Rare vehicles and unusual sightings in Dutch Liberation pictures

[Hanno Spoelstra]

You never cease to amaze me - thanks Alex!

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

FWD HAR-1 trucks. Actually when you start looking, they seem to appear in a lot of Dutch liberation pictures. It seems there was a unit moving around the country pulling smoke generator trailers.

Indeed, here are some more, gleaned from the thread FWD HAR-1.

The first one comes from Special: Van D-Day tot de Dam, the second one from INFANTERIE CANADIENNE - NIMEGUE / CALCAR [link to FB]. Both were taken during the Canadian advance across the Dutch/German border in the Nijmegen - Calcar area.

Like Ed says, they were used for towing smoke generators to lay smoke screens to conceal advancing troops.

ddaytotdam_fwd.jpg 12304473_1688945051351484_2226755795846927410_o.jpg

[Alex van de Wetering]

David, Ed, Hanno,

Thanks for your replies. Somehow, the FWD's with the smoke generators have managed to show up in a lot of pictures and period films!

Alex

[Alex van de Wetering]

More Campers and one Caravan

Picture1: Dodge D60L in Den Haag source: http://www.haagsebeeldbank.nl
Picture2: Dodge D60L (?) in Rotterdam (far right of picture) source: https://beeldbankwo2.nl/
Picture3: Ford F60L in Hoogland source: http://www.historischekringhoogland.nl/2015-1-1.html
Picture4: Makeshift Caravan in Groningen (just left of picture centre) source: http://beeldbankgroningen.nl/

[Alex van de Wetering]

It seems every soldier had a lot of "stuff" to move around in 1945......campers, caravans, roofracks, but also all sorts of trailers are seen in period pictures. Ever wondered what to do with half a CMP?

Picture 1 and 2: the rear end of a Chev, Ford or Dodge converted into a trailer. Amsterdam source: https://beeldbank.amsterdam.nl/

Picture 3 and 4: bit more difficult to see, but to me this looks like a front axle converted into a trailer behind this Bedford OY in Den Haag, source: http://www.haagsebeeldbank.nl

Picture 5: Bedford MWC water tanker converted to trailer? Arnhem 1945 source: https://beeldbankwo2.nl

[Alex van de Wetering]

Ex-German trailers in use by their new owners...

picture1 and 2; Sd sh51 trailer behind a carrier in Den Haag: Source: https://www.nederlandsfotomuseum.nl/
picture3; Sd sh51 trailer towed by a Fordson WOT2 in Den Haag: Source: https://www.nederlandsfotomuseum.nl/
picture4; German trailer towed by a Bedford MWD in Utrecht: Source:https://beeldbankwo2.nl
picture5; Same Irene Brigade Fordson as picture 3, but this time in Utrecht: Source:https://beeldbankwo2.nl

[Alex van de Wetering]

More ex-german trailers

picture1; Bedford ex-portee towing an ex-German trailer in Utrecht: Source:https://beeldbankwo2.nl
picture2; Renault UE trailer behind this Bedford QLB in Groningen source:http://beeldbankgroningen.nl/
picture3; tiny Infanteriekarren behind the Jeep in the far right of the picture taken in Nijmegen; https://beeldbankwo2.nl
picture4; Another infanteriekarren behind a Tilly in Eindhoven. Source:https://beeldbankwo2.nl
picture5; Unknown (to me)...presumably ex-German trailer in Amsterdam Source:https://www.nederlandsfotomuseum.nl/

[Alex van de Wetering]

Probably the best looking truck of WW2....the Karrier K6. Nowadays Karrier trucks are rare, but even in period, they weren't quite common.

picture1; Karrier K6 in Bolsward: Source:https://beeldbankwo2.nl
picture2; Karrier K6 in Leeuwarden source:https://beeldbankwo2.nl
picture3; Karrier K6 in Utrecht source:https://hetutrechtsarchief.nl
picture4; Karrier K6 with roof storage in Utrecht, the picture description says this is during "Operation Faust" Source:https://hetutrechtsarchief.nl
picture5; Karrier K6 in Weert Source:https://beeldbankwo2.nl

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

More ex-german trailers

picture1; Bedford ex-portee towing an ex-German trailer in Utrecht: Source:https://beeldbankwo2.nl

Utrecht Bedford Portee.jpg

John Rippingham is looking for this picture, but I cannot find it when I search for "bevrijding Utrecht" in the BeeldbankWO2.

I did find some other photos of it - I think it is the same truck with it's field modified cab:

https://beeldbankwo2.nl/nl/beelden/d...d-8162cc7f1850

https://beeldbankwo2.nl/nl/beelden/d...5-3168d2c182d0

And here is another Portee:
109671.jpg
Source: https://beeldbankwo2.nl/nl/beelden/d...c-71ae4a1c1579

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

It seems every soldier had a lot of "stuff" to move around in 1945......campers, caravans, roofracks, but also all sorts of trailers are seen in period pictures. Ever wondered what to do with half a CMP?

Picture 1 and 2: the rear end of a Chev, Ford or Dodge converted into a trailer. Amsterdam

This screenshot shows a similar conversion. Is it a 2B1 15-cwt body on the back half of a 15-cwt chassis? The wheels look larger. It is towed by a C15TA.

This picture was not taken in Holland, but during OPERATION GOLDFLAKE - the move of 1 Cdn Corps from Italy to North-West Europe, Feb-Mar 1945. So this trailer proably ended up in Holland.

screengrab 2.jpg

[David Dunlop]

Hanno.

It almost looks like tie rods under the axle assembly on that trailer. A salvaged front end, or perhaps even an artillery axle?

David

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

It almost looks like tie rods under the axle assembly on that trailer. A salvaged front end, or perhaps even an artillery axle?

David, well spotted!

It could indeed be a true "bitsa" made up from parts scrounged from the battlefield scrapheaps in Italy.

[Steve Guthrie]

A couple of interesting documents.
The first two are from 'Wait for the Wagon' by Arnold Warren. It's a history of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps. These excerpts explain why units made their own trailers

The next are parts of the Manifest for the 5th Canadian Armoured Brigade Workshop and list all the vehicles it shipped from Italy to France in February 1944. Lots of unregistered trailers and some rather interesting vehicles too

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Very interesting info!

Thanks a lot for sharing, Steve.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Steve Guthrie

The next are parts of the Manifest for the 5th Canadian Armoured Brigade Workshop and list all the vehicles it shipped from Italy to France in February 1944. Lots of unregistered trailers and some rather interesting vehicles too

More documents from Steve:

Here are a couple of really interesting documents from the 5th Canadian Armoured Brigade RCEME Workshop. They list vehicles (their own and other 1 Corps assets) which were sent from Italy to France in Feb 1945. Look at the number of types plus the number of unit built trailers, which did not have census numbers.

92014927_10157614644862025_8877448395808047104_o.jpg 92047489_10157614646812025_24250248641642496_o.jpg

92028465_10157614646797025_3349961245477306368_o.jpg 92074982_10157614646737025_2297603720046706688_o.jpg

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

It seems every soldier had a lot of "stuff" to move around in 1945......campers, caravans, roofracks, but also all sorts of trailers are seen in period pictures. Ever wondered what to do with half a CMP?

Picture 1 and 2: the rear end of a Chev, Ford or Dodge converted into a trailer.

Mike Calnan noted:

Really hard to make out the markings on this one. Most likely artillery based on the hat badge of the young fella with the big grin! Some Gunner units used the M3 Scout Car as a Battery Reconnaissance vehicle. They were also a good size for a FOO vehicle. Drop the trailer in the hide and then move to a position of observation.

To which Mark Tonner replied:

The vehicle belongs to one of the regiments of 1 Cdn AGRA, whose Arm of Service (AoS) serials were:
1 Cdn Med Regt - 181
2 Cdn Med Regt - 182
5 Cdn Med Regt - 180
11 Cdn Army Fd Regt - 184
all with a 2-inch white bar below
(Source: SD 4/Tpt/Veh Markings/5 - “Vehicle Serial Numbers CMF Units,” dated 7 April 1945)

----------------------------------------------------------------

And who knows, this could be the same White Scout plus makeshift trailer before the move from Italy to Holland?

large_NA_024751_1.jpg large_NA_024751_2.jpg
Source: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/i...ject/205538734

[Alex van de Wetering]

Steve, Hanno,

Thanks for adding these very interesting documents!!

Alex

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Note the rear body of this 15cwt has been extended and heightened. It tows a trailer frame which could be a dolly?

oorloginblik 00160490.jpg
Source: http://www.oorloginblik.nl/film/niod/2759771?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

Picture4: Makeshift Caravan in Groningen (just left of picture centre) source: http://beeldbankgroningen.nl/

Picture of the same column, viewed from the other side:

“Canadian Military Pattern F60 truck, towing a captured German trailer, with other vehicles at a crossroads in Northwest Europe, 9 April 1945. (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3205242)”

CBF5D812-72FC-4D61-951F-137525603FA8.jpeg