On the road to Syria

[Mike K]

I managed to track down the original source of this photo. By chance, I have a wreck or the bare bones of one of these 1939/40 1 Ton trucks. I can't find any army paint on it. The rear axle and springs are identical to the C8 CMP truck. The wheels are split type 17" with 750-17 tyres. The army version was fitted with a typical Australian ute style body, in this case built by GM-H , a wooden frame with metal skin - these Australian style bodies are wider and more spacious than the narrow North American ' pick up ' style bodies. In civilian use, GMH also offered other body options, including a wooden flat tray or deck . The grill is unique to 1940. The 39 models have a different looking grill. The example I have is fitted with the 4 speed crash gearbox. The drive to the rear axle is through a torque tube. It would be a long-term project , building an Aust. Army version, the biggest problem would be finding a original body to measure, like finding the end of a rainbow. The GMH archives, held in South Australia, include a few factory photos of a similar body, fitted on a 1941 1/2 Ton model.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/885722...57631771339670


Early July 1942 - Australian Army 2/4 Anti Malaria Control Unit mates Sergeant Norm Grainger & Driver Bob Elliott with Driver Tom Beazley's Chevrolet 1-Ton GS (General Service) light truck at Syr, Syria (now North Lebanon)
SOURCE INFO

- The original image was captured by my late father-in-law, Driver Tom Beazley of the Australian Army 2/4 Anti-Malarial Control Unit, 9 Division, 2 Australian Imperial Force, using a Kodak 6-20 Folding Brownie camera with B&W 120 roll-film.