Dodge Weapons Carrier

[Mike Kelly]

Imagine your safety officer today .... seeing this sight

[Mike Kelly]

result of air attack, Darwin area .

[Mike Kelly]

Four Jills in a ... Dodge , not Jeep

[Mike Kelly]

2

[Mike Kelly]

From memory , the caption said this scene is St Kilda Road , Melbourne . looks like WAAAF's running around . Must have forgotten their hair spray or lipstick.

[Ryan]

Jack, Cliff, sorry to burst the bubble but take a look at these close ups.

Remains of US star?

[Ryan]

The remains of perhaps two serial numbers?
Some numbers do look larger than others.

[JackM]

Originally posted by Mike Kelly
2

Cliff/Mike,

thanks for those pics.

The RAAF seem to have operated a surprising number of command cars, but the photos of Aust Army WCs are still rare, although the photo here would appear to show one (again another command car - RAAF ???) with chains on it, negotiating the mud of PNG.

Still no cam paint examples.



Jack

[Ryan]

USA.

[JackM]

Originally posted by rynoki
Jack, Cliff, sorry to burst the bubble but take a look at these close ups.

Remains of US star?

Ryan,

Thanks for the close up - without doubt, this was a US vehicle at one time in its history.


Jack

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Ryan
Don't worry too much about the American markings, that's how the vehicle would have arrived in Oz. Look at the remains of the two serial numbers, one has to be American whilst the other could be Aussie. This is where a careful wet rub all over the vehicle should be utilised before you sand blast the whole lot into oblivion.
Bob

[Mike Kelly]

Ryan

Your truck may be a post war import from Europe . Sounds wacky , but don't laugh . I and others have heard stories /rumours to support this theory . Back in the 1970's I was talking to a guy at the Diamond creek fair , the VMVC used to go there each year . He was saying that in the 1950's , he worked for the SEC or Railways .. can't recall which . Anyway , he said he was working in a vehicle garage where Dodge weapons carriers were being refurbished for use . He said they came from Europe plastered with U.S. markings on them . And some of them had naughty pictures stuffed under the seats !

A VMVC member purchased an original WC51 , unpainted in original livery , again in the 70's , covered in ETO markings .. lots of stars . U.S. stars on vehicles were generally not widely seen in this part of the world , SW Pacific .

[Ryan]

Bob, Mike,
I'll be heading back to where I purchased this truck at some stage and I'll have another talk with the original owner to see if he can shed some more light on its post war history.
Regards.

[lynx42]

Ryan,
If you go out at dusk with your flash camera, dampen the area you want to highlight, then take a flash photo, you'll be surprised how the pigment in the numbers lights up.
Give it a try, I've been doing it for years with a fair amount of success.

One Dodge W/C restored in the Rutherglen area a few years ago, had the Allied Star surrounded by a Yellow circle. This I believe was the correct markings for "Operation Husky" the invasion of Sicily in July 1943. The owner unfortunately didn't copy it when he repaintd it and just put a White circle around the star.

Regards Rick

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

result of air attack, Darwin area .

Same picture, but in better quality:

[motto]

It's only word of mouth but Angus MacDonald, a WW2 Australian Army veteran who went on to become a post war ex government vehicle and parts dealer told me that Dodge WCs were supplied by the Australian Army for use by mortar crews. Angus had spent his time in the army as an infantryman and saw service in the islands (Borneo, Balikpapan?) and knew what he was talking about.
Simon Allen purchased a WC52 off a farm in the Bandianna area only a couple of years ago and it had the star on the bonnet and what seems to be a fairly standard RHD conversion which appears to be the case with most, if not all WCs found in Victoria. This only lends weight to the commercial post war import story but doesn't negate the wartime use of WCs by Australian forces.

David

[Mike Cecil]

Both 1/2 and 3/4 ton Dodge Weapon Carriers were used by the Army and RAAF. Most went to the RAAF, which also received almost all of the Command Cars.

I have no records of the RAN receiving any, at least not by legal inter-service transfer!

There were also examples in use with RNEI Forces in Australia: I remember seeing one, a winch model 3/4 ton Weapon Carrier, in a shed in Qld around 2005, battered but very restorable, with RNEIAF markings.

Mike

[Mike Kelly]

The Canadian cycle Co. of Melbourne were selling surplus Weapons Carriers just after the war . At Corowa , a chap came up to us with paperwork , his dad bought a WC from CCC , he showed us the receipt and also the sales blurb. He was restoring the Dodge and he was asking about joining the VMVC ..I don't know if he did but I've never seen him since that day .

[jack neville]

Did this WC get restored?

[Mike Kelly]

Originally Posted by jack neville

Did this WC get restored?

The chap was showing us pics of his restoration, he also bought some Dodge WC stuff from dinger Belfield . I recall Ian Jarrott was talking to him at length. It must have been 2005 as I was there that year.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Both 1/2 and 3/4 ton Dodge Weapon Carriers were used by the Army and RAAF. Most went to the RAAF, which also received almost all of the Command Cars.

I have no records of the RAN receiving any, at least not by legal inter-service transfer!

There were also examples in use with RNEI Forces in Australia: I remember seeing one, a winch model 3/4 ton Weapon Carrier, in a shed in Qld around 2005, battered but very restorable, with RNEIAF markings.

Would the latter be this one? http://mapleleafup.net/forums/showthread.php?t=8642

Can you explain the blue colour? It must have been a colour available for painting aircraft, used by the ground crews to tart up their truck..

[Mike Cecil]

Not the same vehicle I saw, Hanno. The one I saw/was shown was in faded Olive Drab with RNEIAF markings.

Cannot explain the blue. The RAAF were committed to camouflage painting throughout the war, but by late 1944/ early 1945 in Australia things began to ease off, and more latitude seems to have been tolerated. Don't have a clue about RNEIAF policy, though.

Mike

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Not the same vehicle I saw, Hanno. The one I saw/was shown was in faded Olive Drab with RNEIAF markings.

Cannot explain the blue. The RAAF were committed to camouflage painting throughout the war, but by late 1944/ early 1945 in Australia things began to ease off, and more latitude seems to have been tolerated. Don't have a clue about RNEIAF policy, though.

That would make at least two of them. Would you happen to have any pictures, or a contact?

RNLEIAF policy's must have been the same as Australian ones, as for example 18 (NEI) Squadron first was an RAAF Squadron, and only later became part of the Netherlands East Indies Air Force, but still under RAAF command. As far as equipment and painting thereof, they must have been largely - if not completely - the same as RAAF units.

I think the blue was not official, it was most likely a local initiative based on the time and paint available. Who knows, it was the Squadron Commander's personal ride or some-such?

[Mike Cecil]

Sorry, Hanno - too long ago now. I was still shooting film in those days (circa 2001-2002) and don't have clue which roll they would be in, but will look and see if I can locate them. I do remember the shed was very cramped, so the shots were close up reference shots of the markings more than anything else.

Mike

[George McKenzie]

May I suggest to you .Don't do a 100 point resto on this .Just get it running and drive it that way .you will get a lot more attention that way .My M38 is just like it came from the army with a few dents and the markings ,Great conversation piece and I like it that way .

[Mike Kelly]

.......................................

[Mike Kelly]

SEC Dodge
https://collections.museumsvictoria....fmCi9jrk60tSVI

https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-140759568/view

https://territorystories.nt.gov.au/10070/434241
https://territorystories.nt.gov.au/10070/434249