Subject: London Motor Omnibus Company Ltd. (Vanguard)
Chassis: Milnes-Daimler
Body: United Electric O22/16R
Location: Preston, Dick, Kerr works
Year: c.1905

This may be one of the five buses that were used to inaugurate the operations of the London Motor Omnibus Company, who traded as "Vanguard" from 27-Mar-1905. This company was unusual amongst the pioneers of London bus services in not being previously a horse bus operator.

Their Traffic Manager was George Samuel Dicks whose name can just be made out on the original photograph on the dark panels below the logo.

The board at the top of the windows would be used as a route board, with each of the panel (presumably painted in different colours) being used to indicate points served by the route). Vanguard were pioneers in the use of service numbers, introducing them from 30-Apr-1906.

One of these Milnes-Daimlers was involved in a horrific accident on 12-Jul-1906. It was carrying a party from the Orpington and St Mary Cray Fire Brigade on a trip to Brighton and ran out of control descending Handcross Hill. Ten people lost their lives in this, still believed to be the worst-ever road accident to take place in Sussex.

Photograph from the GEC archive