Australian Chevrolet books

[Mike K]

A recent find. These are 1941 dated manuals that were printed/issued by GM-H .

The RAAF parts book is for 1941 models but the illustration in the book is of a 1940 model car. The book has a list of the 1941 types supplied for RAAF (and Army ?) use. The 1941 models were a new , revised set of vehicles with a slightly longer wheelbase. The book will be a handy reference to find out what parts will fit the earlier 1940 models.

The owners manuals describe basic maintenance procedures, one has a April 1941 issue date , the other is dated September 1941. No military reference is visible in these books. Maybe these publications were intended for essential user vehicles , and sat in the glovebox.

[Mike K]

Another GM-H Aust. Army parts book , for 1941.

Does the book indicate that GM-H were assembling both Canadian and U.S. sourced Chev. Army trucks as early as 1941 ?

U.S. models AK AL and Y . Apparently the US model nomenclature equates to the same wheelbase of the Canadian models i.e. Canadian model 14 has a 125" wheelbase - US model AL has a 125" wheelbase.

The part number for the U.S. engine is different to the Canadian engine part number.

The larger bore 235 ci engine was a option in the U.S. in 1941 but this was still a dipper oil feed engine, not to be confused with the post-war 235 pressure feed engine.

Strangely, these 1941 GM-H truck parts books include a illustration of a 1940 sedan.

[Mike K]

These GM-H 1940 repair manuals are common , they must have printed a good number of them. The book appears to be a reprint of a Canadian manual but some editing is evident. I've seen these 1940 GMH manuals with grey, green and red front covers. These books are usually well used, with a rough appearance, crinkled front covers and a weak spine, the pages are often loose and can fall out. Price was 4 Shillings and Sixpence.

This edition, the 2nd, has a supplement for 1941 Defence Units . It describes the 18 inch divided wheels. It also describes a few other military mods, i.e., the 15 cwt 1300 model was fitted with the larger 1 Ton I beam front axle. I've seen a 4th edition
of this manual that was published in Oct. 1942

Inside this manual, I found a loose leaf describing tuning information for Canadian DND trucks

[Mike K]

The supplement describes how they changed the inlet valve design in 1941, the valve stem is slightly shorter. There is also differences in the push rod length of 216 engines as they evolved from the first 1937 release.

The heavier front axle is mentioned and the different hubs to accept the 18" wheels. I think the Lockheed brakes they are highlighting, are different to the standard Chevrolet brakes ?

[Mike K]

I found these pics in the GM-H collection which is held by the Sth Australian state library.

1941: Looks like the manufacturing of the 18 inch divided rims ? The large drill press is a 'camel back' model, it is fitted with a recirculating cutting fluid pump. The vertical lathe appears to be profiling or sizing the edge of the rims. They must have used a very large press in order to stamp the rims. Ford Aust. also manufactured 18 inch army rims. I've noticed that a few different styles of these rims were used, the design evolved. The Australian Army went against the grain when they chose to use the odd sized 18" wheels.

[Mike K]

This 1941 article claims the 18 inch wheels will fit Canadian War Office pattern trucks !

[Mike K]

While looking in the red covered GM-H 1940 repair manual, I came across this signature and army service number . He signed his name in a few other pages.

A quick search in the naa system found his records. Archibald Glover was shipped to New Guinea in July 1942, he spent 1 and 1/2 years there . He was transferred to the 158 General Transport Company. His unit was involved in a tragedy in Port Moresby , a B-24 bomber crashed into parked trucks and over 50 people were killed , including members of his unit.

Pic of one of the burnt trucks, an MCP Chevrolet.

The ship he sailed on to New Guinea, the Dutch owned SS Both. https://birtwistlewiki.com.au/wiki/SS_Both

"in 1943 members of 2/33rd Infantry battalion and 158th General Transport Company were waiting at Jackson’s Airfield near Port Moresby, when a B-24 Liberator bomber accidentally crashed among where the 5 trucks were waiting.
62 men were killed and over 90 were injured; 2 men of 158th General Transport Company and 60 from 2/33rd Infantry battalion - a third of the battalion's fatal casualties for the entire war. Eleven members of the American Liberator aircrew also died in the accident."

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Very interesting to read this, Mike! From the manufacturing of wheels to the sadness of needless loss of life. I sometimes wonder if more lives were lost during training and accidents than during actual combat? For the FAA squadron one of my great uncles served in, that was certainly the case