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#1
05-04-10, 01:09
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Truck Identity?
My grandfather was in the RAAF during WW2. He was posted from his squadron in Townsville QLD to Darwin and his diary showed the trip. Townsville to Darwin today is 2500km on a sealed road and a 30 hour trip. Their trip was on the ‘road’ in the picture during the wet season taking 11 days. I added in brackets their daily km. Anyone sort of have a guess at what sort of truck it was?
January 11 1942 Left Townsville 11AM lunch Reid River Tea Charters Towers. Have averaged 12 miles per hour. (138km) January 12 Breakfast 4AM Hughenden Dinner 9.30 Richmond Tea 4PM Julia Creek. (516km) January 13 Arrived Mt Isa, Frank and I to town. Landed a couple of beers. Town and country like Broken Hill. (258km) January 14 Spine Bashed and played cards all day. January 15 Left Mt Isa 12 noon arrived Camooweal 6PM. Looked the village over. Had sing song – no beer. (190km) January 16 Crossed Qld NT boarder 530AM. Lunch at number 4 bore. Dinner and slept at 6A bore. (340km) January 17 Lunch at Banka Banka. Plenty of Plain Turkys to eat. Slept at Elliott. (332km) January 18 Lunch at A640 Bore slept at Larrimah. (238km) January 19 Left Larrimah 2.20PM on sprit of protest. Tea at Mataranka, never dirtier. (75km) January 20 Arrived Adelaide River to 2RPP. (309km) January 21 Arrived Darwin. Went visiting saw lots of boys I knew. (114km) Last edited by Ausmick; 05-04-10 at 01:10. Reason: spelling!!! 
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#2
05-04-10, 22:57
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chev ???
your sescond photo could be of a chev like what Robert Farmer has
I was going on the fuel tank spout and the tray looks like a 9 foot Aussie made one Max
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#3
06-04-10, 08:34
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RAAF Truck
Was a slow start to the trip average 12 mile / hour. Had picked up by Mt isa to Camooweal to 31km/hr! Wet season heat and roads would have been quite bad.
When he was posted to Darwin heading into the Pacific Zone he was due to fly up from Townsville but was told ".....flight cancelled due to rough seas....." make sense of that. Would love to identify the truck near the antbed as I would make it my next project and then drive the trip. After the war they flew him back to Darwin and told him he had to get a truck home to NSW via Alice Springs.
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#4
06-04-10, 11:17
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Probably an amphibian plane was being used. Below are some photos of what the truck could have been. I tried to enhance the photo but with no luck but like Max think it was a Chevrolet but with standard civilian wheels rather then combat rims.
Photos are from the AWM and NT Libarary Service via the net. 
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Cheers Cliff Hutchings aka MrRoo S.I.R. "and on the 8th day he made trucks so that man, made on the 7th day, had shelter when woman threw him out for the night" MrRoo says "TRUCKS ROOLE" 
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#5
06-04-10, 12:31
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Catalinas
Thanks cliff........that does make sense about the plane as he was attached to a Catalina Flying boat Squadron.......I didn't click as I thought it was typical military situation being not able to fly due to rough seas. Now I understand.
I think you both are on the money with the truck identity. Any RAAF wizards on here with restorations. Wish I had a better picture to show. Mick
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#6
06-04-10, 17:06
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Here's three views from the factory photos CD.
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1940 Cab 11 C8 Wireless with 1A2 box & 11 set 1940 Cab 11 C8 cab and chassis 1940 Cab 11 C15 with 2A1 & Motley mount & Lewis gun 1940 Cab 11 F15A w/ Chev rear ends 1941 Cab 12 F15A 1942-44 Cab 13 F15A x 5 1942 cab 13 F15A with 2B1 box 1943 cab 13 F15A with 2H1 box 1943 Cab 13 C8A HUP 1944 Cab 13 C15A with 2C1 box 1943 Cletrac M2 High Speed Tractor MkII Bren gun carrier chassis x 2
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Hybrid Mode
