On leaving the army in 1956 I first had a job driving a bakery van, supplying the company’s shops around Sidcup, Welling and Bromley. This lasted a week and a half before I told the manager where he could find his van.
After that I worked as a mechanic at a garage in Sidcup. They had an ex-WD Commer which did duty as a breakdown vehicle. The fly in the ointment was that, with its crash gearbox (non-synchromesh) and other idiosyncrasies, no-one, before I showed up, was able to drive the thing!
This company had a small petrol-station on the A20 which was open to 21.00 and I was asked to take the Commer in the evening to provide a breakdown service if needed. On this particular evening I was asked to rescue a motorist whose vehicle had broken down a short distance away on the A20. On arriving I discovered the recalcitrant car. A Ford 100E! No surprises there then!
I asked the driver if the stoppage had been sudden or a spluttering giving up. He said the latter had been the case, which suggested a fuel supply problem rather than ignition. He confirmed that there was petrol in the tank. I opened the forward hinged bonnet and as I attended to my task I saw an attractive young girl smiling at me from the passenger seat. This persuaded me that I should take my time and not hurry the rescue process!
I checked for a spark, which was present and then for the presence of petrol at the carburettor. Nothing! I then disconnected the supply side of the fuel pump and again nothing. On this vehicle the tank was higher than the pump, thus affording a gravity feed. I had discovered the cause of the stoppage, a blocked fuel pipe between the tank and the fuel pump. But how to clear the blockage?! Then I had a brainwave!
On the step below the driver’s door on the Commer I had noticed a small cylinder. Where had I seen this before? On the Humber 1-tonner from my army days! Back into the cab of the Commer and I found the small lever I was expecting. Turning this 90 degrees engaged the engine driven compressor which, via the small cylinder on the step provided air to inflate the tyres. Next I searched the lockers in the back of the Commer and sure enough came up with the airline, which had been lying in there since its military days.
I connected this up, started the engine of the Commer, put the compressor in gear and used the airline to clear the blockage in the fuel line. After a few turns of the starter the the 1172cc side-valve engine roared into life, figuratively speaking.
The owner and his attractive young daughter were impressed with my inventiveness and I was pretty pleased with myself too.