Indian Pattern bodies

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Over the years, we have seen quite a few CMPs trucks with “Indian Pattern” bodies. These are not official designations, but a name given to all MCP and CMP truck with bodies which were built in India.

The Indian Army was a large user of MCP and CMP vehicles – see Revised 1942 S/M Contracts Listing – and assembled both complete vehicles knocked down for shipping, but also chassis/cowls with locally made cabs and /or bodies.

My interest is in gathering information about the Indian Pattern bodies for modelling and restoration purposes. These bodies were of composite construction, consisting mainly of wood with angle iron reinforcements, similar to military truck bodies as manufactured in Great Britain at the day.

For now I’m focusing on the CMP range of vehicles with these wooden bodies.

15-cwt: both 4x2 and 4x4 – see Indian Pattern 15-cwt GS truck

FAT: Chevrolet CGT and Ford FGT – see Indian Pattern FAT

[Hanno Spoelstra]

3-ton GS truck: today, I found some new pictures on the IWM website of 3-ton GS trucks with bodies of the same construction:


Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205208610
IWM SE 6742.jpg
"Under close supervision, Japanese prisoners of war load a lorry with crates of munitions from the former Japanese ammunition store in limestone caves at Batu, Selangor State, near Kuala Lumpur. These bombs and shells were later dumped at sea in the Straits of Malacca."


Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205208991
IWM SE 7463.jpg
"Japanese prisoners of war sit in the shade of lorries they have just loaded with some of the 100 tons of supplies flown daily into the city of Bandoeng by Dakota aircraft of 31 Squadron, Royal Air Force. Due to ambushes and sabotage by Indonesian nationalists on the roads between Batavia and Bandoeng, the only secure supply route to the latter city was by air."


Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205209018
IWM SE 7517.jpg
"Transport of the 2nd Battalion, Frontier Force Rifles (26th Indian Division) that carried men and material to establish a strongpoint just outside the British held sector of the town of Medan in Sumatra."


Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205209016
IWM SE 7515.jpg
"Troops of the 2nd Battalion, Frontier Force Rifles (26th Indian Division) unload material from their vehicles to construct strongpoints just outside the British held sector of the town of Medan in Sumatra."


Always interested to learn more about the construction and use of these truck bodies!

Thanks,
Hanno

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

3-ton GS truck:

Here's one more photo of a 3-tonner:

Originally Posted by nuyt

I am not sure if this is any use to you Hanno, they are from beeldbank: 459846 and 463135.

Edited to add missing photos:

459846.jpg 463135.jpg
Source: Dutch National Archives (http://proxy.handle.net/10648/aefe67...8-003048976d84 | http://proxy.handle.net/10648/af085a...8-003048976d84)

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Some more 3-tonners, linked from CMPs in Asian campaigns:

Originally Posted by Les Freathy

Also in Burma this 3 ton CMP with soft top and high sided wooden body

Originally Posted by Les Freathy

A 3 tonner with local body note the short overhang at the rear could this have been designed as a gun tractor, and are those truck side panels on the upper slope of the makeshift bridge

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Repost of an earlier reply in Bombay Chev, now with updated link and screenshot:

https://www.britishpathe.com/video/V...HAH-TAKES-OATH

Originally Posted by Nick Balmer

Hello Hanno,

The same file on the following frame has a very good overhead shot of a CMP Number 11 cab?

http://imagen.britishpathe.com/scrip...00000009&sif=0

This must be a very early example of an Indian Pattern body on a CMP chassis, as distinct from a militarised civilan chassis.

I beleive the troops are Madras Sappers and Miners, as the type of turban they are wearing was I beleive unique to them.

Regards

Nick Balmer

"Thanks Nick, excellent shot of a type of CMP I have never seen before. Must be an Indian assembled one, as it has typical features like the soft top cab without windshield and basic angle-iron-and-wood GS cargo body. This must have been the forerunner of the other Indian pattern 15-cwt CMP you spotted on Pathé."

VLVA3KH33I1EC138MQZZNHRF4CLCJ_1.jpg

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

15-cwt: both 4x2 and 4x4 – see Indian Pattern 15-cwt GS truck

I am re-posting these pictures here as the thread linked above is now missing.

From what I can see these Indian Pattern 15-cwt bodies had the same dimensions as the No1 Australian body, and were very similar in construction.

22089279_10155034225972939_5530197811101731850_n.jpg
Source: https://flic.kr/p/d9qznQ

22047865_10155034224792939_5994359432423784599_o.jpg
Courtesy of Colin Picket

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Another Indian Pattern 15-cwt truck lurking in the background.

"Marmon-Herrington armoured cars in the streets of Aleppo, 22 July 1941."

The_British_Army_in_the_Middle_East_1941_E4409.jpg
Source: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/i...ject/205203562

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Here's an interesting variation. 1938 model Ford truck with Indian made body, this has a higher sides than other Indian bodies.

As with many vehicles in the North African desert, these were captured by the German Army.

Ford DAF -059a.jpg

Ford DAF -059b.jpg

[Lynn Eades]

Hi Hanno, If it is any use to anybody the carrier in post #2 is an Armoured O.P.MkIIIw that would likely have rolled out from the Dagenham Ford plant in Jan 1942.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

For now I’m focusing on the CMP range of vehicles with these wooden bodies.

15-cwt: both 4x2 and 4x4 – see Indian Pattern 15-cwt GS truck

The original (now missing) thread included a link to this July 2006 article in Hemmings Classic Car: https://www.hemmings.com/blog/articl...-ball-express/

It makes for interesting reading, although GM Canada's effort is grossly neglected. One remark is all they get:

"General Motors of Canada’s Chevrolet Division was extensively involved in the war effort as well, building a forward-control utility vehicle on a 101-inch wheelbase–with a bowtie on the radiator cover, no less–that was widely used by British, Canadian and Australian forces throughout the war."

But the article contains some previously unseen pictures. I wonder what else is lurking in the archives....


47870.jpg
"GM of Canada’s Chevrolet engineers designed AWD trucks for Brits and Aussies"


47877.jpg
"For jungle use, Chevrolet produced 4×4 ambulances with high-floatation tires"


47867.jpg

[Tony Smith]

Except that the "AWD Trucks" and the "4x4 Ambulances" shown are both 4x2 vehicles.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Tony Smith

Except that the "AWD Trucks" and the "4x4 Ambulances" shown are both 4x2 vehicles.

Yeah... and they weren't made "for jungle use" either.

[Alex van de Wetering]

3-ton GS truck: today, I found some new pictures on the IWM website of 3-ton GS trucks with bodies of the same construction:

Quite a few of these found their way into Dutch service in the East Indies so it seems!

source: https://nimh-beeldbank.defensie.nl

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Note the wooden Indian Pattern body, indicating this C15 was assembled in India.

"Chevrolet C15 4x2 truck towing fuel bowsers at an airfield in Burma, 27th March 1945. It belongs to a formation using 33 Indian Corps' sign. Probably an AOP Flight/Squadron, combined Army/RAF."

162049399_10222352019022951_5444747141787128291_o.jpg

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

Quite a few of these found their way into Dutch service in the East Indies so it seems!

Indeed - here is another one in 1947 at Wonokromo, Soerabaja, Java.
It looks like a late F60L with the Indian made wooden GS body pressed into service as a water tanker.

2174-1674_cropped.jpg
Source: Netherlands Institute for Military History (https://nimh-beeldbank.defensie.nl/f...3-0fa0d2c44da6)

[Hanno Spoelstra]

From the Time Life archives: "Singapore On Tin And Rubber | Date taken: 1941 | Photographer: Carl Mydans"


Fordson WOT with Indian Pattern body:
57595787320a7e62_large.jpg
Source: https://images.google.com/hosted/lif...7320a7e62.html

Plus another Ford:
b0b084c8ac43ac74_large.jpg 7277e44bcd1b6ba2_large.jpg
Source: https://images.google.com/hosted/lif...8ac43ac74.html