Ford GPA

[Hanno Spoelstra]

First time I see a GPA in RAF service!

TAF/84 denotes No 84 Group, they were attached to 1 Canadian Army. They must have picked up the GPA somewhere as they went along as I cannot imagine they were issued one officially.

"Ford GPA 'RAF 143054' of the Tactical Air Force in The Hague, The Netherlands, 8 May 1945"

HGA001321157.jpg
Vervaardiger: Bijleveld, R.Th.
Identificatienr. HGA001321157
Datering: ex. 8-5-1945
Source: https://haagsgemeentearchief.nl/medi...9-7b1735241da9

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Cross reference to Vehicle Census Numbers: Ford GPA?

[Ian Grieve]

Would that be May 8, or August 5?

Possibly a Victory/Celebration Parade?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Ian Grieve

Would that be May 8, or August 5?

Possibly a Victory/Celebration Parade?

8th of May as I wrote. On that day the Western part of the Netherlands was liberated. The German army had laid down their arms and all sort of Allied units drove into their territory to show the population they were liberated from their oppressors and to reinstate civil government.

[Mike K]

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/a...%20jeep%20sale

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/a...%20jeep%20sale

Sydney's first civilian amphibious jeep took the water In Rose Bay this week. The owner, Mr. John Crouch, a
Sydney motor salesman, drove it Into the Harbor from a bus stop. Mr. Crouch's jeep, named the Cygnet, does 8
miles an hour In water, up to AS on land. Steering wheel works the rudder. Mr. Crouch bought the Cygnet at
a Melbourne Disposals Commisuloin sale, will use it just fer fun. Top picture shows: Wheels were switched 'IT,
rudder, which works automatically with the steering on land, took charge, the propellor turned, and the jeep
cruised off at a steady seven knots nut into the deep., l^iwer Picture; Harbor cruise uver. the jeep returned to
land, running up to the roadway at Rose Bay. The children stood hy and wondered what they'll he doing neit.

[Mike K]

Deniliquin in NSW is where a bunch of surplus GPAs were bought and many were chopped and sold to farmers . This newspaper report indicates they held a rally at Deniliquin , beating Corowa by many years. And a GPA in flood rescue work Brisbane post war.

[Mike K]

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[Mike K]

GPA sales.......................

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

Deniliquin in NSW is where a bunch of surplus GPAs were bought and many were chopped and sold to farmers . This newspaper report indicates they held a rally at Deniliquin , beating Corowa by many years. And a GPA in flood rescue work Brisbane post war.

Hello Mike, interesting newspaper clippings.

Do you know how many GPAs were supplied to the Australian DoD?

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Hello Mike, interesting newspaper clippings.

Do you know how many GPAs were supplied to the Australian DoD?

Hanno

Not sure myself, the figure is pretty well published .Us attendees at the first or second Corowa were given a little booklet that outlined the GPA history in Australia, still have my copy.

I do recall speaking to an old chap on the phone , he was at Deniliquin and he had a WOt2 I was interested in buying. Anyway, he told me about his adventures driving GPA's from Bandiana to Deniliquin just after the war, he said a business had purchased a large bulk lot of GPA's and he drove many of them . Most of these Deniliquin GPAs had the bow chopped off and were sold to farmers as farm hacks