US-built Ford 1942-model trucks in Allied service

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Hanno Spoelstra
The following quote was found in Wheels & Tracks magazine no.53, p.37: "I [R.D.(Dick) Okill] went out to the Middle East for El Alamein and joined the 37th LAA which had come down from Syria and we re-equipped with American Bofors guns and some 6x6 GMCs as towers, with American Ford 3-tonners and one Morris artillery tractor."

A quick search for "37th LAA" turned up a web page about The Coleraine Battery. Although unrelated, this web page does show a nice snapshot of a certain Joe McClelland in front of a Ford truck in 1943. Looks like a Canadian MCP Ford FC60L to me.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Les Freathy
1 conventional stake model 2G8T factory fresh

Hi Les, was this picture taken in the US or in the UK? Under S.M.2451 the UK were delivered with US-built Ford 3 ton 4x2 6-cyl. 158" wb chassis with stake bodies (source: Data Book of Wheeled Vehicles: Army Transport 1939-1945).

(click on image for large size scan)

Below is a picture of a preserved example, shown at Beltring a few years back:

Source: Ferdinand Hejl's photo site

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

So what would the model number be please as that's another mystery Ford contract solved?! 2G8T?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by David_Hayward
So what would the model number be please as that's another mystery Ford contract solved?! 2G8T?

David, as decribed by Data Book of Wheeled Vehicles: Army Transport 1939-1945, the US-built Ford 3 ton 4x2 with 6-cyl. engine and 158" wb chassis must have had the Ford US model code G8T for 1941 models and 2G8T for 1942 (and onwards) models. Note the use "mud and snow" tread tyres, these are the common American bar tread tyres.

Do you have any more details about S.M. 2451? Dates, numbers delivered?

Thanks,
Hanno

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Thank you Hanno...no I have nothing more so far except that it must be an overseas-delivered order. There may however be a record card giving us Census Numbers.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by David_Hayward
I have nothing more so far except that it must be an overseas-delivered order

Overseas, as in North Africa and/or the Middle East?

H.

Originally posted by Hanno Spoelstra
a US-built Ford 2G8T 1½ Ton Cargo Truck in service with the 2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars and/or 4th Queens Own Hussars in North Africa

"I went out to the Middle East for El Alamein and joined the 37th LAA which had come down from Syria and we re-equipped with (...) American Ford 3-tonners (...)"

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Basically, not British domestic delivery, so anywhere is possible.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Here's another pic of a US-built Ford 2G8T 1½ Ton Cargo Truck in Commonwealth service. Nice to see it accompanied by a Dodge and a Indian-pattern Chevrolet. They come from Polish 2. Korps PANZER COMMANDER Fotoalbum - AFRIKA! (ebay Item number: 6283414188), so most likely these trucks are in use with Polish(?) troops in North Africa.

H.

[gjamo]

Heres one pressed into service on a railway line at Daylesford Victoria Australia. No rest for the wicked.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Another '42 model Ford in use by the Soviet Army (source).

[Jan Mostek]

Hi Hanno and other soft skin enthusiasts,
here are another Russian G8Ts, miliatry parade in St. Petersburg (then Leningrad), 7. Nov. 1945
Happy searching,
Jan.

[Jan Mostek]

As you may see, Russians owned many G8Ts, here is another one. The picutre comes from Czecholsovakia, town of Louny, May 1945. Also the Fords GPA were quite common in the Red Army, they often used them as ordinar ross-country cars due to lack of jeeps.
Happy searching,
Jan.

[Jan Mostek]

When Russians arrived to Czecholsovakia, they must have been pretty hungry (I remember it from another such invasion in 1968). This picture taken in May 1945 shows how the logistics worked. Anyway, here is the G8T in all hers beauty... Note also the five stud wheels.
Happy searching,
Jan.

[Jan Mostek]

The picture shown below is mentioned in Russian sources as a G8T fitted with Workshop body. I am sure it is not G8T but either Ford (Fordson) 1938 or, more likely, ex-German G917T. Also the workshop body looks too sophisticated to be made by Russians so I presume it was original part of the captured German vehicle. The picture was taken in Hungary, Spring 1945
Happy searching,
Jan.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Excellent pics, Jan, thanks!

Seems there are very few survivors of the approx. 61,000 "Ford-6" delivered to the Soviets. Do you have one hiding in you backyard, Jan? (pic source)

[Jan Mostek]

Well, nice Ford relics, I wish I had something like that (perhaps in a little bit better condition). But you know, always when I talk about the one-to-one scale old military trucks to my wife (or should I say to my boss?) she said I am mad man. So I will probably stay with my models.
Cheers to all who have a pleasure of having the real things,
Jan.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Page scanned from US publication, note the engine model is listed as "2GT".

H.


click for larger image

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Captured Ford truck in North Africa, most likely FC60L.

Source: 2.WK FotoAlbum Panzer " Afrika Korps " Top !!! Artikelnummer: 330037149511

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by David_Hayward in One for Hanno
...was a subsidiary of Ford, Dagenham, and the latter in theory supplied Ford of Romania.

Did Ford Dagenham ever carry the 1942 style cab sheet metal?

Pictured below is a Rumanian Ford, courtesy of Bill Murray (source).

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I will check my 1942 Dagenham i.d. chart in a minute but unless I say otherwise, the answer was "no". They did assemble some 1941 Canadian models: model EC196TFS 3-ton 14’8” 2-speed rear axle and 7.50 x 20 tyres for Canadian Forestry Corps based on the C196T...so they assembled the 1941-style cabs.
Otherwise they had the W0T cab:

W0T2 A GS infantry truck aeroscreens and a sheeted rear body (no tilt frame)
W0T2 B As the A model but with a tilt frame covered rear body referred to as a van body
W0T2 C evolution of the A model, but still with aeroscreens and other small changes.
W0T2 D as the B model, but with windscreen changes again. Still tilt frame and cover.
W0T2 E Infantry truck, fully enclosed cab and full windscreen, wooden body, tilt frame and cover.
W0T2 F As E but without the tilt frame and cover and with a steel body. Still titled infantry truck
W0T2 H Appears similar to the to the E model but possibly with out the tilt frame and cover.
W0T3 11’ 11” 30-cwt.

They also assembled 1940-cab trucks:

EC098TFS 3-ton original designation of C098TFS
EC098UFS as EC098TFS but with Tipping Gear and body based on C098U with 2-speed axle and 10.50 x 16 tyres

[Bill Murray]

Hi Hanno & David:
I cannot recall the history of that 1942 Rumanian Ford exactly but I think it was just posted on a Rumanian modelling site with a lot of others with no comments.

I have no knowledge of 1942 model Fords being done in the UK and suspect it was not done. I would hazard a guess that this vehicle may have been one of those supplied under Lend Lease to Russia that ended up in Rumanian hands. Could have been seconded to them when they were under Russian control or captured from the Russians in the latter stages of the war.
Bill

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

There were no 1942 cab style British Fords thougfh we know that the British received C298TFS FC60L lorries under several Supply-Mechanical Demands, which would have been assembled here in one of the M of S depots.

The diverted R01T ambulances and vans that were destined for Romania from Dagenham had the 1940 front end.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Bill Murray
I have no knowledge of 1942 model Fords being done in the UK and suspect it was not done. I would hazard a guess that this vehicle may have been one of those supplied under Lend Lease to Russia that ended up in Rumanian hands. Could have been seconded to them when they were under Russian control or captured from the Russians in the latter stages of the war.

Bill & David, I could not recall any 1942 US model Fords being assembled at Dagenham, so I agree it must be a Lend-Lease Ford 2GT which somehow trickled down to Rumania.

H.

[cliff]

not sure if these are US built but I found this picture in the AWM data base.

Gambut, Libya. October 1943. Groundstaff in the back of trucks on the way to work on the Hudson aircraft of No. 459 Squadron RAAF.

Neg # MEB0194

Cheers
Cliff

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Ford G8T stake-and-platform in Polish service (source).

[Ian Grieve]

Jan

I am doing the GPA thing on a wet Sunday afternoon. It is always intriguing to see Soviet GPA's in their former glory.

On a quick glance it seemed the coaming of the GPA had been removed, however, it seems it is painted white with the deck and hard to distinguish. There also seems to be a canopy bow on each GPA. Is there a date for the photo?

As a matter of general interest, are there records (official or otherwise), photos, histories, etc of Soviet GPA's available in your part of the world?

Ian

[Jan Mostek]

Well, to answer Ian´s question mentioned above, it is difficult to come by any information about Russian forces. I do not know what is available to the public in Russian right now, but during the Communist regime almost anything regarding army or military equipment was secret. Today it is probably another problem, teh archives simply disappeasred and went to private hands, to the people who want to make some money on publishing picutres etc. So we will be depending on information published in russian books or magazines.

And because this thread is dedicated to the G8T, here is another one, as sderved with Polish unit in russian Red Army as a field ambulance.

Happy searching Jan.

[Mike Kelly]

I have this manual, if anyone wants it

Mike

[Hanno Spoelstra]

I have the same one, printed in the French language. Came from a chap in Belgium.

Printed for French Canadian drivers? Free French drivers? Or post war customers? No printing date is apparent on this manual.

"Anno"

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Jan Mostek
And because this thread is dedicated to the G8T, here is another one, as sderved with Polish unit in russian Red Army as a field ambulance.

Hi Jan,

Excellent pic, seems the body is insulated with a padded blanket - typically Soviet.

Hanno