1940 Break Down Chevrolet Holden MCP

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

Attached is an image sourced from the Australian War Memorial collection.

Does anyone know if there are plans available for the breakdown section of the truck?

How many of these 1940 Holden/Chevrolets would there have been?

Also what tonnage would the trucks be rated at? (Sometime later ...) from the second photograph's description they were 3 Ton

There seems to be very few photographs of the rear of these vehicles that show the details of the crane mechanism. I will keep hunting though!

Kind Regards
Lionel

Accessed November 20, 2016 from, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P02399.014
ID number P02399.014
Collection type Photograph

Object type Black & white
Physical description Black & white
Description Breakdown truck, probably Tobruk, Libya. c. 1941. Members of `C' Section, 6th Division Supply Column, Australian Army Service Corps (AASC), in the desert with their Chevrolet Breakdown truck (no. L1045).

Second Photograph...
Accessed November 20, 2016 from, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/127753
ID number 127753
Collection type Photograph

Object type Black & white
Physical description Black & white
Description AUSTRALIA. LORRIES, 3-TON BREAKDOWN (AUSTRALIAN) NO.1. CHEVROLET. RIGHT SIDE VIEW, QUARTER FRONT.

[Ken Smith]

There has been a breakdown crane on Gumtree for about 12 months, that is supposed to have come off a Chev army truck.
It is reasonably cheap and not a million miles away from you Lionel, it is at Tara near Dalby.

Ken

[Lionelgee]

G'day Ken,

Well Spotted Ken. I did see that advertised a while ago. Only two photographs and neither show the full shape of the boom. It would have been handy if there were more photographs. Something to get an idea of scale off would have been handy to work out what size it is.

What can be seen looks like a single boom whereas the ones above in my earlier posting seem to be twin boom arms that have a lot of box work above them as bracing. The CMP breakdown trucks had an "I" beam type.

Perhaps it should be described as crane fitted to an ex-Army truck at some point of time? Not necessarily an Army crane fitted to an Army truck? It could be a crane used by engineers and not related to breakdown lorries.


The breakdown lorries seem to come in different capacities. The attached one seems to be a light weight version on the back of a CMP. Also too the CMP 6 x 6. Neither of which are a MCP type as in my first post.

Accessed November 20, 2016 from https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/024818/
ID number 024818
Collection type Photograph

Object type Black & white
Physical description Black & white
Description WESTERN DESERT, EGYPT. 1942-08-10. A STAFF CAR UNDER REPAIR BY NO. 1 AUSTRALIAN RECOVERY SECTION ABOUT 15 MILES BEHIND THE FRONT LINE ON THE EL ALAMEIN SECTOR. THE UNIT'S BREAKDOWN TRUCK WITH CRANE IS IN THE BACKGROUND.

Accessed November 20, 2016 from, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/075276/Then the heavy weight on the back of a 6 by 6
ID number 075276
Collection type Photograph
Object type Black & white
Physical description Black & white
Description MADANG, NEW GUINEA. 1944-08-15. PERSONNEL OF THE 165TH GENERAL TRANSPORT COMPANY USING A 6 X 6 RECOVERY WAGON TO LIFT AND TOW A BROKEN DOWN 4 X 4 CHEVROLET TRUCK. IDENTIFIED PERSONNEL ARE:- NX125258 DRIVER N.S. RITCHIE (1); NX125172 DRIVER R.R. CAMPBELL (2); NX150330 PRIVATE R.N. GOODRUN (3); NX125244 PRIVATE G.B. BRAYSHAW (4); NX125253 WARRANT OFFICER I, A.R. BARNES (5).

Accessed November 20, 2016 from, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/127839
ID number 127839
Collection type Photograph

Object type Black & white
Physical description Black & white
Description AUSTRALIA. TRUCKS, 3-TON BREAKDOWN (AUSTRALIAN) NO.4. LEFT SIDE VIEW.

Here is a Ford MCP version of the Heavy Weight Breakdown. Accessed November 20, 2016 from, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/127755
ID number 127755
Collection type Photograph

Object type Black & white
Physical description Black & white
Description AUSTRALIA. LORRIES, 3-TON BREAKDOWN (AUSTRALIAN) NO.2. FORD. THREE-QUARTER BACK VIEW, RIGHT SIDE.
Unlike the other photographs the Ford has all the pioneer tools in place.


There are about 600 photographs at the AWM under "cranes" Looks like I have some homework in front of me!



Kind Regards
Lionel

[Mike Kelly]

It looks like a Heath Robinson contraption These cranes were designed when Meccano sets were very popular , Meccano must have had some influence ha

[Tony Smith]

Is that first truck you pictured an MCP, or a Standard truck? I'm not familiar with the earlier Chevs, could you run through some of the MCP features of the WA and WB Chevs?

I thought the MCPs were more like the LRDG WB 30cwt Chevs, with heavier duty front axles and hubs to support the wider wheels?:

[Lionelgee]

Originally Posted by Tony Smith

Is that first truck you pictured an MCP, or a Standard truck? I'm not familiar with the earlier Chevs, could you run through some of the MCP features of the WA and WB Chevs?

I thought the MCPs were more like the LRDG WB 30cwt Chevs, with heavier duty front axles and hubs to support the wider wheels?:

G'day Tony,

The MCP were basically civilian trucks that were modified to different extents.... a little to a hell of a lot... Oh a check on MLU and the wider internet has a difference of opinion "Modified Civilian Pattern" or "Modified Conventional Pattern" ...

Have a look at Cliff's explanation Accessed November 20. 2016 from, http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...02&postcount=7

There is a whole thread devoted to MCPs Accessed November 20. 2016 from, http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...d.php?p=147431

In the case of my truck - it must have been made early in 1940 and when compared to a local 1940 truck that was bought new for a sugar cane farm, so it was not "borrowed" by the military - there is very little differences between the two trucks. By 1941 more in-factory modifications were taking place.

Hmmm I need to take more photographs of my mate's Chev - I do not have a photograph of his windscreen. Oh my mate's truck is the pretty blue one

Kind Regards
Lionel

[Mike Kelly]

Pic P02399.014 is a typical 1939 model. The 39 has the earlier round separate instruments , plus bullet headlights and the different grill.