WW2 Photos

[Justin Pollard]

Hello everyone,these pics were taken by my Poppa on the way to and at Darwin.i posted them awhile ago on another forum but feel they would be more at home here.hope they fit the screen ok as i have no idea how to resize.

[Justin Pollard]

[Justin Pollard]

[Justin Pollard]

this one is of a Hospital ship bringing home ex POW,s into Darwin.thought the blitz might be of interest to.

[Keith Webb]

Magnificent shots!

The one of the Macks with trailers was taken on the North-South road - if you can get a copy you should read Allan Smith's Convoys up the track. I interviewed Allan on the Year of the Studebaker DVD.

[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

[Mike K]

Looking through Barts bible , it appears to be a Canadian CC60L/X2 with 2 speed diff . The bible says the tyres are 10.50 X 16. Looking at it from the side the tyres do appear to be 18" , but it's hard to tell . I may be wrong but I don't think 18" wheels were a British WD standard on softskins ... for some weird reason Australia adopted the bolt together split 18" size wheels for its AIF fleet .I don't know of any British built WD pattern 30 cwt or 3 tonner with 18" rims .. Does anyone know of any ?

GMH actually made quite a bit of stuff apart from vehicle bodywork. The basic truck mechanical components were of overseas manufacture . But they did make axle stubs , crown wheel and pinions etc. for various vehicles .The whole engine for the tiger moth trainer . The whole gray marine engine , including the engine block casting .

Mike

[Mike K]

After studying the pics for a while . They do appear to be 16" rims , not 18" .
It certainly is an odd one , I've never seen another Chev like it here in OZ .

The truck is pictured in Barts Bible, 1972 edition, page 237 lower RH corner .

Mike

[Ken Smith]

Gooday all
Ken Hughes had a CC60L Chev in his yard at Kingaroy in Queensland I don't know what happened to it.It was in reasonable condition and it looked quite tough with the single tyres.That is the only one I have seen in the flesh.
Cheers Ken

[jim sewell]

Posted below is Aust bodied chev truck bought by my father around 1946 , it had 10.50 x 18 tyres .
Also shown is another that is under way with restoration , also on 10.50 x 18 tyres.
Regards
Jim S.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I was mulling over which contract the Aussie CC60L/X2 was supplied under. There are various possibilities if it was an example of one delivered to the Mid-East and then issued to the AIF. However, I just cannot see that at this juncture as there are no obvious mods. There is one 1942ish contract S/M 2209 which was CC60L/X2 lorries with no indication as to whom it was for BUTTTT S/M 2202/3/4/5/6/8 were all British orders for Australia and S/M 2210 was for NZ and UK delivery. As there is no Census Number listing this would appear to be a Dominion order, and I conject therefore that it was for Australian delivery. Anyone got any better ideas please? Regrettably S/M 2209 is not listed in the Canadian 1942 Contracts listings, and neither is S/M 2007.

[cliff]

David here is a AWM photo which shows two of these Canadian built Chevs (RHS) alongside two Holden Bodied examples, one of which is painted service green rather then the light stone of the returned Middle East vehicles. Photo caption is.....

ID Number: 025817
Physical description: Black & white
Summary: ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA. 1942-03. NO NEED FOR DISPERSAL NOW FOR FEAR OF AIR ATTACK, THESE VEHICLES, RECENTLY RETURNED FROM THE MIDDLE EAST WITH THE A.I.F. ARE DRAWN UP AT A CAMP OCCUPIED BY TROOPS WHO RETURNED IN THE SAME CONVOY.
Copyright: clear
Related subject: Motor vehicles
Related place: Adelaide; Middle East

Related conflict: Second World War, 1939-1945

The reason I have added this is the top two photos showing the vehicles on the train is not dated and the Chev utility behind the 3 tonner appears to be painted a lighter colour which could be light stone. Could this utility be one of the returned Middle East vehicles? If so the 3 tonner could also be a returned Middle East vehicle which has been refurbished by the workshops before being reissued. The photo of the NR7 model Macks in the outback dates that photo to about 1943.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

That seems to prove that not only CMPs and carriers that were issued to the AIF in the Mid East! I have the contract numbers for Egypt deliveries and this seems to slot in. I can however imagine that ex-Mid East and direct shipments would be mixed up, especially with Holden refurbs. Great stuff!

[cliff]

here is another AWM photo showing Holden Bodied trucks with the heavy front bumper and a brush guard.

Caption...

ID Number: 084090
Physical description: Black & white
Summary: ATHERTON, QLD. 1944-12-14. ATHERTON DETACHMENT NO.1, QLD LINES OF COMMUNICATION AREA BULK ISSUE PETROL AND OIL DEPOT PERSONNEL OPERATING AS A MOBILE UNIT IN THE TABLELAND AREA FROM CIVILIAN UNDERGROUND EMERGENCY TANKS POSITIONED DURING THE JAPANESE ADVANCE. IDENTIFIED PERSONNEL ARE:- PRIVATE F.J. WALDUCK, (1); PRIVATE V.F. CLANCEY, (2); SERGEANT C. O'BRIEN, (3); PRIVATE T.J. MCFARLANE, (4).
Copyright: clear
Related subject: Petrol and oil supply; Group portraits
Related unit: Bulk issue petrol and oil depots; Queensland Lines of Communication Area
Related place: Atherton

Related conflict: Second World War, 1939-1945

[cliff]

Here is another AWM photo showing the imported Chev CC60L with a custom built van body on and a different front bumper again. I am assuming the rear van body was built locally onto an imported cab/chassis. These may have been bought back from the Middle East and rebuilt or imported direct to Australia.

Caption....

ID Number: 141861
Maker: Herald Newspaper
Physical description: Black & white
Summary: Brighton, Vic. 1944-10-23. Two Mobile Welfare Vans presented to the RAAF by members of the Brighton Hostess Air Force Auxiliary.
Copyright: clear
Related subject: Vans; Welfare
Related unit: Royal Australian Air Force
Related place: Brighton (Vic)

Related conflict: Second World War, 1939-1945

[Mike K]

The lighter 1 ton variant is rather scarce . Back in 1981 I bought a ex army 1941 1 tonner for 50 bucks , up at Orange NSW . It had the GMH cab and sat on 17" wheels. I flat towed it from Orange to Cargo behind my 1946 Dodge ute .It was vandalised by the locals thee and ended up a wreck, it was in very good cond. too. The cab had a stencil on the wall .
VANS 1 Ton GS .

The little GMH badge said - paint : KHAKI 'defence enamel green'.

It was hairy towing it along the hilly road from Orange . The rear tray was a wooden thing .. original army one was long gone . Somebody had removed the cyl. head and it was in the back . The brakes worked well .

On the same trip I found a Fordson WOT2H in a field of lucerne . The local Butcher in Canowndra owned it . I approahed him and I got it free ! I borrowed Bedford wheels and flat towed it to Cargo behind the Dodge ,my 15 year old nephew steered it . Its brakes worked too , mechanical type.The skinny Bedford 20" wheels made it look very odd . The gearbox was full of water . i had to remove the rear half shafts to move it . It was in December and the heat nearly killed me , it was jammed on a old log and I had to jack it off . The door had a graziers name on it .. from Canberra of all places .The cab was excellent .. front wings stuffed . chassis good . Wish I had kept it . I sold it for 100 bucks to a NSW collector . I've got pics of all this .

Mike

[jim sewell]

Thanks Cliff for the pictures , I notice that in your last post the 2 chev van bodied trucks could be Lend Lease trucks as they both have the wider front bumper which I have seen on L/L trucks used for civilian purposes around here.( one piece door window, not side cowl air vent )
From all of the posted pictures there appears to be 3 different front bumpers .
The pictures below from the left , L/Lease civilian , 2x Aust bodied 10.50 x 18 tyres.
Regards
Jim S.

[cliff]

Originally Posted by jim sewell

Thanks Cliff for the pictures , I notice that in your last post the 2 chev van bodied trucks could be Lend Lease trucks Regards
Jim S.

Jim that is why I called them CC60L rather then Holden bodied as they are in fact the imported type. Easy ways to tell the difference are that the local Australian Holden bodied Chevs have small quarterlite vent windows in the doors and side vents on the side of the cowl unit. The imported CC60L vehicles did not have these features.

I have other photos showing the different types of front bumpers on Chevs but the main ones are posted.

[jim sewell]

These RHD trucks were imported into Aust from the USA by the Commonwealth to be used for essential services and are referred to in Aust as lend lease trucks , these were model M trucks and used a 216 engine that was different to the Canadian engine in that it had flat top pistons and 2 hole water pump and block.
Regards
Jim S.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Through the wonders of Science, and the information that as a pack rat I keep, I can advise that these lorries were model MS, and from the Master Parts List were:

1 1/2 TON CAB WITH PLATFORM, EXPORT, RHD, 1942 MODEL 4408
1 1/2 TON CAB WITH STAKE, EXPORT, RHD, 1942, MODEL 4409
1 1/2 TON CAB, RHD, 1942, MODEL 4403

Do I assume correctly that some were used by the military? Interesting that they were US-procured, delivered under Lend-Lease and used for 'civvy' and not purely military purposes. I am not sure whether this also applied in the UK. I have a feeling that it did, judging by papers I acquired from the Public Records Office in London years ago. For instance the London County Council petitioned the government for Dodge trucks for use in bomb damage clearance. By then they had available obsolete ex-military US vehicles.

[cliff]

Originally Posted by jim sewell

These RHD trucks were imported into Aust from the USA by the Commonwealth to be used for essential services and are referred to in Aust as lend lease trucks , these were model M trucks and used a 216 engine that was different to the Canadian engine in that it had flat top pistons and 2 hole water pump and block.
Regards
Jim S.

This does not explain the top photo which definately has a military build look including the front bumper and the rear body has a look similar to a steel GMC-CCKW body complete with the way the spare wheel is mounted. I would say that this truck is not one of those imported for essential services. The photo of the two 'van bodied' trucks I posted could very well be the US supplied trucks though.

Thanks for posting that Jim as it has added to my information on these types of Chevrolet trucks and confirmed my belief that some did come from the USA as RHD imports.

[Mike K]

Those American sourced vehicles were assembled by GMH . The US built cabs arrived in bits and GMH assembled them and made a stake side cargo body with rounded front corners , they typically had the little US type black out lights above the headlights .. you would see them dotted around farms , at least I did . Essential users eg, primary producers could apply for one . I believe brand new Inter K series and Fords were available too.

The supply of vehicles to essential civilian users was in contrast to 1939-40, when the Govt. was demanding trucks from civilians for military use . They grabbed near new Chevs and Fords from disgruntled owners who never saw their trucks again.

They were also releasing obsolete military vehicles to civilians too . The CFA got some Jeeps during the war . And maybe bren carriers, can anyone confirm that .

Mike

[jim sewell]

The front cover of this manual does not mention the trucks being RHD , we have seen the model 4409 in a previous post , notice that the body ( tray ) is similar/ same as the 4x4 or 6x6 military trucks made by GM ,different from the Canadian one in the very first post.
Also notice the different front bumper on the model 4403, similar to the Aust bodied one.
Have posted pic of GMC cckw tray.