Finding German WW2 Vehicles In Barns

After World War II ended, a cleanup followed. The dead were buried, small ammunition, and grenades were collected, and bigger armored vehicle was cleared to open roads, often pushed aside to be scrapped at a later date months, even years after the conflict ended. Soft-skin vehicles were also towed away to collection points to be scrapped. 

Handy German Fuel Car

Since the process is long, opportunities exist to take things from the battlefield for further use. Farmers, in particular, knew the value of good off-road vehicles and other vehicles that can haul heavy loads on rough roads and fields. 

Farm Vehicle

Usually, farmers look for Kuberwagens- the handy little German fuel vehicle with great off-road capabilities. If one can be found in undamaged, or slightly damaged condition abandoned for some reason by the retreating Germans, these vehicles, along with the Volkswagen Schwimmwagen (swimming car) often disappeared into barns, only to re-emerge after the war as farm vehicles. 

Other Favorites

Another favorite of farmers was the Kettenkrad- a half-truck, half-motorcycle that proved to be rather excellent for agricultural work. A lot of Kettenkrads ended up having long lives on French farms and in other areas in Europe. 

Trucks were also of great use. Many of these ended up either in furniture deliveries or as a general cargo hauler. General motorcycles were also highly prized- many of these were salvaged. Mercedes and Auto Union cars were often liberated as prizes or quietly hidden to emerge later as family cars or sometimes left in barns. 

Barn Finds

Over eight decades since the war ended, most of these vehicles have long been scrapped and a handful bought by museums. Still, people search for these relics, and the modern phenomenon called the Barn Find has been a steady source of such vehicles ever since the 1970s.

Every so often, in some old and neglected barn, you’d come across a relic of the Third Reich’s once mighty war machine. Examples of these vehicles being found on barns include a 1940 Mercedes 170VK in Norway, an Opel Blitz L66700A 3-ton in the Netherlands, a 1940 Mercedes 170V staff car in France, a 1939 Opel Blitz in Norway, a Volkswagen Type 82 Kubelwagen in Malta, and a whole lot more. 

We’ve never imagined that post-war vehicles like these would be used on farms! Hopefully, they can be restored, as these are considered relics and a part of history.