Morris-Commercial C8 Gun Tractor body id please?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Rob van Meel

At long last, as I recently got the Morris-Commercial back after a long absence: photographs of the rear end

Hello Rob,

Great to see your truck has come out of its hiding place!
Can you tell us a little more about its history?

Thanks,
Hanno

[Rob van Meel]

One year at the IMPS show at Beltring, I spotted a Morris-Commercial C8-AT for sale. Regrettably my sales over that weekend did not enable me to make an offer. but sombody had been harassing the seller as to the price and the exchange rate. Eventually David Bellhouse came over and we had a talk. He mentioned his bottom price and with the exchange of some money as a downpayment, the Morris was mine. We agreed on one year to make the rest of the payments. But as September approached, I found the money and we went to the UK to collect the ex-portee.

On the way back, from the ferry to the Netherlands, one of the oil pipe gave way and we stranded in Zuid-Beveland. After trailering the ex-portee home to Tilburg she got fixed, and come September and the Arnhem commemorations, off we went.
After nightfall, on arrival in Oosterbeek we parked outside the Schoonoord. When we walked towards that bar, a Arnhem veteran 'speeded' out and stated: "That is a Morris!" Afterwards we were told that just hearing the engine, he left his wife and fellow 2 Airlanding (Oban) AT Bty member inside and went to look for this Morris. He had clearly recognised the unique (?) noises of an ex-portee!

Anyway back to my Morris: David Bellhouse tells all about it in a MVCG newsletter on how he bought her, got her taxed and driving and on to Normany. In Bayeux he painted the outside in a more WW2 matt colour, than the post war gloss dark green she came in.

Morris C8-At (ex-portee) chassis number 1961 C8AT 7648
David Bellhouse bought the Morris in 1988, and she came with a taks disc dated 1953. History when he bought her was as follows: built in 1941, converted in 1943 when the 2-pndr anti-tank gun became obsolete by REME (?). Sold off by the MOD (?) in 1946 to a major sea-brook from Lams Green near Horsham. In 1997 David decided to sell the old lady, where my story starts.
In 1997 I got her to the Netherlands, cleaned up some loose ends, and took her to Arnhem for five years running. My divorce found the Morris then in somebody's elses shed. It took until this year that we could work something out, but the keeper proved himself to be a real gentleman.
Now for the future: do a decent paint job, but what colour? I guess I could go for a mid-war green. New tyres probably and some maintenance and inspection on brakes and electrics, and an awful lot of those little jobs, and we hope to have her ready by August 2017.

[Chris Collins]

My understanding, D-day amd Market garden the Morris C8 (most likely the modified Portee versions) was the tractor used for the 17 pounders, while Varsity 6th airborne used Dodge WC. (from "Go to it: a history of 6th Airborne division")

could this be immediately post war? They were given 25 pounders in palestine, and perhaps used them in Indonesia?

Mike, i saw two very sad looking C8s when picking up my Tilly, where are the other ones?

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Chris Collins

Mike, i saw two very sad looking C8s when picking up my Tilly, where are the other ones?

yes ..... .............

Sorry ..two were owned by a VMVC member in Melbourne , A. Browne , he had plans but eventually sold them to Bruce Wiltshire ? some years ago . I helped move one of them to Yarra Glen . Andrew had found a NOS engine and a few bits at Hughes Coburg , Hughes had bought the surplus C8's and sold them after the war . Bruce drove down and picked them up ..so they ended up in Southern NSW . I have a detailed official drawing of the C8 Portee, Rob Van Meel kindly posted it to me years ago !

Just remembered . Another C8 2 Pounder portee was in Kilmore wreckers , it was upside down in the grass , we stopped and took a pic of it . I think it was scrapped and off to China . The owner of the yard was a well known alcoholic and not to be messed with !

[Rob van Meel]

Is it possible to scan me the page with the Dodge reference from the 6th airborne division book, please?

In the meantime some more details on the Morris-Commercials at 'Arnhem":

In total four troops of four 17-pndrs. each went to ‘Arnhem’. Transport for the Morris-Commercial C8-AT and the 17-pndr QF Anti-tank guns was by Hamilcar gliders flying from Tarrant Rushton. Tow aircraft were all Halifax serving with RAF 298 and 644 squadron.

On September 17, 1st Airlanding A/T Bty took D and P Troop (four 17-pounder AT guns each) in the following eight Hamilcar gliders with allocated chalk numbers 314 to and incl. 321.

On September 18, 2 A/T Bty (Oban) (4th Airlanding Brigade) took F and X troop (also 17-pndr) with allocated Hamilcar gliders with chalk No’s. 901 to and incl. 908.

Halifax pilot Aircraft letter Chalk ATD ATA
Letter number
F/O Northmore A-U 314 10.43 15.25
S/Ldr Norman U-N 315 10.43 15.47
P/O Berry T-K 316 10.44 15.43
F/O Archibald U-Z 317 10.45 15.47
F/O McGillivray A-K 318 10.45 15.40
P/O McGonville P-A 319 10.46 15.37
S/Ldr Imber T-G 320 10.47 15.58
S/Ldr Egerton U-X 321 10.48 15.53

W/Cdr Pope U-O 901 11.21 14.55
F/Lt Barren A-J 902 11.22 16.43
P/O Shapley U-F 903 11.23 12.25*
F/Lt Stark A-D 904 11.23 16.43
W/O Davis T-W 905 11.24 16.46
F/O Smith R.A. A-C 906 11.25 16.31
F/O Bretherton U-T 907 11.25 16.49
F/O Edick T-J 908 11.26 16.49
* glider landed at Chilbolton 12.02
ATA: Actual Time of Departure ATA: Actual Time of Arrival


Of those sixteen 17-pndrs + Tractor that left the UK, one was lost over the North Sea.
Four othersdid not see action: two had to make an emergency landing (one in the South of the Netherlands and one in Belgium). And two Hamilcars crashed on landing.
So only eleven 17- pndrs went into action. Some were abandoned on the 19th of September when 10 + 156 Para withdrew out of the Johannahoeve area North of Wolfheze.
Supposedly seven 17-pndrs were used in and around the village of Oosterbeek.