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Old 19-12-06, 09:21
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David_Hayward (RIP) David_Hayward (RIP) is offline
former Resident Historian
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The New Forest, England
Posts: 3,841
Default Rad!

a) I have been looking up my books and it does seem that the side lights were not always fitted. The Master Parts List says that they are "parking lamps" and "(special equip.)", the same parts being used 1937-9. Photos of '39 trucks show that they were not always fitted, and so I suggest that parking lamps on fenders were optional? The 1940 Models had them as standard I gather, with different lamps for passenger cars and commercials.

b) The other easy way I always suggest to differentiate between the 1939 and 1940 Models is the number of grille bars, but I can never seem to decide which is which and I believe that the cabs vary in height so the grilles vary likewise. However the '40 has a deeper top grille strip with "Chevrolet" script, though I am certain that military models may have had painted, not chromed, strips and no script. The Parts List suggests that the strip is actually part of the hood and so the '40 hood must be deeper in the fron thant he '39.

c) The WA 1940 Model was available in three versions: chassis with flat face cowl; chassis with cowl and chasis with cab. The same applied to the 1940 Canadian series, 15XX although the US trucks had a 1/5 ton rating and the Canadian 2 tons. The XX by the way was the Canadian cab style, and Oshawa produced all three versions in theory. The WA had the 133" wheelbase, the WB the 158 1/2" w.b. We know that some WB trucks made it to the UK as well as WA. I have always assumed that these were diverted French/Belgian orders and prize seizures. I may however be wrong! There were also '40 Model 1543 2-ton Canadian trucks imported, and I cannot see that these were diverted but without seeing a photo to see if it has lhd I have no idea. We know that the WA trucks used by the RAOC etc. were lhd, and chassis with flat-faced cowl so I am certain that these were in the "360" seized.

d) I may well be wrong in assuming that the 3-tonners delivered to Egypt under S/M 2005 weer Chassis with cab 1543 Models. I assumed that they were the same as CC60L because of the civilian versions registered in the UK. I can now see the logic in delivering at least the 1940 Models as Model 1541 flat-faced cowl for local bodying and cabs. That said the LRDG 1941 Models included some 1311 1/2 ton 115" chassis with flat-face cowl [as per 1311X3 to India] plus "200" 1533 134 1/2" w.b. chassis with cabs, delivered minus cabs and modified grilles!

e) The truck in the last photo looks to me as though it is a 1940 Model by the radiator grille, and the lights. The photos I have seen of 1939 Models assembled in Alexandria for the Egyptian Government "civilian" use have no parking lights and neither do the 1939 trucks assembled for the WD. I am only too willing to be proven wrong but that's my suggestion.

Last edited by David_Hayward (RIP); 19-12-06 at 11:17.
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