In the background

[Mike Cecil]

I came across this image while tidying up a recent acquisition of paperwork from my uncle's estate. He was an Army engineer in the late 50s and early 1960s (Capt MJK Lodge, RAE), who was seconded to the RAAF to manage airfield runway works at East Sale and Darwin.

The image was taken at East Sale in 1961. Just beyond the Blaw-Knox concrete spreader (RAAF registration 218142) are three vehicles: the FE or FC GM-Holden Utility is easy to spot. These were a common vehicle in RAAF, RAN and Army service. They were contract vehicles built specially for the services and equipped with a number of minor modifications from the standard Civilian utes, such as a grill over the rear cab glass, and no car radio. Obscured by the Blaw-Knox is a standard CMP truck, probably the RAAF 'heavy tender' with demountable drop sides (the rear edge of the body is just visible).

The truck in the middle distance is unique to Australia and indeed, to the RAAF. While many will recognise it as a soft top HAR-1, few will know the designation....... anyone want to have a try?

In the far background, through the early morning mist, is the outline of a C-47 Dakota and some other vehicles that are just toooo blurred to recognise with any accuracy.

Mike C

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

I came across this image while tidying up a recent acquisition of paperwork from my uncle's estate. He was an Army engineer in the late 50s and early 1960s (Capt MJK Lodge, RAE), who was seconded to the RAAF to manage airfield runway works at East Sale and Darwin.

The image was taken at East Sale in 1961. Just beyond the Blaw-Knox concrete spreader (RAAF registration 218142) are three vehicles: the FE or FC GM-Holden Utility is easy to spot. These were a common vehicle in RAAF, RAN and Army service. They were contract vehicles built specially for the services and equipped with a number of minor modifications from the standard Civilian utes, such as a grill over the rear cab glass, and no car radio. Obscured by the Blaw-Knox is a standard CMP truck, probably the RAAF 'heavy tender' with demountable drop sides (the rear edge of the body is just visible).

The truck in the middle distance is unique to Australia and indeed, to the RAAF. While many will recognise it as a soft top HAR-1, few will know the designation....... anyone want to have a try?

Mike ..Does this ring a bell..??
42: 120 pages NO NUMBER FOUR WHEEL DRIVE AUTO CO. PARTS BOOK, FWD MODEL HAR TRUCKS, RIGHT-HAND STEER, (March '42). Illustrated.
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In the far background, through the early morning mist, is the outline of a C-47 Dakota and some other vehicles that are just toooo blurred to recognise with any accuracy.

Mike C

Got any tough ones..??

[Mike Cecil]

Alex,

Apparently this one is a tough one: yes, its a HAR-1 (I said that) ...... but what is its actual designation??

I did give a big hint: unique to the RAAF!! I'll go even further: unique to Airfield Construction Squadrons of the RAAF!

Mike C

[Mike K]

I recall seeing a AWM pic of a HAR in RAAF service , taken during WW2 . Or am I wrong again. I will try to find it. Mike

[Mike Cecil]

You're right, Mike: the HAR-1 was used in RAAF service from mid-WW2 until the early to mid-1960s, so you probably did see an AWM image of one during WW2 . They were used in a couple of configurations: a small number as tractors (also used in small numbers by Army in this configuration), but the majority as 'Truck, Heavy, Tipper'. This latter configuration was an Australian-made wooden tipper body with a steel floor, and an Australian hoist, hence my previous comment about them being unique to Australia. They equipped the Airfield Construction Sqns, and served in various overseas areas in the post-war period, including Iwakuni in Japan during the occupation. I don't know any other country that equipped their HAR-1s as tipper ('dump') trucks.

Mike C

[lynx42]

Mike C and Mike K you both know someone who used to drive these FWD's as tippers.

Alan Newton, one of the founding fathers of the Corowa Swim-In, was with the RAAF at East Sale in Victoria and drove the FWD HAR-1 Truck, Heavy, Tipper, during his time there. He has a few stories to tell about them.

I have one of these trucks, just a cab chassis without the tipper and a cab off another. Both cabs have markings from their RAAF days. They were/are a sandy colour with a black chassis.

Regards Rick.

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Alex,

Apparently this one is a tough one: yes, its a HAR-1 (I said that) ...... but what is its actual designation??

I did give a big hint: unique to the RAAF!! I'll go even further: unique to Airfield Construction Squadrons of the RAAF!

Mike C

Mike ..We may be splitting hairs here but HAR -1 was the designation model number...
The truck was a FWD..(Four Wheel Drive Company) and as a HAR-1 there were many ways to dress it up with options..same as the CCKW....GMC being the Maker and CCKW being the designated model number..
Got any beer you want to argue over..I'll come down..or you come for a visit to Ottawa..and we can have a great gather up with all the CMP and carrier junkies..around here..
Alex.
Entertainment Chairman.
ROTters of Ottawa.

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Alex,

Apparently this one is a tough one: yes, its a HAR-1 (I said that) ...... but what is its actual designation??

I did give a big hint: unique to the RAAF!! I'll go even further: unique to Airfield Construction Squadrons of the RAAF!

Mike C

Mike ..IF you mean..what were they used for..(but what is its actual designation??) I lost something in the translation from OZ to Canuck..but we use them in the RCAF in canada with Duals on them and with single wheels as Runway snow blowers..
Pretty sure we were still using them in Chatham New Brunswick when was posted there as a lad in .'63,...

HA HA!!!!
I was right..
They did have the FWD HAR 1's as snow blowers..along with Sicards and others ..But this is a list of artifacts that are going into a museum dedicated to the BCATP..(British Commonwealth Air Training Plan..
Here is the list of vehicles..

Vehicles - R.C.A.F. - 1940s
Staff car, Six-wheel-drive Crash Tender, Half ton truck, Ford airfield tractor, Jeep, Aircraft refueling tanker, FWD Airport Snow-blower and two RCAF military trucks. This collection will eventually be housed in our new Motor Transport building.
Check this out..
http://www.airmuseum.ca/bcatp.html
And if you want a good read on history read about the Canadian BCATP..
But The Canadian air training plan started in WW1 ,because we were out of harms way ..and the RAF was loosing trained pilots faster than they could train them ,...
The first World War set a precedent for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan ( B.C.A.T.P. ) in Canada. Fully two thirds of the 21,000 Canadians who served in Britain's air forces in the First World War entered through the RFC/RAF Canada, a recruiting and training organization established in Canada but controlled from London and commanded by a British officer.

We even trained the Americans to fly and had our Canadian flying training bases set up in Texas for winter flying..we were flying in Texas two years before the USA even got into WW1.
WE had tons of Americans flying in the RAF as Canadians than anyone could believe ..Quite a story..
We were instrumental in helping their people set up their own flying schools using our training packages,...
So Yes the Canadians did train the Americans how to fly combat starting back in 1916...
Enough of the bragging..
Visit the center in Manitoba,,
'Quite the place.

[motto (RIP)]

Another person who used FWD HAR 1s in service that most of us who go to Corowa will remember is Vic Phillips of Conargo.

I seem to remember him saying that they had big problems with failure of the diff centres. Despite the massive axle housing the crown wheel and pinion were just not up to the job and most of their trucks were immobilised due to lack of replacement parts when they were on the PNG north coast.

The Americans came to their aid and supplied them with 1-1/2 ton Chev 4x4s known in Australia as Yankee Joes. These worked very well and when it came time to move on they tried to take them with them. At this point the authorities stepped in and they ended up using the Chevs to push the unserviceable FWDs onto the barges and then abandoned the Chevs on the beach. The FWDs were on strength and the Chevs were not.

That was the story as I remember it anyway.

David

[Col Tigwell]

And then there are the USA trucks purchased by the RAAF second hand in the states to carry the mobile radar set up for 114 MRCU.

The trucks with the radar units ended up at Butterworth.

They were all repainted a dark green colour and the paint job was really great if the paint on my car was that good I would be happy.

Cannot recall what series they were but I remember my old SGT being sent to the USA to pick out the ones we would take and to buy parts to back them up.

They were perhaps disposed there as they were LHD there would have not been much market for them in 1969.

If I recall they were 6 x 6 but cannot recall the type.

Anyone know what they were

Regards

Col

[Mike Cecil]

Alex,

I think I was pretty specific about it being the truck's designation, rather than the manufacturer's model number. Call it what you like - designation, nomenclature, whatever - the point is the 'Truck, Heavy, Tipper' (the use of which was defined as a 'bulk load carrying vehicle with the ability to self-unload') built on an FWD HAR-1 was, as far as I know, unique to the RAAF. That was the point of the comments I made about the image posted.

Keep the beer cold: planning to make it that far east in 2014.

Mike C