Chevrolet 1533X2 30-cwt trucks

[motto]

Bingo!

David

[Lynn Eades]

Yep! That settled that!
Are you happy Andrew?

[hrpearce]

Andrew, the black engine mount in your picture is the same as the mounts in my 47/48 Chev 1100.

[Lynn Eades]

I love that colour on the gearbox!

[Andrew H.]

Yes, I am very happy and want to thank you all again for being so helpful. I had previously spent a very long time trying to figure it out and you guys provided the answer very quickly. What a great forum!! The photos of Tommy's truck confirm what David, Lyn and others have said and I note in passing that the spring is attached to the underside of the cross member.

A small point about Tommy K's truck: It may be ex-NZ but almost certainly is not ex-LRDG, as none are known to have survived the war, except one earlier type in the Imperial War Museum. The truck shown appears to be the "India pattern" type of Chev and may have seen desert service as it has correct sand tyres but it has an un-cut grill and several other features that indicate it is not LRDG. But a great truck anyway!

[Stuart Kirkham]

Originally Posted by Andrew Honeyfield

Yes, I am very happy and want to thank you all again for being so helpful. I had previously spent a very long time trying to figure it out and you guys provided the answer very quickly. What a great forum!! The photos of Tommy's truck confirm what David, Lyn and others have said and I note in passing that the spring is attached to the underside of the cross member.

A small point about Tommy K's truck: It may be ex-NZ but almost certainly is not ex-LRDG, as none are known to have survived the war, except one earlier type in the Imperial War Museum. The truck shown appears to be the "India pattern" type of Chev and may have seen desert service as it has correct sand tyres but it has an un-cut grill and several other features that indicate it is not LRDG. But a great truck anyway!

Andrew

The truck shown in my photo was one of a number of these vehicle type modified by GM Holden Australia for the NZ forces in North Africa. Whilst in transit from the east coast of Australia to North Africa, it was decided that the vehicle was no longer required at it's intended destination. The NZ vehicles were therefore off loaded at Fremantle Port in Western Australia. As the truck never made it to North Africa, the 'in service' modifications you mention were never made.

Apparently the NZ vehicles were utilised around the Perth region by the Australian army for the remainder of the war until sold off as war surplus. The vehicle has a top coat of army green that has been hand/brush applied. I presume this would have been done by the Australian army as it covers up the vehicle number on the bonnet.

The farmer who owns the Chev stated that he purchased it directly from one of the disposal sales in the late 40's. It was here that he learnt of it's history. He also mentioned that there were other similar vehicles awaiting disposal. Although this truck did not see overseas service, it is a genuine ex NZ vehicle. This information was relayed to me by the farmer who purchased the vehicle. He is a very knowledgeable man and has a history of CMP acquisitions and preservation.

I have posted this photo taken of the vehicle number on the bonnet. The number is either '13855' or just '8355'. I can't tell if the mark in front of the 8 is a number 1 or just an anomaly in the paint application. The '1' appears to extend lower than the other numbers.

I am hoping that someone can confirm this number as being ex NZ.

[Andrew H.]

G'Day Tommy, I should make it clear that I am not an expert in LRDG matters and sincerely hope someone with much more knowledge will be able to give a more definitive answer on your truck. Your truck could have been intended for use by the NZ forces in North Africa without necessarily being an "an LRDG truck" or one intended for LRDG use. I have always understood that the LRDG Chevs were shipped directly from Canada to Egypt rather than from New Zealand, but I could be wrong. There does not seem much sense in shipping LRDG trucks from Canada to NZ and then to Egypt, especially considering that the LRDG was not specifically a NZ unit.

From the photo your truck appears to have the 4-inch wider front mudguards and wider front axle, which were features of the LRDG trucks. Does it have a creeper gear? I understand that was another factory-installed feature. However, the truck in the photo does not have the Godtfreidson rear ammo body (could have been removed) or the "star" pattern front hubs that are trademark features of the "art-deco" LRDG trucks. These features should be visible in your truck if it was intended for LRDG use. I think it also has the petrol tank and filler cap in the "wrong" place for a LRDG truck.

I understand that the other special modifications were made in the LRDG workshops in Cairo and would therefore not be present in your truck, including the cut-away grille slats, cut-away hip panels, the pto compressor, aero screens and the brackets for sand mats and sand channels etc. I am not sure whether the checker-plate flooring panels were installed in Canada or later in Egypt.