F15A project

[Bill Alexander]

Thanks all for the information. Sounds like it may have to be a fabrication.
Follow up question. These were an open hatch, eg with no hinged steel hatch cover, only a canvas one?
Hi Terry, It's my Dad that is doing the restoration. I am his "digital techi", he doesn't do computers. Unfortunately, we live 350 k apart. I will ask him about getting in touch with others.

[cletrac (RIP)]

The canvas hatch was used in North Africa on the Cab11 and Cab 12 trucks.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi David

I think a clearer statement could be made, canvas hatch covers were used in North Africa on some Patter 11 and 12.

I've reviewed many of the photos of North Africa that have been posted over the years on MLU and I can not find a sample, I do distinctly remember having seen a photo of improvised hatches with a canvas cover. Did find picture of a New Zealand Convoy with a Dodge in the foreground that appears to have a canvas hatch cover.

There most definite are examples of square hatches with the sun compass mounted on the roof, see below. There were a butch of color photos with Tan or Sand CMPs but non of them seem to have canvas hatches, though some canvas tops.

Did a quick search of the Australian War Memorial Archives search phrase North Africa, Truck, conflict WWII, which yields many photos in those that I looked at that clearly showed trucks with cabs the majority seemed to be solid tops with no hatch at all. But there are also a large number were the cab tops have been completely removed.

Interesting pictures to look through. Try a browse through http://www.awm.gov.au/search/collections/?mode=advanced

Like this one


Searching the Imperial War Museum yields similar results in looking at the first 20 pages not surprisingly most of the photos showing CMP or Canadian Vehicles have been posted on MLU at one time or another.


But back to Bills original question concerning the Round Hatch on Pattern 13, does any body know when that was introduced?

Bill I am also looking for my notes on the detail of round hatch unit and when I find them will try and post them. Likewise with pattern for the canvas cover that I have as a cad drawing but have never been able to figure out how to post.

Cheers Phil

[cletrac (RIP)]

Here's a Google Life picture from the western desert.

[Bill Alexander]

Thanks. To rephrase my question, was there a steel hatch cover, or only a canvas one?

[Grant Bowker]

Originally Posted by Bill Alexander

Thanks. To rephrase my question, was there a steel hatch cover, or only a canvas one?

The standard for the Cab 13 was a canvas cover. I believe I have seen a photo of a steel cover but also believe it was a field modification.

Link to a thread on possible hard cover for the hip ring. http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ighlight=cover

[Bill Alexander]

That is helpful Grant. I will pass the info along. Bob, your assistance / advice is welcome. I will put up images etc as the work progresses and update as it comes along.
Thanks.

[Bob Carriere]

You need to talk with Grant Bowker he is refitting one to his cab 13.

He just finished reproducing the large flat ring you showed in you picture.

Now working on the hip ring padding. Having a ring at hand to copy is imperative.......doing one is probably a weekends work if you do not drink to many beers.

I assume that your Dad is either 350 km West or North of you.

Your welcome to visit the barn to see what we are doing....... will have a burger and beer for you.

Bob

[Bill Alexander]

Hello Bob, Thanks. He is actually south-west.
Will keep your advice and invitation in mind and pass it on. (But you are about 400k the other way.)

[Bob Carriere]

What's a few KM once you get rolling.

There is a guy building a 2B1 box from scratch in the London area..... your Dad could get in touch with him.... it's all in networking.

Any new pictures /progress on the Furd F15a..?

Bob

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Phil Waterman

I think a clearer statement could be made, canvas hatch covers were used in North Africa on some Patter 11 and 12.

I've reviewed many of the photos of North Africa that have been posted over the years on MLU and I can not find a sample, I do distinctly remember having seen a photo of improvised hatches with a canvas cover.

That would be the thread Canvas-covered square roof hatch. These were retrofitted in North Africa, any sort of closed cab truck could be subjected to the treatment, including Cab 11 and Cab 12 CMPs which did not have a factory-fitted hatch.

But back to Bills original question concerning the Round Hatch on Pattern 13, does any body know when that was introduced?

The round hatch was a 1944/1945 production feature, the square one was fitted to most Cab 13's, but not all - what is hardly known is that the "cab with hatched roof was optional on all models"

HTH,
Hanno


Source: Interesting pic of CMP

[cletrac (RIP)]

Not all cab 13s had roof hatches. I have a 1945 C60 cab with no hole in the roof.
On that other thread Hanno pointed out, the 2A1 and 2B1 bodies had the holes in the box for the division boards. The Motley seats also used those hokes to bolt them in place.

[Bill Alexander]

The last parts truck also resulted in acquiring a square hatch.


Is this number researchable?

[Bob Carriere]

...fit that square hatch in the round hole...?


...and that last time I saw that number.... the guy was doing 10 to 20 in Kingston.


On a more serious note...... the inside rib reinforcement for the roof should be different for the round hole than the square hatch. You may be able to salvage some of the ribbing inside the back wall of the cab to repro the inside of the roof reinforcement.

Should keep your Dad busy for a while.

Bob C