[Jacques Reed]

Hi Mike,

I still enjoyed reading the correspondence even if it wasn't quite what I thought it might be.
One snippet which I found especially interesting was in the correspondence of April 27, 1943 from Ford Motor Co. Australia to Col. E. T. Bazeley.
It mentions the preference for Col. Bazeley's normal steel cabs to be fitted to the 64 15 CWT G.S. vehicles to be produced.
If I interpret it correctly that means "normal steel" would be the solid steel cabin roofs as opposed to the canvas covered "Sunshine Roof" The use of the word preference implies either could be used.

I have never been able to work out what type of GS vehicle I have as the second body I obtained was missing the valances where I believe seats were fitted. I does have the doors at the wheel arches for storage lockers inside the valances. The third body was on the F15/F15-A converted truck and not sure of its origins. It has the valances but no doors or holes where seats would be fitted. The only positively identified truck is the parts truck where the ARN records reveal it to be a genuine 1943 Battery Staff vehicle.

It had the foam extinguisher bracket on the outside of the cab too which also was an indicator of its authenticity. It was held to the lower back of the cab with old style
Whitworth bolts and the lower back was attached to the floor with WW2 Whitworth bolts. I was able to salvage all these fasteners which is also an indicator of Australian assembled and untouched.

Unfortunately the chassis and cab sheet metal was too far gone to be restored and it was a cab chassis minus a body anyway. Surprisingly there was no chassis number stamped on either it or the original F15-A chassis from which I began my restoration all those years ago so there is no conflict there. This is why I have decided to give the original project an identity using the transmission from the parts truck. The original transmission wasn't even from a 4 x 4 CMP so in any event it had to go.
Comparing both chassis I could not find one single difference between the two, other than massive amounts of rust and delamination of the steel on the parts truck.

A long circuitous route but I am getting there and I feel a lot better with what I have now.

Cheers,