BusTalk

[Mr. Linsky]

For those of you who may not be familiar with Mitchel Field I can tell you that it was once an Air Force Base located on much of what was then termed the 'Hempstead Plain' section of central Nassau County on Long Island in New York.

This was a huge facility that saw a major expansion in anticipation of the role it's aircraft would play in protecting New York City during World War II.

To accommodate the transportation needs of both military and civilian personnel in negotiating the hundreds of square miles of streets that dotted the base, the Air Force contracted with a private bus operator to provide services both to and from and within the property.

Pictured is one of a number of 1941 Mack Model L-25's both flagged and signed for Mitchel Field and shown just entering the installation.

While the prewar Mack production records show no purchases made in the name of Mitchel Field, an inordinately large number of L-25's were delivered to Nassau Bus Lines (far more than they needed for their two franchised routes) and I would suspect that they were the contractor.

Photo thanks to eBay.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, New York