Jones' van (Dad's Army)

Jones' van is the butcher's delivery van owned by Lance-Corporal Jones in the BBC comedy series Dad's Army. It is a 1935 two-ton 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 2016 film based on the series. In 2012 the van was sold to the Dad's Army Museum in Thetford.

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 became essential in the series as a means of moving the Walmington-on-Sea platoon about. The platoon uses Jones' van as transport and improvised 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 causes the van to get damaged are the very rare occasions when Jones becomes upset with the captain, at one point threatening to blacklist Mainwaring from his sausage list; to which Mainwaring replied carefully "Steady, Jones".

Corporal Jones' van is a 1935 two-ton Ford BB and was one of the first commercial models produced at Ford's 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.

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