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Amrith Punja Author
One of the National Geographic Photographer, Volkmar Kurt Wentzel originally from Germany, received his first international assignment: "Do India." Those two words reflected the Nat-Geo's belief in a global mission to show the world to its readers and it simultaneously revealed the trust Nat-Geo had in its photographers.
Volkmar was given two thousand dollars. He travelled to Bombay. The first thing he did in Bombay was spend $600 to purchase a used U.S.Army ambulance. His idea was to store his luggage in it, sleep in it, and use it as darkroom to develop photographs. When Geographic accountants back home learned of the expenditure they were shocked and let him know it. The two thousand dollars were meant to cover all his expenses for the long months it would take to do the job. He was shaken by the reprimand but was quickly reassured by a telegram from Gilbert Grosvenor, president of the Society, congratulating him on acquiring the ambulance. Volkmar had the ambulance painted with a map of India and the words "National Geographic Society U.S.A. Photo Survey of India" in English, Urdu, and Hindi. His photographic coverage of India became legendary.
He explored some 40,000 miles (64,000 kilometers) of the vast subcontinent and drove this truck to the places where the trains and buses couldn't reach in the late 1940s. He photographed the beautiful valleys of Kashmir, ladakh, the maharajahs on tiger hunts and the palaces of the Rajputana, explored great monuments of the Mughals in and around Delhi, dined with Pandit Nehru, visited with Gandhi, witnessed the great sculptures of the Ellora caves and descended 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) into the hot depths of the Kolar gold mines. He was featured in the October 1948 edition of National Geographic Magazine.

Alex K
Dear Amrith... Thank you so much for bringing this wonderful subject to our attention - and also for posting the reference pics. Upon seeing your project, I immediately searched and downloaded the October '48 NG issue, but haven't found the rest of the photos you provide. Needless to say I'm also hooked, I really really want to have this in my 1:72 vehicle collection... If you don't mind, I may also PM you...