Lend lease Chevrolet 30 cwt truck information

[jeff]

Hi, i'm new to this forum and was wondering if anyone can help with some information about the history of the 30cwt lend lease chevs that were sent to Australia. A friend and i have 2 of these trucks ( a 134 1/2 inch wheelbase and a160 inch wheelbase) and have found little factual information about them. Both trucks are model 4409 RHD and were contract number DA-W-389-QM-418 according to the Maintence Manual. The questions that i have are;
Were the cabs sent to Australia as complete cabs or seperate panels and assembled by Holden? (All the trucks we have plus a number of spare cabs are the american cabs with a holden body plate but are assembled with clutch head screws. I mention the clutch head screws only because i haven't seen other holden products with these fasteners.)
Were the cabs painted in America or Australia and what colour?
I believe some were used by the Military and some for essential services hence my question about colour.
What plants in the USA produced these trucks? Are there any records of actual chassis no's and vehicle destinations? Mine has a chassis no 42 D4400-4B500 And engine no BFR496445. Any information would be appreciated.
Thanks jeff .

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I am just rushing out but my page gives you the list of US military Chevies:
http://clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/...tarychevs.html

The BFR engine code indicates a 1942-built Flint-built rhd 215 as fitted to a 1 1/2 tonner.

Somewhere I have a list of al Chevrolet WM contracts that will tell me how it was ordered.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

The official parts lists say that it was one of two contracts for 1 1/2 ton with Large Stake [body](Export) or with Cargo [body], and as it was a 4409 not a 4403 it was a MS model! Code 31T on my table. I would imagine it was shipped from say Tarrytown Assembly Plant or Bloomfield Boxing Plant, knocked-down for local assembly but others may know more about the Holden operations. A fuly built-up truck would have a say 2MSXX12345 type serial, where '2' is Tarrytown, or 1MSXX12345 where '1' is Flint Plant. XX indicates month of assembly. The serial quoted makes me think it was a CKD assembly job.

[cliff]

Originally Posted by David_Hayward

The serial quoted makes me think it was a CKD assembly job.

If it was a CKD assembled by Holden it would have been painted here probably in the Service Green of the day.

The two main differences between these 'lendlease' Chev's and Holden built cabs is the Holden built cab had a cowl vent on either side in front of the doors and the doors had 'Quarter' vent winds in the front of the roll down glass.

There are several other threads on these Chev's and perhaps someone with more knowledge of the search feature could find them and post the links for you.

Below are two photos of these type of Chev seen elsewhere on MLU and summited by other members of the forum A photo or 2 of yours would be appreciated as well

[jeff]

Thanks Cliff And David for the information so far.I've included a couple of photos of my longwheelbase (cream coloured lend lease) and an Australian cab chev truck (maroon truck obviously in pieces)that i have. The lend lease is very original and is just about to be registered.It still has the black-out lights and black-out driving light,all still operational. The original paint inside the cab appears to be maroon but the black out light original colour is army green, the original exterior paint colour is as yet unknown. Through research that i"ve done all USA trucks have a vin number on the cab and no chassis number. So i guess it makes sense that CKD trucks would have to have a chassis number. Do CMP trucks have chassis numbers? Is there a decoder for these numbers? Does anyone know if Australian records exist showing where these trucks were used?
Thanks Jeff.

[Jeff Gordon]

Jeff,
What a great name!
We are almost neighbours!
Welcome to MLU!
Do you have a copy of the History of Holden book by Norm Darwin?
Seen as how you live in Dayboro and I am in Samford you should drop in and I can show it to you. It has a little bit in it about it.
CMP do or should have chassis numbers. Try the left hand rail forward of the diff.
Cheers
Jeff

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Here's an example of CKD kits, which are made up of parts and components which have not been assembled before. A CKD kit comprised the necessary numbers of subassemblies and parts for a given quantity of chassis which would be assembled in much the same way as it was done in the Canadian factory using locally produced parts as much as possible.

Interesting to see these Cab 11 or 12 cowls in Light Stone, while the seats are painted Khaki. In the background is a case holding "body & chassis"

"Original Toronto Star caption: Tools For Britain are rolling out in ever-increasing numbers from Canada's factories; and 24 United States newspapermen saw them roll yesterday at General Motors Oshawa Plant. Here some of them see the cab of an army truck; being readied for shipment."
109668.jpg
Source: https://digitalarchive.tpl.ca/object...easing-numbers

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

We should get this right once and for all.

CKD, Completely Knocked Down, is an really a different manufacturing system, rather than a different type of crating for shipment.

One type of manufacturing is to source all the parts required to assemble a certain type of vehicle, and assemble them into a working vehicle at an assembly plant in country A, test it, after which it is scrutinised and accepted by a goverment official. After full assembly, it can be partly dismantled and crated to be shipped to it's destination in country B. The crating can be done at the assembly plant, or at a depot type of facility where vehicles are prepared for shipment.

Some types of vehicle can be easily (partly) dismantled and will be crated, others (like tanks) are sealed for weather influences. SKD , SUP, TUP etc. are all methods of packing complete vehicles into crates for shipping. At the destination nothing more than labour and tools are needed to uncrate the vehicle and re-attach the bits that have been removed to decrease it´s volume for efficient shipping.

Now, Completely Knocked Down means sourcing some parts required to assemble a certain type of vehicle in country A, crate these parts, and ship them to an assembly plant in country B where the shipped parts are uncrated and locally sourced parts are feeded to the assembly line after which a complete, running vehicle will emerge for the first time.

In the case of e.g. the Indian deliveries, Ford and Chevrolet both had local assembly plants or contractors, so they only had to send over chassis, engines, gearboxes, axles, cowl parts, etc. The local assembly plant(s) sourced bodywork, tyres, cab parts etc. to complete the vehicle.

I hope this sets the record straight.

I´ll get off my soapbox now