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Chevys of the Indian Long Range Patrol
I would like to start the discussion about this hardly known "Special Unit". They are mentioned in line with the LRDG and were probably similar to LRDG patrols - but not much is known about them at all.
Don't expect that anybody would come up now with their history - but would like to ask about the Chevs in below pictures; are they WA 30cwt? They look somehow small.... |
#2
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I could only find out a vague statement telling that they were equipped similar as the LRDG patrols. Any information regarding the trucks in the pics above?
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#3
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Wa
They look as though they have the 1940 deeper top grille bit, so are 1940 Models, WA I think rather than 1939 Models. I don't believe that these were supplied by General Motors India Ltd in Bombay, and shipped but rather those assembled to WD order in GM Near East, Alexandria. If they were Indian Army then I believe that they were paid for by the WD through the Treasury in London: AIF and NZEF, plus the SADF were allocated vehicles and were then paid for by the respective Dominion Governments.
L 39000 to 39515 Contract V 3352 LORRY 30 CWT. 4 X 2 GS / WATER TANKERS: 266 UNITS GS AND 84 WATER 133-INCH WHEELBASE Last edited by David_Hayward (RIP); 11-12-08 at 10:41. |
#4
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...the manufacturing / assembling of allied trucks will always remain one of the big misteries of WW2 to me ;-)
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#5
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David,
I am very interested in who's up who and who pays the rent during the 20's,30's and particularly WW2. It seems very convoluted with all sorts of purchase, lease, trade and loan schemes in operation. From what I understand India had a stand-alone budget fully sourced from within India despite being a British possession at the time. Of course right to the moment Mountbatten stepped onto the last boat out of town the British continued milking the country. It would seem that even in the most expensive times, such as fighting the Indian Mutiny, Britain did not have a single year in the red on her best investment by far. I have read many accounts of the Indian treasury paying for equipment and activities during the early 20th century period. The most notable was when the British were involved in Iraq just after the First World War in circumstances almost identical to the current debacle. Churchill, in one of his numerous political reincarnations, decided the operation was sending UK broke and they could not afford to maintain a huge force in Iraq in an unpopular endless campaign. The simple solution was to withdraw the British troops and order the Indians to replace them (at India's expense). Churchill is recorded as boasting of this sleight of hand as maintaining British presence at someone else's expense! The point of my comments are, no matter who actually paid the factory for the trucks, I am sure the Indians finished up with the final bill in the same manner as the dominions. Lang |
#6
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If you carefully look at the close up.... that's a 13" wheel and they are 900 -13" tyres .
They seem to be on the 113" wheelbase . The AWM has nice pics of those model Chevs... could be these ? Mike
__________________
1940 cab 11 C8 1940 Morris-Commercial PU 1941 Morris-Commercial CS8 1940 Chev. 15cwt GS Van ( Aust.) 1942-45 Jeep salad |
#7
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I think you have a winner Mike.
Lang |
#8
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Indian forces
Lang, you may be right...but the information I have from various papers acquired over the years does suggest that the War Office were responsible for the Indian Army and as regards vehicles, they were to be responsible for payment.
Now, two files come to mind in the National Archives that are of relevance here: a) A Treasury Exchange Requirements Committee file which relates to providing dollars to pay for the Egyptian Chevrolets. b) A file relating to vehicles assembled for Afghanistan paid for by the Afghan Government Purchasing Commission inn New York including in 1940-41, which were assembled by Ford and GM of India in Bombay. These were US-sourced and assembled by the respective subsidiaries: Fords were a GM OF CANADA subsidiairy, which itself was only partly-owned by Ford of Dearborn, although GM India was a subsidiary of the New York GM Corporation. This tying-up of assembly capacity, which the companies rigourously defended, rankled the WO and yet nothing could be done. That is until a decisionn was made that all output was required for the war effort, that the Afghans could 'poke it' and be paid for their purchases which would be diverted to the British (for the Indian Army and British Army in India). It rankled that these vehicles were being assembled in Bombay then driven north over the Khyber Pass..and there was concern that German agents were around as well. |
#9
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Text from my draft Thesis
Herewith from two files in fact:
Quote:
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#10
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Dagenham exports
I wonder, on reflection, what vehicles Ford at Dagenham sent to India? CKD presumably, but what type? Presumably W0T models?
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#11
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More info
This is what happened to the intended Bombay deliveries:
Quote:
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#12
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Final info
I am now checking my papers from a duty filing cabinet but here's the balance for you for the moment:
Quote:
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#13
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David,
This is very interesting. I wonder if the diversion to the Australians was a finger in the dyke attempt to put off the day UK became US Dollar (and in fact gold) bankrupt, which would have been about this time. I think Australia had used up most of its US dollar credits also but still had gold reserves which could be spent for the great cause. India on the other hand would have been milked for every last dollar and international gold credit by the Home Government and had none to pay GM and Ford. GM and Ford had no illusions about the credit-worthiness of their customer and it was only good business sense for them to demand cash on delivery. Roosevelt's Lend Lease saved the day and the rest is history. I can see why the Canadians were getting uppity with a threat of being sucked into the British financial quicksand. This probably bores the rest of the MLU mob but I think it is really fascinating. |
#14
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Bust!
Lang, have a read of my online research paper:
http://www.gmhistorian.btinternet.co...IANDOLLARS.htm I am wading through papers now not touched for years. This the thing: you note verything down at the time and then nin due course, armed with more information from other sources, it begind to make more sense or answers queries that were not resolved previously. Whilst I beaver away here's two titbits to make you think: a) From a 27th June 1940 Memo: Quote:
My comments in a footnote were: Quote:
Quote:
b) Priority changed by even mid-August 1940 even whilst the BofB was raging, and thought was being given to the Mid-East as well as the invasion of Europe in 1942: Quote:
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#15
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Dont forget my picture collection of Indian Pattern vehicles at:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/33033...ian+WW2+trucks Enjoy! |
#16
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Back to top…
Very interesting to read the writings of the late David Hayward again. All those intricate dealings and global supply chains working in the background to supply the troops with the vehicles they needed. Fascinating. The vehicles at the top of the page are indeed 1940 Model Chevrolet 1311X3 15-cwt 4x2 trucks. More information on the Indian Long Range Squadron (ILRS) has since became available, see http://www.lrdg.org/indian-long-range-patrol.html for example. Plus some footage recently uploaded on YT: https://youtu.be/8EzmdQ5tvQo
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Regards, Hanno -------------------------- |
#17
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...but I am afraid the newsreel on youtube has nothing to do with the ILRS :-(
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#18
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Quote:
It is hard to find info on this unit indeed.
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Regards, Hanno -------------------------- |
#19
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Irls
Quote:
__________________
Regards, Hanno -------------------------- |
#20
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Indian Troops In Africa (1941)
Quote:
Quote:
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Regards, Hanno -------------------------- |
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