New to me C60L's

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

on the bottom layer of brownish paint is the number 4004, it is stencilled on and done very well, quite thick, it is possible that there are numbers before the first number 4 but there is no room for anything after the last number 4. Could this be a Indian registration number?

Very likely IMO Ken, as I happen to believe your vehicle is ex-Indian Army. If that's true, then you've found the last 4 digits of the rego. The later Indian numbering system comprised the DoD broad arrow followed by two small digits, followed by 4 large digits (ie. 4004 in your case). Try rubbing back the upper area of the doors, you may find the entire Indian registration number. Also the bumper bar, on the RH end or in the centre. These are the usual locations for Indian registration numbers, however I've also seen them on the front shell occasionally.

It's my belief that quite a few ex-Indian Army CMPs found their way to Australia, probably including my own first blitz pictured below in 1973, and a number of late production FGTs identified in Australia recently. I have a couple of theories as to how this may have occurred, one of them being ex-BCOF vehicles, acquired in Japan when other forces departed. BCOF initially comprised Australian, British, Indian, and NZ forces, but by late '48 only Australia remained, and it appears they inherited quite a few foreign CMPs left behind, which can be seen amongst their own Australian built CMPs. Some of these went on to the Korean war in 1950, many of which would have returned to Australia following armistice in '53, while those remaining in Japan would have returned with the BCOF, which finished up in '52. That would tie in with your post war Northern Command service records, which BTW have also been found under two FGT8 bonnets, formerly NT Force vehicles.

I'll dig up some photos to illustrate the above possibility. I'm very much hoping you find Indian Army rego on this vehicle, as proof positive they exist in Australia.

tonyblitz 104.jpg

[Tony Wheeler]

Check out this one Ken - does the 7775 on the front shell reflect your 4004 placement?

Sea of Japan, 1950-09-28. Members of the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR), sit and stand on top of military trucks on the deck of the United States troopship Aiken Victory which is transporting the battalion from Kure in Japan to Pusan and the war in Korea.


P01813.874.jpg

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Tony Wheeler

Check out this one Ken - does the 7775 on the front shell reflect your 4004 placement?

Sea of Japan, 1950-09-28. Members of the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR), sit and stand on top of military trucks on the deck of the United States troopship Aiken Victory which is transporting the battalion from Kure in Japan to Pusan and the war in Korea.


Attachment 69350

Good day,
I gave my Indian C60L a wipe over the rubbed back ARN today with my leather work glove, the rough glove seemed to shift the little bits of paint that have flaked since I polished it a couple of years ago.

In really good sunshine and with the angle I was looking at it the original registration number stood out very clearly, it is 501004. No photo as I had to look across the paint to read it. The Indian registration is on twice including on the original paint. There is no vertical arrow prefix, nor is there room for one on the second level of paint. I can't see the beginning of the first original registration, some of the Korean War pictures I have seen in the 6 digit series don't have the arrow.

I am searching the 4500 BCOF photos on the AWM site, no useful registration numbers yet. I have done the AWM Korean war ones and the closest I can get are registration numbers 497775, 497749, 497740, 497592, 483785, 463833. I am confident that my truck was in the Indian Army, as my numbers are the same style as the photos on the AWM.
If anyone spots a 5***** registration number on a Indian vehicle I would be interested in seeing it.

Cheers Ken

[Ken Smith]

I just found a photo of a wrecked BCOF, Chevrolet CMP based bus with the Indian Army registration; vertical arrow small 50 large 2733, so 502733.

The photo is one of several showing the bus, sadly the Australian soldier driving the bus died.

The photo number 147301 is on the AWM site. I don't know how to do links.

Ken

[Keith Webb]

Here it is for you.

[Ken Smith]

Thanks Keith, that was very good of you to put the picture on.

Now to work out how these Indian trucks got to Japan. In my research I have discovered that the Indian Army was part of the BCOF for a couple of years.
Were the trucks delivered straight to Japan or did they go to India first? Some of course then went from Japan to Korea in 1950 with the Australian Army ,which we have photographic evidence of, from the AWM.
It would appear that the trucks were left in Japan after the Indian Army departed Japan in 1947/48.
Gifted, sold to the Australian Government?

Ken

[Ken Smith]

I bought this spare tyre carrier yesterday. I am hoping it is the correct Canadian carrier for a 20 inch tyre on my Indian C60L.

This is all I have. I searched for a picture of what goes on the opposite end to the little ramp to stop the tyre rolling off.

Would someone have a picture of the opposite side?

One picture I saw shows brackets that lift the carrier up above the chassis, similar to Australian brackets but with pressed in strengthening dimples.Canadian spare tyre carrier.JPG

Canadian spare tyre carrier 2.JPG

Ken

[Tony Wheeler]

Hi Ken, I've just caught up with your posts from 5 years ago! Congrats on finally detecting the Indian Army registration number. I checked my BCOF and BCFK photos for similar numbers but only found the same ones you did already. They're mostly in the 497xxx range and are all Canadian built vehicles, ie. steel bodied. This is unusual for Indian Army vehicles which normally had local pattern bodies like Australia, except they never progressed from timber to steel. I found an IWM photo of what looks like 501303 in Sumatra with the usual late production Indian Pattern timber body. I believe your 501004 was identical originally and remained so until disposal in 1956, with a standard Australian spare wheel carrier / toolbox unit fitted in service. These were fitted to Canadian built C60L too, as in the photo below.


P01813.614 Canadian built C60L 3RAR Korea circa Oct 1950.JPG


The_Allied_Occupation_of_Sumatra_SE7515.jpg

[Ken Smith]

Tony, that Sumatra photo is good, I have never seen it before. I blew it up as far as possible and it definitely looks like 501303.
I did start checking Indian Army pictures again last night coincidently.