Otter LRC CM4647296 comes home

[Jordan Baker]

Hanno. I detailed the other wartime markings found on the Otter in previous posts. I’ve located the original hull number, WD number, Allied star on both sides, CMD number on the rear plate, 1st Infantry Division formation sign and Unit sign. There was also remains of the bridge signs. For Dutch service, there was the orange lion on a black circle,Dutch flag, partial Dutch number along with what I believe to be a string of text for the Military Police.

The paint layers reveal the original factory applied KG#3 with nearly matches US OD 34087. Hand applied SCC1a dark brown camouflage, then a complete overspray with what appears to be SCC15. Then another overspray with Dutch dark green. Some spots have a badly sprayed white and then a very heavy/thick coating of more green.

There was also a multitude of shop markings by Hamilton Bridge found ghosted in both white and yellow once the paint was removed.

To answer your question about being stripped by the Dutch. I believe it to be yes but to a point. As things have come apart I have found near mint KG#3 everywhere. The brighter more vivid Dutch green was found deep inside some assemblies. But once taken apart it was clear things were not completely broken down. An example would be the steering column. Factory is Gm gloss black for the shaft and the wire cover was KG#3. However my example shows the whole thing was over sprayed in white. Then in the engine compartment the steering box has been oversprayed in the Dutch green.

[Jordan Baker]

Thanks Rob for the explanation. Last night I ground out the torch cut and then welded it up. I turned my Mig up to the highest setting and it went very well.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Jordan Baker

Hanno. I detailed the other wartime markings found on the Otter in previous posts.

Thanks for the reminder Jordan - I wil go back and reread what you shared before.

Originally Posted by Jordan Baker

To answer your question about being stripped by the Dutch. I believe it to be yes but to a point. As things have come apart I have found near mint KG#3 everywhere. The brighter more vivid Dutch green was found deep inside some assemblies. But once taken apart it was clear things were not completely broken down. An example would be the steering column. Factory is Gm gloss black for the shaft and the wire cover was KG#3. However my example shows the whole thing was over sprayed in white. Then in the engine compartment the steering box has been oversprayed in the Dutch green.

As far as I can tell the rebuilding process in the Netherlands Army was quite artisanal in the late '40s/ early '50s. No systematic strip down repair and reassembly lines like the French had for the Willys, Ford and Hotchkiss Jeeps. So the result of each rebuild would vary.

2001_N0000282-04.jpg
Source: https://beeldbank.nimh.nl/foto-s/det...d-491b98f9e860

[Jordan Baker]

The needle gunning continues. Under a thick layer of paint I found what appears to have been a spot where something had been welded to the hull and then cut off. The location is directly below the drivers door. I’ve gone through all the Otter pictures I have and none of them have any brackets welded in that spot.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Under a thick layer of paint I found what appears to have been a spot where something had been welded to the hull and then cut off. The location is directly below the drivers door. I’ve gone through all the Otter pictures I have and none of them have any brackets welded in that spot.

Enlarged custom step maybe? Here is a picture of a Dutch Military police Otter with similar fittings......not exactly the same as yours, but also not the standard step.

Custom step.JPG
source: https://www.nationaalarchief.nl/onde...9e761e21314fe4

[Jordan Baker]

Alex, thanks for that picture. That step is definitely close to what the ground down welds look to be. When I needle gunned the other side of the uk the same marks were present. That confusing part is that the steps that are on the hull are the original factory ones. So I don’t understand here being another set of steps.


Tonight I attempted to remove the Dutch added spare wheel carrier blocks. These were torch cut heavy pieces of steel with a pile of weld. I spent the better part of an hour trying to cut them off with no luck.

[chris vickery]

Torch them out

[Jordan Baker]

After needle scaling the entire hull I found a few more interesting marks. The number 202 ground into the surface and what I believe is a hardness test on the armour plate.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Originally Posted by Jordan Baker

That confusing part is that the steps that are on the hull are the original factory ones. So I don’t understand here being another set of steps.

I agree Jordan; maybe it's more like an extension of the factory step. I was just looking at some of the pictures of Otters in Surinam in another thread, and it seems larger steps were not uncommon in post-war Dutch service.....they come in a variety of make-shift designs.