View source for Jones's van (Dad's Army)

{{Short description|Butcher's delivery vehicle used in Dad's Army TV comedy}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Jones's van (''Dad's Army'')}}
[[File:Jones van Dads Army.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Jones's van displayed at the Charles Burrell Steam Museum in [[Thetford]]]]
'''Jones's van''' is the butcher's delivery van, owned by [[Lance-Corporal Jones]], which first made an appearance in the [[BBC]] comedy series ''[[Dad's Army]]''. It is a 1935 two-ton [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] BB Box Van with the registration plate BUC 852 and appeared in ''Dad's Army'' from 1969 to 1977; it was also seen in the [[Dad's Army (2016 film)|2016 film]] based on the series. In 2012 the van was sold to the [[Dad's Army Museum]] in [[Thetford]].<ref>[http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/347272/Dad-s-Army-van-goes-on-sale - 'Dad's Army van goes on sale'] - ''[[Daily Express]]'' - 21 September 2012</ref>

==''Dad's Army''==
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, the van becomes essential in the series as a means of moving the [[Walmington-on-Sea]] [[platoon]] about.<ref name=Bonhams>[https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20148/lot/307/ 'The ex-'Dad's Army' 1935 Ford BB Box Van' - Bonhams Auction Catalogue - 2012]</ref> The platoon uses Jones's van as transport and improvises [[IFV]] for their manoeuvres.

Jones is very proud of his van, and is often reluctant to allow various modifications needed for the platoon's activities. The instances when [[Captain Mainwaring|Mainwaring]] causes the van to get damaged are the very rare occasions when Jones becomes upset with his captain, at one point threatening to blacklist Mainwaring from his sausage list; to which Mainwaring replies carefully, "Steady, Jones."

In the 1969 episode "[[The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones]]" (which was the first ''Dad's Army'' episode to be made in colour), the van is converted to run on coal gas, with a large bag full of the gas put on the roof. In the same episode the van is shown with covered holes built into the side panels, so that the platoon can fire their rifles through them. They demonstrate how it works, while chanting, "Open-two-three. Out-two-three. Bang-two-three. Bang-two-three. Bang-two-three. In-two-three. Shut!"

==History==
[[File:Dads Army 1935 engine.jpg|thumb|right|The engine to Jones' van is the original from 1935]]
Corporal Jones's van is a 1935 two-ton Ford BB, one of the first commercial models produced at Ford's [[Ford Dagenham|Dagenham factory]] when it opened in 1931. It was discovered in a dilapidated condition in [[Streatham]] in London by Frank Holland, an assistant property master for the [[BBC]]. Such was its condition that the van was on the verge of being scrapped. Holland contacted Fred Wilmington, whose company supplied vehicles to the BBC; he purchased the van and restored it to full working order.

Later Paul Joel, a designer working on ''[[Dad's Army]]'', spotted the van among Wilmington's stock of vehicles and obtained it for use in the series. The van was repainted and had "J. Jones Family Butcher" sign-painted on its side panels. The van still has its original engine from 1935.

==Screen appearances==
[[File:Dads Army van 1971.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Ford Model AA]] used in the [[Dad's Army (1971 film)|1971 film]]]]
Jones's van made its screen debut in ''[[Dad's Army]]'' on 11 September 1969 in the episode "[[The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones]]", the first in the series to be made in colour (the episode [[Branded (Dad's Army)|"Branded"]] was the first to be transmitted in colour). The van continued to make regular appearances until the series ended in 1977.<ref name=Bonhams/>

In 1979 the original van was seen in ''[[Dick Barton#Television|Dick Barton - Special Agent]]'' with the distinctive side panels covered and the van filmed through a green filter to further disguise it.

A different van was used for the 1971 ''[[Dad's Army (1971 film)|Dad's Army]]'' film, namely a closed cab [[Ford Model AA]] with a box roof added so that the platoon could stand inside it. This is on show at the [[Bressingham Steam and Gardens]] exhibition.

The original van was used again in the 2016 [[Dad's Army (2016 film)|''Dad's Army'']] film.

==Move to Thetford==
When ''Dad's Army'' ended in 1977 the original Ford BB van was sold to a Ford Dealer in [[Finchley]] and then sold again in 1991 to the Patrick Motor Museum in Birmingham for a [[hammer price]] of £11,200.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/9555630/Dads-Army-butcher-van-goes-on-sale.html - 'Dad's Army butcher van goes on sale'] - ''[[Daily Telegraph]]'' 20 September 2012</ref> In 2012 the van was auctioned by [[Bonhams]], when it was sold to the [[Dad's Army Museum]] in [[Thetford]] for £63,100 including the [[buyer's premium]].<ref name=Bonhams/><ref>[http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/dad_s_army_van_is_delivered_to_thetford_1_1741300 'Dad’s Army van is delivered to Thetford'] - ''[[Eastern Daily Press]]'' - 13 December 2012</ref><ref>[http://www.dadsarmythetford.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5:news&catid=8&Itemid=148 Jones' van on the Dad's Army Museum website]</ref> The van went on display at the [[Charles Burrell Museum]] in early 2013 after a period of cosmetic restoration.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-21978053 'Dad's Army: L/Cpl Jones' butcher's van restored'] - [[BBC News]] website - 30 March 2013</ref><ref>[http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/visitors_can_have_a_butchers_at_jones_s_dad_s_army_van_1_2001228 - 'Visitors can “have a butchers” at Jones’s Dad’s Army van'] - ''[[Norwich Evening News]]'' - 3 April 2013</ref>

The van's engine underwent a full rebuild by a local firm of engineers ready to run for the 2017 museum season. On 11 November 2017 the van and volunteers from the Dad's Army Museum took part in the [[Lord Mayor's Show]].

==Merchandise==
Various toy versions of Jones's van were commercially available, including one made as part of a series of ''[[Dad's Army]]'' and wartime vehicles by the [[BBC]],<ref>[http://www.brightontoymuseum.co.uk/info/Dad's_Army_butcher's_van_(Radio_Times) The toy Jones's van] on the [[Brighton Toy and Model Museum]] website</ref> while [[Corgi Classics Limited|Corgi]] released 1:50 scale models of a [[Thornycroft]] van as [[Lance-Corporal Jack Jones|Jones]] butcher's van and a [[Bedford Vehicles|Bedford]] 0 Series as that belonging to [[ARP Warden Bert Hodges|Hodges]]. Each came with a figurine of the character.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Dad's Army}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones' van (Dad's Army)}}
[[Category:Dad's Army]]
[[Category:Fictional cars]]