4-wheel drive Maple Leaf truck

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Konstantin Chernov

This image is interesting because the truck is equipped with a body for transporting troops.

What is the wheelbase of this truck? Also 134"?

It is not a body for transporting troops. A "Stores lorry" means a truck to transport stores, or stock or e.g. mechanical spares or wireless equipment spares.

Going by Mike's post, this is a Maple Leaf model 16-40/E8 truck with 157-3/4" wheelbase and "special stores lorry body"

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

I have the 1940 GMH NASCO parts book. The front cover of the book states "SPECIALLY COMPILED FOR THE AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH MILITARY FORCES". The book is for sedans and trucks

1940 Maple Leaf was series 16 - diff ratio was 7.16 to 1
*snip*
1940 MAPLE LEAF
The Maple leaf model 16-40/E12 ... Chassis cab 157-3/4" wheelbase with special Office Lorry body
..............................16-40/E8 ...............................................wit h special stores lorry body
..............................16-40 /E6 ................................................wi th special breakdown vehicle body
The AWM have that pic incorrectly captioned, it's actually a Maple Leaf office lorry, not Chevrolet.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

This picture from a brochure - see the link in Mike Kelly's first posting - shows the same type of truck as in Konstantin’s photo.

It is labeled as an “office body unit”.

D229E18A-7107-439A-AEE4-930D539DB7CA.jpg

[Paul Singleton]

I believe that the four wheel drive components were supplied to General Motors by NAPCO, northwestern auto parts company. Marmon Herrington seems to be more associated with the Ford products.

[Mike Cecil]

Hanno,

Lorry/truck mounted office bodies were generally not equipped with an enclosed wire mesh screen on all sides, whereas stores bodies were. It appears the same base body was used for both.

Neither the 1939-40, nor the 1941 spare parts lists for the Maple Leaf Series 16 lorries list a driven front axle in the descriptions, nor is there an artillery tractor version listed. The data provides only a 'Rear Axle Ratio' listing and the parts lists shows a beam front axle.

The Aust Army Series 16 body styles listed were:
1939:

16-CC1 platform
16-CC2: platform with dropsides
16-CHT: Horse transport

1940: (16-40/E?) WB = 157.75 inches

E6: breakdown
E7: GS with canopy
E8 Stores
E12: Office

1941: (16-41/E?) WB = 159.25 inches

E7: GS with canopy
E8: Stores
E12: Office
E17: breakdown
E20: advanced dressing station
E21: Disinfector

The image shows the Commonwealth number plate C-6301. AWM126 shows this as a Chevrolet E8 Stores Lorry with Marmon Herrington FWD. It appears to be the only one, unless someone can find some more listed elsewhere! It's a new one on me, so very happy to be able to read the plate in the image. The opposite page shows 'bins not fitted' so an unbinned stores truck.

Mike

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Thanks Mike, so Konstantin's photo shows a 1940 or 1941 E8 Stores lorry. I was surprised to read it was fitted with Marmon Herrington FWD as they are normally associated with Ford vehicles as Paul said.

Now, we need to find more info about that elusive "Maple Leaf 4-wheel drive tractor with fixed sides body" shown at the top of this thread.

[Mike Cecil]

I agree with you, Hanno, that the MH-AWD is mostly associated with conversions to Fords. The Australian Government was buying the kits from the MH company from 1939 onwards, and having them installed by Ford Australia, mostly for the LP 1 to 7 and No.10 artillery tractors in 4x4 and 6x6. I've extracted all the artillery tractors I can find listed in AWM126, and their are no Chev/Maple Leaf modified conventional trucks among them unless I missed a whole bunch. (Always possible, of course - I missed C-6301!). The Bart V book image shows a very similar cab to the Australian Ford-MH LP series artillery tractors, which doctrine required have the open cab for observation purposes, whereas the GMH image shows a closed cab.

Maybe during the early stages of mechanisation in the late 1930s, the Aust Army experimented with both Ford and Chev/Maple Leaf conversions to AWD, which would fit with the 'Two Engine' Mechanisation Policy of the late 1930s, but then concentrated on Ford. Conjecture of course, as I've not found anything to support that theory, but it makes sense if you are seeking vehicles from just those two suppliers.

Mike

[Konstantin Chernov]

Thanks everyone for the info. I'm sorry for my bad English. Some things I don't understand. Is the body type "store" designed to carry various spare parts? Is the body type "office" designed for staff workers and equipped with benches and tables?
If I'm not mistaken, then in the photo below is a truck with an "office" type body. Why is there something like a dent in the upper part of the radiator mask? Is there an additional (oil) cooler installed there?