My family links to the CMP truck

[Peter Mossong]

Hi to all. Peter Mossong here, from Auckland in New Zealand.

I've been a long time 'watcher' of the MLU forum, and now have been able to register and participate a bit more!

I'm primarily a scale modeller (building both aircraft and fighting vehicles with a slant to those used by New Zealand forces) and a keen student of NZ military history.

The following notes are my contribution to my family's links to the CMP truck!

My late Grandfather, Les Mossong, was a regular soldier, and joined the NZ Artillery as a boy pre-WW1. Everything was real horse powered back then!

His first overseas posting was part of the New Zealand occupation of what was then German Samoa in August 1914 where he remained as part of the garrison for several years. He didn't go on to the Middle East or Europe, but returned to New Zealand where he was involved with training.
He remained in the permanent army post WW1.

In 1940, he was the Regimental Sergeant Major of No.6 Field Regiment NZA when it began training in New Zealand before heading to Egypt for more training, and then participation in the early desert campaigns.

Les_Maadi.jpg

The above photo was taken at Maadi Camp in Egypt before the ill fated Greek campaign. Other than being the RSM, he was also the quartermaster of No.6, hence the markings on the door.
If anyone can positively ID the model (C or F60? 11 or 12 cab?) I would be most grateful.

He participated in the Greek operations, and somehow managed to survive and make his way back to Egypt. After further service in the desert, he was invalided back to New Zealand due to health problems, and served in the post war army (including a stint in J-Force during the occupation of Japan), until retirement with the rank of Captain in the late 1950's.

My late Father, Len Mossong, joined the army in 1940, but was soon seconded to the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) as it was greatly in need of personnel! As he was under 21 at the time he had finished his initial training, he needed to have his Father sign the permission papers to allow him to begin pilot training.
This my Grandfather refused to do, apparently having developed a great hate for any aeroplanes after being shot at and bombed all the way back down Greece! My dad was then to spend the war years here in New Zealand as an airframe/engine fitter.

In 1946, No.14 (Fighter) Squadron was re-formed in New Zealand with Goodyear FG-1D Corsairs to take part in the Commonwealth's occupation of Japan. My dad was part of the initial ground crew deployment to Iwakuni in Japan where No.14 were to be based.

Strangely enough, both my grandfather and my father were in Japan at the same time, granddad with the NZ Army at Chofu, and dad with the RNZAF at Iwakuni!

cmp_chev_iwakuni_46.jpg

The CMP Chevy above (dad in the drivers seat) was being used to make the obligatory rugby football field with help from Japanese labourers!

I do have some more CMP photos from my granddad's photo album taken in Egypt, and in Greece that I will process and ad to the thread in the soft-skins forum.

My thanks for being able to join in this forum.

Pete M.