15-CWT, 2K1, WIRE 5 Body Details

[Robert Bergeron]

Gents,

I have had very nice conversations with fellow enthousiasts on the content of the box. Members like Gord Falk, Jon Skagfeld and Bruce Parker have all pitched in.



But to make a long story short , i would like the ''box '' to be historicly correct .

There are two versions to this story , so it seems : One 2K1 box version with two Johnson Chorehorses each producing 12 V. and another with a Onan 110 V generator on the bottom of the ''fridge '' or generator compatment and a Chorehorse producing 12 V .on the middle shelf. The one with the Onan would be for the High Power version of the 19 Wireless radio and the other for the regular 19 or two of them..

Apart from the radios and the generators , there are antennae, masts, headsets , wire , remote radios telephones and galore Signals equipment.

My guess is that inside the ''fridge'' compatment the upper shelf was occupied with spare parts and tools for the generators .

Does anyone have experience with this truck or knowledge of its use on this forum ? I know it's has been a long time since 1944 , but ... never know because they were used post-war..

Any camouflage nets , other special equipment ? Where for example did the map table fitted to the front outside of the box was to go in case of need ?

Was a penthouse tent really fitted to the outside ? With the tent fitted , did it ever saw use as a command post ? I have seen that use with CUCV trucks at company and Battalion level.

What was the routine around the operation of this unit ?

Anyone ?

Thanks, cheers .





Robert

[David Dunlop]

Robert.

Been watching your restoration with interest. An extremely fascinating CMP to restore, but in it's own way, very complex to do correctly when you consider all the specialized equipment needed to kit it out. I started one back in the early 1980,s and it took me seven years just to find all the bits I needed. Ended up three parts short before selling the lot to Don Perry in Edmonton and he was able to complete a fantastic restoration.

Your info is correct regarding two possible versions of this vehicle. Wilson Truck built all the bodies to a standard that the Army could kit out either with two chore horses (lower fixed and upper portable), or with one chore horse in the upper portable position and the lower spot occupied by a fixed 110 volt Onan. Somewhere in my files I have the model for the Onan. The dual chore horse setup was by far the most common configuration. Hense, when you look at the wiring diagram inside the lid of the panel box on the upper front right wall, the Onan circuitry is outlined with a dashed line as being optional. The 110 cable from the generator compartment to the front right corner of the wireless desk was there, but not used if dual chore horses were in use.

If the Onan was installed, the layout of its exhaust came very close to some of the internal wiring inside the gen box. To protect this wiring, a curved metal shroud came with the Onan, along with a spring loaded storage bracket and a small white warning decal with a red border and printing that explained how the shroud was to be installed when the Onan was operating. This bracket was mounted on the side of the gen box, in the upper right corner above the mounts for the two rifles.

As for the desk assembly. It was stored, as you noted in the brackets at the front end of the box. In use, it mounted on the left side of the body, below the Cipher Clerks window. Two large holes support the round hooks on the rear end of the desk frame and above them are a set of keyholes the side chains for the desk hook into. By the way, the Cipher Clerks window screen has a spring loaded mailbox flap fastened to the middle of it. This allows the Cipher Clerk to receive outgoing messages and deliver incoming messages when the penthouses on either side of the body are in use. Saves time running back and forth. The Cipher Clerks window is the left side rear.

By the way, when painting the interior, all of the inside of the gen box is the same colour as the exterior of the vehicle, including the two safety screens. The inside of the rear door is also the same colour as the exterior (as are the two blackout switches for the rear door and the gen box door). Lastly, all window frames inside, including the blackout curtain assemblies are also the exterior colour. The blackout curtain fabric is black.

Hope this helps a bit. Keep up the good work.

David

[Robert Bergeron]

Thank- you very much David, very helpfull advice and knowledge.

Robert

[David Dunlop]

These things can be a bit of a challenge since the longer the vehicles were in service, the more variations in wireless equipment they were likely to carry and the more different mounts installed.

Originally, with a 19-Set on board, the left side (driver side) chimney mounted the A-Set Mount No. 8. The middle chimney was blank and the right chimney took the B-Set Mount No. 9. This makes perfect sense when you consider the vast majority of these vehicles went overseas. This orientation places the longest aerial closest to the centre of any road the vehicle travels, minimizing problems with any overhanging trees.

The middle chimney which was usually blank, could be used as required to mount the Base Plate, Vehicle Roof from the Antennae, Vertical, 34' Steel Mk I Kit. This plate allowed the 20 ' Mast to be installed on the roof of the wireless box and fully extended to nearly match the fully extended 34 ' mast mounted on the ground. This created a very tall horizontal aerial arrangement.


David