Canadian Chevrolet Maple Leaf 4x4 artillery tractors?

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Hanno refers above to the Maple Leaf 4 x 4 FAT. In fact there was a 'Chevrolet' 4 x 4 Field Artillery Tractor was trialled by the British War Office in 1939. It had selectable ratios: in high gear 2-wheel or 4-wheel drive could be engaged. However in low auxiliary gear 4 x 4 drive was always engaged.

Incidentally I found out that the Unipower 6 x 4 conversion: see WHEELS & TRACKS # 50 from Universal Power Drives Limited probably used a Thornton-Detroit rear splitter as wellas either Thornton or Timken banjo-type axles. This explains why Bart suggests that the Unipower conversion was similar to the Thornton, and used Rzeppa steering components. There is a suggestion in the DND archives that Gotfredsons of Windsor, Ontario, might have offered the same set-up as Universal Power Drives pre-war.

The plot thickens!

[nuyt]

here it is:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/messa...eid=1116770766
Enjoy,
Nuyt

[Bill Murray]

Morning Nuyt:

That first photo is a real beauty, thanks!!

On another note, I tried to access The Netherlands Fotomuseum site last night and today and am having problems. If I type in voertuigen in the search field I get a first page which is all vehicles and is records 1-12 of 111 found. When I go to page 2, it gives me all 400,000 records and about 30,000 pages to go through most of which have few or no photos. I tried to register on the site but for some reason it blocks me.

Is there a secret???
Cheers
Bill

[Bill Murray]

Nuyt:

For some reason my photo will not post on overvalwagen so I will post it here. An original advert showing how GM delivered chassis in Holland 1940.
Bill

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

May I ask if the respective gentlemen could send me privately copies of the ML 4 x 4 and Chevrolet chassis photos?

Note the chassis style...these were also diverted to the UK and then sold by GM Limited for civilian purposes. Duples provided cabs that owed little to the original US style. Other refugee Chevs had utility wooden cabs...see WHEELS & TRACKS.

[nuyt]

of the coming edition of Overvalwagens!

[Lang]

The photos of the Chevrolets in New Guinea are more than likely nothing to do with Dutch East Indies. The late model one is obviously a civilian truck (chrome grille, commercial tray, roof cut back in a field? mod) the earlier one has a common civilian style "home made" cab and tray found on any Australian farm or town delivery service of the period.

When the Japanese took the towns of Lae and Salamaua (only 50 miles from Finschhafen where the photos were shot) they captured numerous civilian vehicles in these thriving communities. Rabaul (200 miles away) also was a source of a number of vehicles.

I suspect the fairly high percentage of allied vehicles shown in wartime photos as being recaptured are not a true representaton of the quantities. They are of naturally increased interest to a photographer, recognizable to the folks at home and show the good guys always win and get their marbles back.

Lang

[nuyt]

Lang, if you are referring to the pictures on page 1 of this thread I agree. But other trucks and armoured cars (and weaponry) from NEI sources were found in various parts of New Guinea and New Britain. See for instance here: http://www.overvalwagen.com/transportvehicleschevy.html
The only doubt I have is with the last pic on that page.
Any comments apreciated,
Kind regards,
Nuyt

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Excellent research and information Nuyt! I would just add that some Chevrolets were assembled in the General Motors Continental SA/BV plant in Antwerpen/Anvers/Antwerp plant and re-exported probably built-up.

General Motors Java exported around the region so I would expect Chevrolet, GMC, possibly Oldsmobile, and Opel trucks to have ended up in various islands and countries.

[nuyt]

This time towing a Bofors 105mm howitzer...

[Lang]

Eric,

Sorry so long in responding to your questions on your Indonesian truck site.

I think all the captions are correct, from my limited knowledge, except the last one. I would bet that the Chevrolet and Australian troops loading an American DC-3 is an Australian GMH built version. The big hinges on the windscreen give it away (the Dutch and US built trucks have nice concealed hinges).

The picture of Australian troops beside the road watching the passing traffic is almost certainly taken some considerable time after the Japanese surrender. Australian and British forces with American support were involved in what I consider some pretty disgracefull operations against the population to re-establish Dutch colonial rule. They even left the Japanese troops armed and operational alongside the first batch of allied soldiers to keep the population under control until enough allied forces were in place.

The brand new hats and uniforms on the Australians indicate fresh troops brought in for the Java operations, not those who have been on operations for some time from other areas. If ever an item of uniform lent itself to individual styling it is the Australian Slouch Hat. I would say these fellows are new boys because everything is by the book. Re-equipped veterans would have "individualised" even their brand new replacement hats (in ways often too subtle for outsiders to notice).

Lang

[Lang]

Eric,

A photo of a Java built Chevrolet at Giropi Point - near Buna - New Guinea.

Caption says shot up by Australian (Stuart) tanks.

Lang

[nuyt]

Lang, thanks for the observations and the new picture. I will replace it at the next edition!
Kind regards,
Nuyt

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by David_Hayward

In Australia it appears that G.M.-Holden’s imported ‘Maple-Leaf’ badged 4 x 4 trucks from 1940 onwards. This suggests that they were Model 1663 2½-tonner trucks of 133¼ in. wheelbase with imported G.M.C. 4 x 4 conversion i.e. Timken components.

I can state that the trucks for Australia went to Holden’s, the one to Egypt to Alexandria and India Bombay. GM of Canada could offer an off-the-shelf truck. However, why ‘Maple Leaf’ and not ‘GMC’? The only answer that I can come up with is that as ‘General Motors Truck’ was emblazoned on the side this hinted at US-sourcing, although in fact the Canadian GMC and Maple Leaf chassis were clones of each other and used the same engines. ‘Maple Leaf Truck’ states that it was a Canadian truck, and I keep concluding that it was Canadian pride.

David, I realise that a 4x2 Maple Leaf might be outside the bounds of this thread, but the ML I have shown in This thread is a model 2911 4x2, 158"wb, on 10.50-18 tyres. It has 1942 sheetmetal and Holden built cab. Does that add another piece to the puzzle?