A SECOND WORLD WAR HAND PAINTED AMERICAN AMBULANCE GREAT BRI...

Hammer

£300

A SECOND WORLD WAR HAND PAINTED AMERICAN AMBULANCE GREAT BRITAIN SIGN. A rectangular hand painted sign with crossed British and American flags, 'American Ambulance' above and 'Great Britain' below. 43 x 84cm.
The American Ambulance, Great Britain was a privately funded humanitarian ambulance service founded in 1940 by a group of Americans living in London. Growing to a fleet of some 300 vehicles staffed by 400 British women operating out of 27 stations across the country. The organisation was disbanded in October 1945, by which time it had covered a total of 17 million miles. A group photograph can be found online of twenty one members of the Leeds Station seated and standing around an almost identical sign.
Apparently this was previously the property of a Miss Kitson who had the sign after the war when she had rooms at Kimbridge House in the Test Valley, Hampshire. When Miss Kitson left Hampshire she gave the sign to the vendor's father. It has been suggested that Miss Kitson was an ambulance driver during the war. *CR Surface showing signs of age, in as found and unrestored condition. A possibly unique survivor of such a sign from one of the Ambulance Stations or Offices of this valuable organisation.