Air ambulances fly wounded from France to England, 1944 (c)

British official photograph (No. CD. 170. WA), World War Two (1939-1945), 1944 (c).

A line of Austin ambulances carrying wounded waiting for air passage to the United Kingdom, on an airfield in Normandy.

Introduced in 1927 after extensive trials, the Austin K2 ambulance was used widely by British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War Two (1939-1945). A total of 13,102 were made between 1939 and 1945. It was powered by an Austin six cylinder petrol engine and the body, built by Mann Egerton, was designed to carry four stretchers or ten seated casualties. In practice the ambulances often carried many more wounded.

Princess Elizabeth, the future Queen Elizabeth II, trained to drive an Austin when serving with the Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War Two. The Austin, nicknamed 'Katy', also had a starring role, along with Sir John Mills and Sylvia Sims, in the classic 1958 war film, set in North Africa, 'Ice Cold in Alex'.