C8A Bitsa?!?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

So, what do we have here? Note the RAF census number.

The photos were taken near the town of Strijen, The Netherlands, either before or shortly after the end of WW2. They were kindly shared by Arjan van der Hoek.




See the footage from which this screenshot was made here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BDzaFqoVe/

[Brian Gough]

Interesting vehicle. Front bumper is not C8A, nor is the front wheel. Could use a proper mirror.

Brian

[David Dunlop]

My thought would be that a year after the war, these were newly acquired surplus vehicles for the postwar Dutch Army that have been creatively decorated to represent equipment not yet on strength during the rebuild process.

David

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Brian Gough

Interesting vehicle. Front bumper is not C8A, nor is the front wheel. Could use a proper mirror.

The axle track is wider as well. I reckon this is a C15A chassis with parts of a C8A grafted on? Front clip, fuel tanks, lower rear body? The roof seems to be a standard Cab 13 roof.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

My thought would be that a year after the war, these were newly acquired surplus vehicles for the postwar Dutch Army that have been creatively decorated to represent equipment not yet on strength during the rebuild process.

That could be an option, though I have yet to see such a bedraggled vehicle parading with the Netherlands Army...