Essex (Ford Dagenham)
Powertrain
Engine3445 cc
Dimensions
Kerb weightTwo-ton

Jones's van is a butcher's delivery van owned by the fictional character Lance Corporal Jones from the British television sitcom Dad's Army. It first made an appearance in the first episode of the third series, "The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones" (1969), and appeared eighteen times throughout the series until 1977. The van is a 1935 two-ton Fordson Model BB box van.

After the series ended, the van was sold to a Ford dealer in Finchley, before being bought by the Patrick Motor Museum in 1990. The van was auctioned by Bonhams and sold to the Dad's Army Museum in 2012, where it has remained since. The van later appeared in the 2016 Dad's Army film.

Appearances

Dad's Army

Jones's van is owned by the fictional character Lance Corporal Jones (portrayed by Clive Dunn) from the British television sitcom Dad's Army (1968–1977), who used it as a butcher's delivery van.[1] The van first appeared in the first episode of the third series, "The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones", which was first broadcast on 11 September 1969;[1] it made a total of eighteen appearances until 1977, when the series ended.[1][2]

While it is doubtful that a small local butcher like Jones would have needed so large a van in real life, let alone have been able to finance its running costs during wartime,[2] the van becomes essential in the series as a means of primary transportation of the Walmington-on-Sea platoon.[2][3][4] The platoon uses Jones's van as transport and an improvised infantry fighting vehicle for their manoeuvres.[3] Jones, who is proud of his van, is often reluctant to allow various modifications needed for the platoon's activities.

Other appearances

The Ford Model AA used in the 1971 Dad's Army film, as pictured in 2011.

A different van was used for the 1971 Dad's Army film, a 1930s closed cab Ford Model AA (registration plate KR 9378).[5][6] Once the film was released, the van was housed in a private museum in Reading, before being sold at auction to a man from Lincolnshire, shortly before the year 2000.[5] As of February 2026, the van is part of the Dad's Army collection held at the Bressingham Steam and Gardens.[6]

In 1979, the original van was seen in episodes of Dick Barton: Special Agent, with the distinctive side panels (sign-painted with J. Jones Family Butcher") covered to disguise the van.[7] The van also appeared in the comedy crime film The Stick Up (1977), driven by lead actor David Soul, and the spy film Eye of the Needle (1981).[8] It appeared in the documentary Don't Panic!: The Dad's Army Story (2000), where it was driven by presenter Victoria Wood.[7] Having been fully restored, the van appeared in the 2016 Dad's Army film.[9]

History

Manufacturing and use in Dad's Army

Jones's van is a 1935 two-ton Fordson Model BB box van (registration plate BUC 852), 3445 cc, one of the first commercial models produced at Ford's Dagenham factory when it opened in 1931.[1][2][5] During World War II, it spent most of its working life in Central London,[1][10] being used as a confectioner's van and a baker's van.[10] In the 1960s,[1] long before Dad's Army was first broadcast in 1968,[5] it was discovered in a dilapidated condition in Streatham, London by Frank Holland, an assistant property master for the BBC.[1][2][5] Holland contacted Fred Wilmington, whose company loaned vehicles to the BBC; after enquiring with the police as to the vehicle's ownership, Wilmington purchased the van, which had been stationary for months, and restored it to full working order.[2][5]

The original 1935 engine of Jones's van, as pictured in 2015.

Later, Paul Joel, a designer working on Dad's Army, saw the van among Wilmington's stock of vehicles and obtained it for use in the series.[1][2] Joel had to persuade Wilmington's company to make the vehicle roadworthy, which they "just about did".[11] At the request of Joel, holes were cut into the van's side panels and part of the roof was altered by Wilmington's company,[4][5] to allow the cast members to point their rifles out of the van to defend against enemy invasion.[3][4] Additionally, the van was repainted navy-and-white,[4] and "J. Jones Family Butcher" was sign-painted on its side panels.[2] The florid, late-Victorian-style lettering was designed by Joel, to reflect the personality of Corporal Jones and to reflect his butcher's shop.[5][11] On one occasion, a large gasbag was strapped to the roof when the van was converted to run on gas for its debut appearance.[5] Joel "really enjoyed" designing the van,[11] describing it as the "most delightful" of the "big prop[s]" he worked on for the series.[5]

When filming studio sequences involving the van in motion, a blue screen was placed alongside the van; a moving background would be displayed onto the screen, imitating the van's movement.[12] Combining scenes filmed on location and studio sequences involving the van was challenging and "a very complex job", according to sound supervisor Michael McCarthy; the footage for both would have to be intercut with one another for the scene to appear smoothly.[11] When not used for filming by the BBC, the van was kept in its Dad's Army paintwork; however, false sides were constructed, which could be slotted into channelling on the side of the vehicle, allowing the van to be used as a regular-looking vehicle in other programmes.[5]

Among the assorted period vehicles used in the series, which were carefully chosen in order to keep the series authentic, the van, according to writer Graham McCann, "became a great favourite", being used in "a series of memorable set pieces".[4] Many people volunteered to sit behind the van's steering wheel in-between filming, according to Clive Dunn.[4]

After Dad's Army

When Dad's Army ended in 1977, the van was sold to a Ford dealer in Finchley, where it was displayed prominently in their showroom.[5] It was sold at auction on 26 November 1990 to the Patrick Motor Museum in Birmingham.[5] On 3 December 2012, the van was auctioned by Bonhams, where it was sold to the Pearson and Jenkins families for £63,100, including the buyer's premium. The Jenkins family donated their half of the van to the Dad's Army Museum in Thetford, while the museum began raising funds to buy the other half of the van;[13][14] the museum had previously been intending to purchase the van at the auction.[15] By the end of December, the museum had raised £10,000 of the £63,100 required for purchase.[14] By the end of March 2013, when £20,000 had been raised, the van went on public display at the Charles Burrell Museum after a period of cosmetic restoration.[16]

By February 2016, the van was fully restored for use in the Dad's Army film. The restoration, completed at the van's original Ford Dagenham factory where it was built, included a full engine rebuild, a clutch replacement, and the fitting of new wiring looms. Following restoration, the van was rehoused at the Dad's Army Museum.[9] In 2017, the van and volunteers from the Dad's Army Museum took part in the Lord Mayor's Show.[17] In December 2022, the van was named Vehicle of the Month by Facts Disc.[7] A book detailing the history of the van, titled Jones's Van: The Journey, was published by Chris Garrod in April 2026.[1][18] The book was released in part to help fund the restoration of the van, which required repairs worth £10,500, including the replacement of axle carriers and the replication of van parts that were no longer available.[1] By the start of May, £1,200 was raised by supporters of the Dad's Army Museum.[1] By the start of June, the funds had been raised, with plans for the van to attend the Old Buckenham Air Show and the Royal Norfolk Show, the latter for the first time. However, the van broke down at the Bressingham Steam and Gardens, requiring additional funds of £1,500. Despite this, the van is expected to attend the 2026 Lord Mayor's Show in London.[10]

Merchandise

Various toy versions of the van were commercially available, including one made as part of a series of Dad's Army and wartime vehicles by the BBC and Radio Times, dubbed the "Radio Times Vintage Comedy Classics Collection", manufactured by Lledo.[19] Additionally, Corgi released a 1:50 scale model of a Thornycroft van as Jones's van, along with a figurine of Jones.[20][21]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Deal, Luke (4 May 2026). "Jones's van at Dad's Army Museum in Thetford is repaired". BBC. Archived from the original on 5 May 2026. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "The ex-'Dad's Army',1935 Ford BB Box Van". Bonhams Cars. 3 December 2012. Archived from the original on 1 August 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 "Dad's Army butcher van goes on sale". The Daily Telegraph. 20 September 2012. Archived from the original on 15 August 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 McCann, Graham (2001). Dad's Army: The Story of a Very British Comedy (paperback ed.). Great Britain: Fourth Estate (published 2002). pp. 164–165. ISBN 978-1-84115-309-4.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Webber, Richard (2000). The Complete A-Z of Dad's Army. London, United Kingdom: Orion Media. pp. 109, 216–217. ISBN 0-75281-838-4.
  6. 1 2 "Bressingham Steam & Gardens". Automuseums. 27 February 2026. Archived from the original on 18 March 2026. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 Holton, Monika (1 December 2022). "Ford BB Van - The Iconic Jones's Van". Facts Disc. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  8. ↑ "New book tells story of Thetford's iconic Dad's Army van". About Thetford. 30 April 2026. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  9. 1 2 Proto, Laura (7 February 2016). "Dad's Army butcher's van restored by apprentices in east London". The Standard. Archived from the original on 4 August 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 Maclean, Jack; Applegate, Zoe (2 June 2026). "Dad's Army fans foot Jones's van repairs for Thetford museum". BBC. Archived from the original on 3 June 2026. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Joslin, Simon (20 November 2018). Saluting Dad's Army: Episode 3 (Television production). Presented by Alexander Armstrong. Gold. 35 minutes in.
  12. ↑ "Dad's Army at 40: Behind the Scenes on 'Dad's Army'". BBC Archive. 2014. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  13. ↑ "News". Dad's Army Museum. Archived from the original on 13 April 2026. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  14. 1 2 "Dad's Army Museum raises £10k to repay Jones' van cost". BBC News. 20 December 2012. Archived from the original on 31 July 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Dad's Army Museum in Jones van auction bid". BBC News. 8 November 2018. Archived from the original on 11 November 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  16. ↑ "Dad's Army: L/Cpl Jones' butcher's van restored". BBC News. 30 March 2013. Archived from the original on 17 February 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  17. ↑ "Lord Mayor`s Parade 2017 pictures". Dad's Army Museum. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  18. ↑ "Jones's Van 'The Journey'". Amazon. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  19. ↑ "Lledo Diecast Vintage Model Vans - BBC Radio Times 'Comedy Classics Collection'". eBay. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  20. ↑ "CC09003 Dads Army J Jones Thornycroft van and Mr Jones Figurine". Corgi. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  21. ↑ "Corgi CC09003 Diecast Model". Amazon. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.