Balkans Campaign: CMPs in Greece?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Now - but this is pure conjecture - Crete is where the Commonwealth units went after being thrown out of Greece. Questions remain a) how much if any trucks were shipped back from mainland Greece to Crete, b) whether or not this truck ever left Crete for mainland Greece before being captured. Not the type of information to submit as proof, but. . .

From the thread In the background another clue for the types of CMP in use there and then:

Originally Posted by Rich Payne

...but not the main subject I suspect. From a current listing on ebay.de and captioned as Crete.

eBay 160250248326

Looks like another F30. No idea what the marking on the right side wing means.

H.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Nice photo.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Pair of F15´s, captured in Balkans, Greece, April 1941.



Source: Category:Images from the German Federal Archive, year 1941 - Wikimedia Commons.

Titel: Griechenland, britischer LKW
Zusatz: Balkan, Griechenland.- Soldat der Waffen-SS auf Motorhaube eines zerstörten englischen LKW; PK 690
Source Deutsches Bundesarchiv (German Federal Archive), Bild 101I-161-0317-10
Date 1941-04

[jim sewell]

The F15 did belong to the Aust 6th Div ( kangaroo over the boomerang ) not sure what the D2 means .
I bet the soldier carrying out the repairs is cursing these english trucks , not much room to work in there.
Regards
Jim S.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by jim sewell

The F15 did belong to the Aust 6th Div ( kangaroo over the boomerang ) not sure what the D2 means .

Jim,

Thanks for answering my question (see below)!

Hanno

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Who knows more about the vehicles used by the:
- headquarters of I Australian Corps with corps troops,
- 6th Australian Division,
- 2nd New Zealand Division,
- the 1st Tank Brigade of the 2d British Armored Division,
- as well as RAF and service troops?

Judging by the captured F15, some of these units employed CMP trucks - I hope to find more information about them.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

And in the background, another pair of captured CMPs; Greece, May 1941.



Source: Category:Images from the German Federal Archive, location Griechenland.

Titel: Griechenland, Nauplion, Englische Kriegsgefangene
Beschreibung: Südost-Front:
Gefangene Engländer in dem durch Fallschirmjäger notdürftig eingerichteten Gefangenlager in Nauplion.
BS-PK Roth
5440-41 "Fr.OLF" Mai 1941

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Another 30-cwt CMP truck captured at Crete on Ebay:
2.WK Fotoalbum Gebirgsjager im Kreta !!! mit Falschirmjager Top !!! Artikelnummer: 190280629520

[Haridimos]

A post War photo: A team from the Int. Red Cross provide medical care to children, in an unknown village. Winter 1946.



It's interesting to find out the type of the vehicle's body.

I think we have a C30 here. Trying a quick search, I didn't manage to find a similar..

[Phil Waterman]

Originally Posted by Haridimos

A post War photo: A team from the Int. Red Cross provide medical care to children, in an unknown village. Winter 1946.

Attachment 39038

It's interesting to find out the type of the vehicle's body.

I think we have a C30 here. Trying a quick search, I didn't manage to find a similar..

Hi

For some reason this type of picture link will not open on my computer, get a problem loading error message, is anyone else having the same problem? Has anybody found the work around?

Hate missing out on interesting images.

Cheers Phil

[Haridimos]

What went wrong..


Ok, let's have it for all..


EDIT: Theve is the village shown in the picture.

kostas

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Haridimos

Thanks for posting the picture, still trying to figure out why some links don't work.

It is always interesting to see pictures of CMPs in use, many I'm sure served on for many years after the war.

Cheers Phil

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Another F15 Cab 11, captured by the German Army. Looking a bit battered, stopped with engine trouble?

Reportedly the picture was taken on Crete.

H.

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Another F15 Cab 11, captured by the German Army. Looking a bit battered, stopped with engine trouble?

Reportedly the picture was taken on Crete.

H.

Interesting pic Hanno, I'm guessing they've only just come across this vehicle and judging by the interest shown it's the first time they've laid eyes on a CMP! Notice the way they're hurrying down the road to check it out! They look pretty relaxed and unarmed so presumably its former owners have long since departed. If it's on Crete they probably drove it down to the coast and abandoned it before being evacuated by sea. Looks like they've hit something and bent the bumper back onto the LH tyre so they removed it. They've relocated the unit sign (2/6 Battalion) from the bracket on the bumper to the mudguard.

[T. Metsovitis]

Here is one more, only just visible, snapped in front of Salonika's landmark the White Tower, which for the duration had been camouflaged!
The photo was probably taken during the German occupation and if that is a hexagon on the cab door, then the truck is ex-Hellenic army 19th mot.div. who used a white hexagon as their insignia.

Fyll

[Keith Webb]

Also an excellent example of "in the background".

[Tony Mathers]

These might interest you as well: From "Fords at War" by Reinhard Frank

[Keith Webb]

Hi Tony, congratulations on your first post!
Interesting pic of Umbauwagen F15s.
You may be interested to see one of the other threads featuring this vehicle here.

[Tony Mathers]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

Hi Tony, congratulations on your first post!
Interesting pic of Umbauwagen F15s.
You may be interested to see one of the other threads featuring this vehicle here.

Thanks Keith - I probably should have introduced myself first (sorry)

The link was a interesting read.

If I didn't feel that it was heresy to carve up a CMP, I might make one of these myself.....

[Haridimos]

Photo at Hanno's post #31 in better analysis:

Balkans Campaign, Greece, May 8, 1941. German troops marching to Athens. In the foreground an abandoned CMP F15 15-cwt.



A good friend of mine told me that the above photo is part of Bob Gregory's collection.. Is there anybody who knows more about that collection?

[Peter Mossong]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

In New Zealand in the Second World War - To Greece I found some pictures proving the New Zealanders did use CMP trucks in Greece.

Who knows which types they were supplied with: 15, 30, 60-cwt? Ford, Chevrolet or both makes?

H.

Hi Hanno. The following are some photos from my late grandfather's album taken both before, and during the Greek campaign.
He was the Regimental Sergeant Major/Quartermaster NCO of No.6 Field Regiment, NZA. I have posted another photo showing my granddad in the relatives threads.

These are all scans of those small 2"x2" prints that most early albums have. Some are not the greatest quality, but I've managed to clean them up a bit.

The first shot, and a close-up show CMP's of No.6 Field lined up ready for embarkation to Greece. They appear to be in one of the 'Caunter' schemes.
Note also the 'dead soldiers' (empty beer bottles) lying in the sand!
Unfortunately I can't get a clear enough enlargement to pick any census numbers.

The next shot is FAT's, limbers and 25lbers taken in Athens on the way up to the front.

The last two show the FAT's near Mt.Olympus. They do appear to be Fords from enlarged scans of the photo.

Cheers,
Pete M.

[Keith Webb]

Excellent images, thanks for sharing them Peter.

I think the FATs in the lower picture may all be Morris...the one facing certainly is and the front hubs don't look CMP.

[Peter Mossong]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

In New Zealand in the Second World War - To Greece I found some pictures proving the New Zealanders did use CMP trucks in Greece.

Who knows which types they were supplied with: 15, 30, 60-cwt? Ford, Chevrolet or both makes?

H.

I've been unable to source what CMP vehicles were issued to No.6 Field ( and the NZ Division), but have attached a further enlargement from the 6th Field photo at Molos. Hard to tell if Ford or Chevy!

Both General Motors and Ford here in New Zealand assembled CMP's from CKD kits supplied from Canada, but I've not been able to find whether they were sent to Egypt, or remained in New Zealand.
Further 'digging' is required!!!

Cheers,
Pete M.

[cliff]

A lot of the first 'Issue' of CMP type vehicles to The New Zealand Division in the Middle East were vehicles shipped direct to Egypt under British Order numbers and 'sold' to the NZ government by the British.

A few #11 cab F30, 134in WB GS trucks without the vents have turned up in New Zealand over the past few years. The 'Puddle Jumpers' - the 2lb anti-tank gun carriers (later converted to GS trucks post war) were 12 cab Chevrolets.

From past memory New Zealand took all surviving trucks under their command when hostilities ceased in Europe back to NZ. Most of the GM NZ assembled trucks may have been the C8AX but I am not entirely sure if this is correct .

Hope this helps

[Peter Mossong]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

Excellent images, thanks for sharing them Peter.

I think the FATs in the lower picture may all be Morris...the one facing certainly is and the front hubs don't look CMP.

Hi Keith. You may well be correct regarding the FAT's in my photo.
I'll have another go at scanning that tiny photo again!

Cheers,
Pete M.

[Peter Mossong]

Originally Posted by cliff

A lot of the first 'Issue' of CMP type vehicles to The New Zealand Division in the Middle East were vehicles shipped direct to Egypt under British Order numbers and 'sold' to the NZ government by the British.

A few #11 cab F30, 134in WB GS trucks without the vents have turned up in New Zealand over the past few years. The 'Puddle Jumpers' - the 2lb anti-tank gun carriers (later converted to GS trucks post war) were 12 cab Chevrolets.

From past memory New Zealand took all surviving trucks under their command when hostilities ceased in Europe back to NZ. Most of the GM NZ assembled trucks may have been the C8AX but I am not entirely sure if this is correct .

Hope this helps

Hi Cliff. Not just the C8AX...

Taken at General Motors Petone factory in 1940 from the New Zealand National Archives

Ref: 1/2-036839-F

Chevrolet 4x4 truck used by the army. Photograph taken by Gordon Burt, circa 1940.

I have searched, and there were no further relevant listings by this photographer in the archives..I'm sure he wouldn't have just taken the one photo!!! Still, It's a real beauty.

If anyone would like a higher resolution copy, then I have posted one to my Dropbox public folder..it's a .tiff file of 9.1megs. Credit to NZ National Archives, but for discussion purposes only, not for further publication!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ebhxu62jid...20cab.tif?dl=0

Cheers,
Pete M.

[Peter Mossong]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

Excellent images, thanks for sharing them Peter.

I think the FATs in the lower picture may all be Morris...the one facing certainly is and the front hubs don't look CMP.

Hi Keith. After having another look at my higher resolution scans of these, I think you are correct in that they are Morris Mk.II 'Beetle back' FATs, as the two roof mounted ventilators can just be made out. The nose of the bodies also appear to be Morris rather than CMP's.

I did some further 'digging' in my archives for information on 6th Field Regiment's vehicles pre-Greece, and found they were issued 36 Morris FAT's just before they embarked for Greece. Needless to say, none of these made it back to Egypt!

Post Greece, the Western desert, Tunisia then Italy, they all appear to be CMP based vehicles.

Cheers,
Pete M.

[Ilian Filipov]

Hello Gents,
Yet another pic of F15 abandoned in Greece was found into my PC. Regretfully I can't recall the source but apparently it was some magazine or book.
6th Australian Division again, this time not "D2" but "F1" on the windshield (and probably on the door too?)

[Ilian Filipov]

Hi all,
I just found in a magazine two pictures. Sorry if no news for you. Sorry also for the quality.
Not Greece but still the Balkans. Both pics were taken in Yugoslavia, on the second the CMP is captured by the partisans.



Is it possible the CMPs were "imported" by the Germans from Greece?
BTW, in both captions the vehicles are stated as F60s but I don't think they are 3-tonners. Anyway enjoy!
Cheers!

[Keith Webb]

They appear to be Ford F15 Cab 11s. Lower one definitely cab 11.

Originally Posted by Ilian Filipov

Hi all,
I just found in a magazine two pictures. Sorry if no news for you. Sorry also for the quality.
Not Greece but still the Balkans. Both pics were taken in Yugoslavia, on the second the CMP is captured by the partisans.



Is it possible the CMPs were "imported" by the Germans from Greece?
BTW, in both captions the vehicles are stated as F60s but I don't think they are 3-tonners. Anyway enjoy!
Cheers!