Wartime pictures wanted: CMP F15A

[Tony Wheeler]

The F15A was used extensively by Australian arty units and one of my favourite wartime pics is this attractive image at Joint Overseas Operational Training School Nelson's Bay NSW December '42. Plenty of Australian arty interest here, and the landing craft marked Ubique completes the scene. F15A is 6th Div and appears to be freshly painted in what I believe to be the high contrast disruptive scheme Vehicle Dark Green / Vehicle Light Grey specified in November '42. This scheme is rarely seen in wartime pics. Tyres look oversize to me, possibly desert tread..? Anyway it looks fabulous I reckon, would make for an excellent replica project.

Cab 12 FAT is ex-Middle East, probably 2/11 Fd Regt as this unit received a number of Chev Cab 12 FATs prior to departure for Australia in Feb 42, which appear to be the only Cab 12 FATs ever to reach Australia. They arrived in British desert scheme (Light Stone) and were subsequently reallocated and repainted, some of them evidently receiving the November '42 camo scheme also.

P02216.003 Dec. 42 Joint Overseas Operational Training School (JOOTS), at Nelson's Bay NSW - C.jpg P03113.002 Cairns, Qld. Probably 10th Australian Light Anti Aircraft Battery.jpg

[Keith Webb]

These seem to be a mix of Ford and Chev, mostly Chevrolet going by numbers of surviving vehicles.

Good photobomb attempt by the dog here.

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

These seem to be a mix of Ford and Chev, mostly Chevrolet going by numbers of surviving vehicles.

Plus of course there were Guys in the mix as well, presumably brought back by various other 6th and 7th Div arty units. Here's another example of the Nov '42 camo scheme seen on the F15A, with Dark Green very obvious on the front wheel. Not sure there's much point trying to push one of these through sand!

304846 HMAS ASSAULT, COMBINED OPERATIONS SCHOOL, PORT STEPHENS, NSW..jpg

[Tony Wheeler]

Getting back to the topic....

078604 BOUGAINVILLE 1945-01-24. HQ 7TH BRIGADE F15A BOGGED IN SAND ON BEACH ROAD. TOWING JAPAN.jpg

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Another picture by Alex, F15A entering Amsterdam on 8 May 1945.

Note the lack of the Allied white star on the door.

Ford F15A Amsterdam.jpg

[Alex van de Wetering]

Note the lack of the Allied white star on the door.

Also no Census number on the door.....even though I think the official instruction was to paint the census number on the drivers side and rear of vehicles(?).

The marking on the door would make it a troop leader of an Artillery unit.

https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/veh...ticalsigns.htm

Alex

p.s. also a 20cwt trailer can just be seen on the left

[Les Freathy]

Hi james

you could be right the location, looks very much like the village of Cranbrook in Kent
cheers
Les

[James Baxter]

Hi Les,

Thought it might be somewhere like that. As you know the Canadians were based all over Kent, Surrey and Sussex, and somewhere I have a short piece of film taken in about 1941 of a convoy of Canadian Bren carriers driving down my own village high street. It was an official film. Unfortunately with my recent moving to and from Africa, have managed to mislay it.

James

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Here's another picture of a Ford F15A in Holland. Note the 10-cwt trailer and recognition star painted on the cab roof and inside of roof hatch.

Census number CZ4285711, unit sign "68".

Picture credit: Public Archives Canada. Published in Kaufman/Horn: De Canadezen in Nederland 1944~1945. No details re. location, date, etc. printed.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Another Ford F15A in Holland. Typical scene right after the war ended: collaborators are rounded up and the Canadian soldier has found the push bike is a handy thing to carry on and in one's 15-cwt!

Census number is CZ4254984, unit sign shows "68".

Picture credit: Public Archives Canada.
Published in Kaufman/Horn: De Canadezen in Nederland 1944~1945.
No details re. location, date, etc. printed.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Some more F15A's in Holland, courtesy of http://www.beeldbankwo2.nl!

First one shows CZ4256001 of the Le Régiment de Maisonneuve at Groningen.

Image number: 124691
Collection: Oorlogs- en Verzetsmateriaal Groningen
Caption: In de Graaf Adolfstraat poseren twee Canadese militairen van Le Régiment de Maisonneuve en een jonge vrouw bij een militair voertuig.
Image Date: 15-04-1945 (Opname)

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Pair of F15A's at Leeuwarden.

Image number: 124622
Collection: Verzetsmuseum Friesland
Caption: Op 15 april 1945 werd Leeuwarden door de Canadese Strijdkrachten bevrijd. Het is zwart van de mensen wanneer ze de spoorwegovergang in de Schrans te Leeuwarden passeren. Links ziet men het seinhuis, met aan de andere kant van het spoor het gebouw waar later het kantoor van de Gemeentereiniging gevestigd was. Rechts kan men een stukje van het dak van het kaaspakhuis van de gebroeders Tamminga onderscheiden en tussen de spoorwegbomen het torentje van het voormalige Gemeentehuis van Leeuwarderadeel.
Image Date: 15-04-1945 (Opname)

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Another F15A at Leeuwarden, CZ42563...

First time I have seen an wheeled vehicle chalked up like this. Judging by the pictures available, this was done more often to tanks passing through all the small towns in Holland.

Image number: 120408
Collection: Verzetsmuseum Friesland
Caption: Op 15 april 1945 werd Leeuwarden door de Canadese Strijdkrachten bevrijd. Deze vrachtwagenchauffeur neem even de tijd om een sigaret te roken.
Image Date: 15-04-1945

[sapper740]

Here's an interesting picture of a modified F15A, taken, I assume at Camp Miowera, Queensland during the war. It has several interesting modifications, not the least of which are the cab roof, the German style black out lights on the fenders, the lack of front bumper and bush guard, as well as the front rim. Can any of our Aussie friends share any info regarding this picture?

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by sapper740

Here's an interesting picture of a modified F15A, taken, I assume at Camp Miowera, Queensland during the war. It has several interesting modifications, not the least of which are the cab roof, the German style black out lights on the fenders, the lack of front bumper and bush guard, as well as the front rim. Can any of our Aussie friends share any info regarding this picture?

Looks to me like a recaptured F15 taken in North Africa. I think they are German lights fitted aren't they?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

From www.beeldbankwo2.nl:

Beeldnummer: 72592
Collectie: Nederlands Instituut voor Oorlogsdocumentatie
Bijschrift: Bevrijding Amsterdam. Hotel Victoria.
Trefwoorden: Burgerbevolking; Canadese Strijdkrachten; Bevrijding; Intocht; Voertuigen
Geografie: Amsterdam; Nederland
Beeldsoort: Foto
Gewijzigd: 16-03-2001

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Two more pictures of 13 Cab 15-cwt's in Normandy. I can´t tell if these are Fords or Chevs, however.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Two more pictures of 13 Cab 15-cwt's in Normandy. I can´t tell if these are Fords or Chevs, however.

No idea if they are Ford or Chev, but the location is the city centre of Courseulles. The Parc with the wall next to it in the first picture, is now the parking lot in the centre of town.

Alex

[Ivor Ramsden]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Two more pictures of 13 Cab 15-cwt's in Normandy. I can´t tell if these are Fords or Chevs, however.

The shapeless thing on the left of the photo is a Morris-Commercial C9/B SP Bofors gun - a very rare thing to find in a photo. I'd like to see a clearer copy of the photo if possible, where is it from?

[Ray Mulder]

Originally Posted by sapper740

Here's an interesting picture of a modified F15A, taken, I assume at Camp Miowera, Queensland during the war. It has several interesting modifications, not the least of which are the cab roof, the German style black out lights on the fenders, the lack of front bumper and bush guard, as well as the front rim. Can any of our Aussie friends share any info regarding this picture?

I thought everyone might like to see Miowera Camp Site today. A bit of then and now!
Took pics beside Highway1 this afternoon 16/11/2009.
If anyone wants other shots of the area PM me.

[TCLARK]

In an old Dutch -Canadian book

[Hanno Spoelstra]

"Liberated POWs abandoned by the Japanese at Pegu and rescued by the advancing 14th Army queuing for new kit, 3 May 1945."

Look at the 15-cwt in the background, there are Dodge WC52's too.

Liberated POWs abandoned by the Japanese at Pegu and rescued by the advancing 14th Army queuing .jpg