What would the sacks be for hanging off the front ends..?
BigWin56 got it right. They were used by the military on a large scale for supplying drinking water. The correct terminology is "Lister Bag".

 

Thanks guys, now I have more things I'll forget...lol But I did learn something..

 

 

Well I know we drank from them when we were haying and harvesting; but I guess I thought “normal” people just used them for their radiators! LOL

 

I guess what ever or who ever is thirstier...lol

 

I'd say that's correct too. It was used for both purposes, and frankly any purpose that extra water could come in for. But for sure on the cooling effect of the evaporating water. Some back then even thought it helped to keep your engine cooler due to that evaporation adding just a little cooler air flowing through the radiator. Since so many engines were borderline overheating anyway (given half a chance, they would) I can see where that train of thought would come from too.
Even if it wasn't true, nobody back then questioned it because we were quite willing to do whatever it took to avoid a boil-over, and if someone didn't overheat on the trip where they hung the bags, it would be easy to believe as well.

So drinking water, camping water, radiator water, and additional cooling. All in one handy bag!
I still saw them out here well into the sixties. I only remember seeing a few for sale at that point, but by then so many people had them that under the right circumstances some would still come out of the old shed or barn to get hung in front of the grille for a road trip. I'm sure man of them met untimely ends hanging there out in the front, but they were pretty tough too, if I remember.

I hadn't heard the term Lister bag in a long time. Probably only heard it once or twice, but heard at least one or two other names for them as well. Don't remember what those names were (though "desert bag" comes to mind), but remember people calling them different things. Might even have been a regional naming thing, or just a generational thing as the original name(s) got lost to time.

Paul

 

Those waterbags were used extensively in 'outback' Australia. One could buy them in most hardware stores.
They could also be sometimes found in the middle of the road, because the hooks (mostly, fencing wire) gave up and broke.
In the late 70's I had one mounted on the front of my old Holden FC panel van, which I drove all over NSW, Queensland and the Northern Territory.
The water although cool, was an acquired taste, always seemed to me to taste like an old wet hessian bag.(which is what they were)
Geoff.

 

I have one of those bags. I don't remember where or when I got it, probably out of a rental I was taking care of.
It hung on my wall til I moved, now it's somewhere. in my storage unit.

 

 

 

 

 

Sleuthing from the road sign finds this corner at Waldoboro, Maine.

 

Not far from me.

 

Great story about the bags Tiger. For a long time they were sought after by casual collectors for their company artwork on them. Kind of the same feel as driving by an old barn with the cigarette advertisements on them. Some of the company logos and art were well known, others hardly ever seen before. But if they were in good shape still, it was a cool find.

Great bit of sleuthing there 52 Merc! I love the connection. I haven't dug that deep before, but I almost always wonder about it when I see a street sign or business name. Can't tell you guys how often I've tried to look up an old dealership or store just to see if they're still in business. Or just to give me a clue as to where the pic was taken.

Paul