1942 Australian 12 cwt Chevrolet Ute - Help!

[Mike Cecil]

Hanno,

It is a nice looking and well finished vehicle, but with due respect to the efforts of the restorer, I have to question the claims made in the advert, and hope prospective buyers do their own investigations into the authenticity of this vehicle.

At a glance, there are a number of problems with the vehicle and the claims made for it, particularly the finish and markings:

'Forest green being the home service colour of 1944' is not correct for an Australian vehicle, and neither is a gloss finish for the purported period (1944). The Australian Army did not commence to finish vehicles in Deep Bronze Green gloss finish until 1945, and then only for rear areas and where a vehicle actually needed to be repainted.'Forest Green' has never, to my knowledge, been an Australian Military colour.

The Army registration number '78342' was not issued until 1952, being part of a block of numbers unused until that date, and was never issued to a wartime Chevrolet ute. It was issued to an International 3/4 ton CL cargo vehicle, 4x2, of 1952 manufacture, which was written off by Tasmania Central Ordnance Depot in 1959.

The Formation marking is indeed the 9th Australian Infantry Division, which was initially raised in the Middle East from a nucleus of AIF troops from the UK. I've never seen the 9th referred to as the 'Western Australian' division, nor any of the other 4 AIF Divisions raised during the Second World War (6th, 7th, 8th and 1st Armd). By 1944, 9th Aust Inf Div was equipped as a Jungle Division, with everything that entails for transport and equipment.

The Unit sign is that of the 2/7th Australian Field Artillery Regiment, the design of the sign dating from mid-1944 (unit designation as the numerator over unit type as the denominator). By that stage, the Unit was equipped with Trucks, 1/4 ton and trailers, Tractors Artillery - both full tracked and Tractors, Artillery Aust No.8 & 9, and for logistics support, Trucks, 2 1/2 ton GMC. The unit was not equipped with modified conventional 4x2 utilities, nor had it been since converting to Jungle War Equipment Tables (WET(J)) around the beginning of 1943. Indeed, even in the latter stages of service in the Middle East, the unit had been re-equipped with CMP tractors and support vehicles, and had returned their earlier Modified Conventional vehicles to Ordnance Vehicle Parks.

By 1944 when it is purported that this vehicle was taken on charge by the Australian Army, the Army were disposing of 4x2 vehicles, having in stock more modified conventional vehicles than they wanted or needed. Many languished in Ordnance Vehicle Parks, unissued. The Army's shortage was in tactical all wheel drive trucks of all sizes, and that was what was being purchased - not modified conventional 15 cwt Chev utes (correctly and officially, 'Van, 15 cwt, GS, (Aust)').

In fact, the 1944 Army vehicle list shows only three production years of 15cwt Chevrolets in service: the Model 13/39 (1939), 13/40 (1940) and 13/41 (1941), any other Chevrolet models in that size class having been declared obsolete. The '13' of course indicates a Canadian manufactured vehicle of 115 inch wheel base.

I think I may have seen this ute featured in CMV magazine, and wondered at the claims made for it then.

Mike C

[Euan McDonald]

Another for sale,
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/belai...ute/1019143411

no connection.

[Ian McCallum]

Apologies, bit more info on my ute. This vehicle was found on a farm near Kukerin, Dumbleyung, Western Australia in 1994, still painted military green. The farm owner had inherited it as a derelict wreck when he purchased the farm some 20 years previous and was quite happy to sell the vehicle when approached and was eventually restored in a post-war civilian finish by Peter Meulenbroek of Katanning, Western Australia, prior to being purchased by myself in late 2006 and shipped to the UK.

During the restoration Peter determined to chrome the grill and bumper plus grill/hood embelishments. As such a good job had been done it was determined to leave some of the 'brightwork, hence home service colour of '45. As the ute had probably never left WA I determined to use the 2/7 Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery markings as it was a local Western Australia unit, disbanded I believe in 1946, and part of 9th. Div. Hood number is fictitious as I could find no info other than utes in service as shown in the photos.

Ian

[jack neville]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

'Forest green being the home service colour of 1944' is not correct for an Australian vehicle, and neither is a gloss finish for the purported period (1944). The Australian Army did not commence to finish vehicles in Deep Bronze Green gloss finish until 1945, and then only for rear areas and where a vehicle actually needed to be repainted.'Forest Green' has never, to my knowledge, been an Australian Military colour.

I'm interested in the dark green color Mike. The 39 Ford 1 ton ute I am restoring had several layers of various green and red paint on it but the original factory color was the dark green. I wondered about re sprays but under the firewall insulation was the best example of original paint and it surprised me that it was a dark green and actually looked like it had possibly been a gloss finish. I wondered what the civvy factory colors were coming off the Ford assembly line at the time. It is a roadster cab so not an impressed vehicle.

[Mike Cecil]

Jack,

The dark green you refer to was the 'pre-mobilisation' colour. It was a dark gloss/satin green, and deliveries to the AMF in 39 and 40 were in this colour. It was not Forest Green, but a dark green akin to the post-WW2 Deep Bronze Green gloss. Hence, it is entirely probably that your 1939 roadster was originally painted in this colour and with the pre-mobilization type of unit markings on the doors.

2/7Fd Regt was formed from recruits from both Western Australia (14 Bty) and South Australia (13 Bty and RHQ), the majority being South Australians.

Mike C

[jack neville]

Thanks Mike. I haven't touched the doors as yet so I can rub back and look for markings. What could I expect to find?

[Mike Cecil]

Typical would be the vehicle Defence Dept type and number (like V25 etc), and a unit patch and abbreviated unit name like '12 Fd Regt' or similar.

What is the chassis number? There were so few Battery Staff Utes from 1939, there is a chance I may have made a note of it against its Commonwealth registration number. You might be lucky!

Mike C

[Edward Sayer]

Ian's Ute is up for sale again on car and Classic

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1410001

Always loved these utes .
Does anyone have any info on military contracts?
I have seen pictures of these used in North Africa, were these purchase by the British, or were they all Australian contracts ?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Edward Sayer

Ian's Ute is up for sale again on car and Classic

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1410001

What ho! I see it is located in the Hague, close to where I live - didn't know that. Note it has had an engine overhaul.

Price £37,500 Or near offer
Ad Type For Sale
Category Classic Cars
Make Chevrolet
Holden Ute
Year 1944
Mileage 500 Kilometers
Country Netherlands
Town Den Haag
Telephone +31 6 15554203
Status Private
14-Dec-2021
Ref C1410001
Background and History - Chevrolet Holden Ute

This Maple Leaf Chevrolet 15cwt Ute has led an interesting life. It was built at the General Motors car plant in Oshawa, Canada, as a model 1311 – ½-ton light commercial vehicle – serial number 1734. It was produced as a flat-bonnet chassis complete with axles and transmission.

The original 216, straight-six 3540cc OHV engine, rated at 236hp at 3300 rpm, was individually crated with the wheels and hood removed for easy shipment. This Chevrolet was sent to the GM Holden factory in Perth, Western Australia, where it was sent to another plant.

Here it was reassembled and fitted with a one-piece body (replacing the original bulkhead panel) built at Holden's Woodville factory in Adelaide, South Australia. It is believed less than 1000 were produced between 1942 and 1945 and my Ute still has the original brass data plate mounted in the engine compartment stating it was number 822. The rare military dash also survived intact, which is extremely rare. Although the vehicle is popularly referred to as a Ute, the Official Australian Army labels it as a 15cwt GS (General Service) van.

The original spec includes a three-speed manual 'crash' (non-syncro) gearbox with a reverse gear, hydraulic drum brakes all round, a six-volt electrical system and a 16-gallon fuel tank, good for a range of approximately 360km/ 224 miles.

The electrics were updated to a 12volt system in 2021, but I still have the original 6volt army generator and the 6volt starter motor is still in use. Unfortunately there is no information on the actual track record of the Ute and the earliest known history is that it was discovered on a sheep farm near Kukerin, Dumbleyung, Western Australia, in 1994, still with its military green lacquer, heavily patinated and a little rough around the edges - see photo.

The ute was restored in 2001 in a civilian guise, complete with cream paint and shiny chrome hubcaps and front bumper, which actually complemented that beautiful 'Waterfall' grille - see photo. When the Ute arrived in the UK in 2006 it was an excellent example indeed, but it was decided the cream paintwork should go, but it would be almost sacrilege to paint over the extremely well preserved grille and bumper.

Being of the late war, the previous owners decided to return Matilda, as it was affectionately known, to a brilliant glossy forest green from 1945/ 1946. The Ute's Military Markings are fictitious and did not exist in 1944. The Ute also comes with a variety of original military items from 1944; Jerry cans, tools, hand pumps etc
Work completed by Kona Classic - The Hague from December 2020 to August 2021:

Full rebuild of original 216 engine - matching numbers engine
New 12 volt generator and 12 volt lamps
New electric start
New electric fuse box
New electric fuel pump primer
New Old Stock Indicator - late 1940s
New Old Stock Trico Fan with original tags
New White Wall Tyres
Plenty of spare parts

This is a very rare vehicle produced by Chevrolet & Holden Australia and I could safely say, probably the only one in Europe, so please no silly bids/ offers. Do your research... If you're serious, I'll be happy to answer any of your questions.

1944-chevrolet-holden-ute-61b8f4166d514.jpg 1944-chevrolet-holden-ute-61b8f4166ca41.jpg 1944-chevrolet-holden-ute-61b8f4166e8d4.jpg 1944-chevrolet-holden-ute-61b8f4166f27f.jpg