WW2 Photos

[cliff]

great photos thanks for sharing.

[Dinty]

G'day All, I have to agree, great shots there Justin, and if you get the opportunity to read the book 'Convoys Up The Track' it is an excellent book cheers mate Dennis

[jim sewell]

This truck has an American cab similar to the lend lease chev,s that came to Aust during the war but this is the first I have seen with with the big single tyres 10.50x 18 , the tray is the std tray that was fitted to GMC Chev Studebaker etc.
The front bumper is also different from the Aust built cab.

I wonder if the wheels were fitted for local ( Aust ) conditions.
Good pic,s .

Regards
Jim S.

[Justin Pollard]

Hello all,Thanks for the positive comments,I,ll track down a copy of Convoys up the track.sounds very interesting!.Poppa used to tell me some good storys about his trip to Darwin.

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by jim sewell

This truck has an American cab similar to the lend lease chev,s that came to Aust during the war but this is the first I have seen with with the big single tyres 10.50x 18 , the tray is the std tray that was fitted to GMC Chev Studebaker etc.
The front bumper is also different from the Aust built cab.

I wonder if the wheels were fitted for local ( Aust ) conditions.
Good pic,s .

Regards
Jim S.

That truck in pic 1 and 2 is not an American built one, but a Canadian GM 1543 MCP 4x2. Tray body is also Canadian built, possibly by Brantford Coach and Body, and the 10.50-18 tyres are factory stock to WD specs.

(PS: MC welcome to MLU!)

[jim sewell]

Thanks for the info Tony , I was not familiar with the Canadian version of the Chev 4x2 as I had seen a number of the Australian built Chev's with the big tyres.
Regards
Jim S.

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by jim sewell

Thanks for the info Tony , I was not familiar with the Canadian version of the Chev 4x2 as I had seen a number of the Australian built Chev's with the big tyres.
Regards
Jim S.

Even the "Australian Built" ones were Canadian built with local Holden Cabs.

[Lang]

The way the vehicles are tied down brings back memories. When I was a kid in the 60's I drove a semi trailer interstate for a couple of years and often went across the Nullarbor Plain on the "truck train". The highway was just too rough with about 1,000 miles of dirt and the trucks did 36 hours from Port Augusta, South Australia to Kalgoorlie, Western Australia on a special train.

Even at that time with the trucks weighing up to 40 tons they used plain old sisal rope twisted with bush sticks as can be seen in the top photo above. I suppose it was quick and they never lost a truck so why change? If you see a truck on a train now it has 3 ton ratchet straps all over it plus about 6 chains.

Lang