Chevrolet WB Question

[Kuno]

Chevrolet WB Question

Dear specialists. Below photograph shows one of the LRDG / T.Patrols Chevrolets which was shot into fire by the Italians in early 1941 at Jebel Sherif.

Together with a colleague from Italy and another one from NZ I was doing research which hopefully leads to the publication of a book during this year.

We know that the Italians did not investigate the burnt trucks before they left the site. Neither did any of the LRDG return to the place. The first patrol coming to the same location was one of the Free French on 9th. February 1941.

There is nowhere an evidence, who may have removed the engines. But a fact is - they were removed.

If you could confirm that in this picture the engine is removed, then we could take this as a strong indication that such has been done by the Free French.

Most helpful would be a reference photo of another WB with an open bonnet.

[cliff]

mate what is needed is a bigger photo then the thumbnail you have posted. It is hard to tell if the engine has been removed or not due to the shadows and when you blow such a small photo up it distorts.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

It is difficult to say if the engine is missing or not. I did think I could see it still in place. How whould the FF have removed it without at least a portable hoist? Why would they anyway? Just a thought.

[Kuno]

@ Cliff; just click the thumbail and the bigger photo will open.

@ David; a fact is that the engines have been removed. The Italians can be excluded - they did not have Chevrolets down there and there is not the slightest evidence that they had returned to the site.

The G-Patrol and the rest of the T-Patrol did not come to the place any more as well. They went back to Egypt on a route deeper the South.

The Free French came there as the first party after the clash. Although the patrol was driving BEDFORD OY (or something like this), the French had Chevrolets amongst them as well - and they had very long supply lines. So, a reason to remove the engines would have been to win spares...

[cletrac (RIP)]

You couldn't remove the engine without taking off the hood and that angled radiator brace.

[Kuno]

This would mean that if the engine was removed on above picture then the hood etc. should also be removed (nobody would fix it any more at a destroyed truck - except: Think that they were Fench ;-))

Is it this, what you mean?

[cliff]

Kuno the big photo is not much bigger then the thumbnail but I agree with the others about the bonnet and radiator still being in place means the engine is probably still there as well.

[Bill Murray]

Which is not to say that the cylinder head, ancillary stuff etc. could not have been removed.

To my eyes, something is missing but I agree that probably the entire engine block assembly could not be removed from the bottom. On the other hand, that was almost 70 years ago and not many of us have ever removed an engine from a vehicle in the desert.

Bill

[cliff]

you are correct Bill I think something is missing too. Normally from that angle you would see part of the air cleaner and carby sticking up at least but looking at the photo you could be right and the head has been removed. But again it would have been easier to remove it if the bonnet was removed first.

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Kuno

Dear specialists. Together with a colleague from Italy and another one from NZ I was doing research which hopefully leads to the publication of a book during this year.
.

(run Threadjacker 2000.exe)
Kuno, does this mean that B O'C will be publishing another LRDG book? And will you have any input to next year's (Apr 09) Egypt trip?

[Kuno]

@ Tony; yes, we are working on another publication. Actually not a pure LRDG book since the Italians will play an important role as well this time ;-)

I am not aware about next years April trip - but in the final stages for the planning of this years May trip... ...and I am thinking about this years September trip. Next year is still too far away for me.

[Lang]

Kuno,

Just went and looked at my Chev in the backyard from the same angle. I would put money on the engine still being there. You can see the line of the rocker cover. The Chev engines are down low in comparison with the bonnet/hood line. The Carb and Manifolds are on the left side hidden from view.

Lang

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I concur with Lang...I am sure that I can see the carb top and that the engine is there. They are low down or were in the civvy 1939-40 truck models. I would have thought that the FF would have removed anything and everything if they could. I can imagine that distributor, air filter, plugs, etc. would have been taken as they would have been easily removed.

I may be wrong though and just suggest that it appears to me as though the engine is still there. It is however difficult to tell and the suggestion that the FF would have wanted any parts is plausible. I have no idea if they had the facility to remove that engine though without a portable hoist.

[ccooperaus]

Hello all.

It would seem the radiator is still in place. Be nigh impossible to remove engine with it still there?

Charlie

[Kuno]

Ok; your arguments have convinced me. The engines were NOT removed by the French. Actually their report does not mention anything like this but the assumption was brought up by Winston Churchill (the Gradson of the other one) whilst he saw the wreck in the early 1960ies.

Thanks again for your assistance!

[Kuno]

Sorry, I made a mistake: It's a WA not a WB .