ABC Chev utility

[Mike Kelly]

A book written about the ABC journalists who reported during WW2 includes chapters about the ABC staff that travelled with the AIF to the Middle East . The ABC staff took two vehicles with them from Australia to the M.E. One of the vehicles was a 1940 Chevy utility with the less common coupe style body, this particular ute was evacuated from Greece, the ship was attacked five times.

Book: VOICES from the AIR was published in 2016. Author Tony Hill.

[Lionelgee]

Hello Mike,

Thank you for posting the photographs. The kindest thing one can write about as a description for "Jumbo" is that it is certainly 'unique' looking. Still, it would be interesting to learn more about its history of manufacture and how many "Jumbos" were made. It is certainly a designed for a very specific purpose build.

Kind regards
Lionel

[Lionelgee]

Hello Mike,

I just found a segment in a newspaper via Trove regarding Jumbo...

Accessed 28, January 2023 from https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12472398. It is a very poor quality photograph not worth posting here. However the caption reads...THE AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING COMMISSION
recording and broadcasting unit which will leave shortly to join the A.I.F. overseas, photographed in Sydney From left: Captain Lawrence H. Cecil, Captain H.Boyle, Warrant-Officer Gallwey, Captain Frank Hurley, and Warrant-Officer W. McFarlane. The spelling of the names could be incorrect due to limitations of the image to text translation software. The newspaper was The Argus (Melbourne Victoria). published on Saturday the 15th of June 1940, Page 5.

Yes - I tracked down a copy of the book and it should be on its way to me shortly.

Kind regards
Lionel

[Mike Kelly]

Originally Posted by Lionelgee

Hello Mike,

I just found a segment in a newspaper via Trove regarding Jumbo...

Accessed 28, January 2023 from https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12472398. It is a very poor quality photograph not worth posting here. However the caption reads...THE AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING COMMISSION
recording and broadcasting unit which will leave shortly to join the A.I.F. overseas, photographed in Sydney From left: Captain Lawrence H. Cecil, Captain H.Boyle, Warrant-Officer Gallwey, Captain Frank Hurley, and Warrant-Officer W. McFarlane. The spelling of the names could be incorrect due to limitations of the image to text translation software. The newspaper was The Argus (Melbourne Victoria). published on Saturday the 15th of June 1940, Page 5.

Yes - I tracked down a copy of the book and it should be on its way to me shortly.

Kind regards
Lionel

Excellent. The van housed the fragile disc recording equipment. They often got very close to the front lines, one ABC journalist being killed at Tarakan.

Some of the recordings have survived and are stored away , probably in the National Film and Sound archives in Canberra. Don't know how to access these recordings, apparently it's like getting oil out of a stone.

I have heard a Chester Wilmot recording that was recorded in Greece, he interviewed a motorcycle dispatch rider on the roadside. The recording van was also got back from Greece which was a miracle.

Another book: https://www.ebay.com.au/p/229604211?iid=182893793392

[Mike Kelly]

The voice of Chester Wilmot

http://crossbandradio.com/unsorted/abc%20a%20war.mp3

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Mike I can only find it as an E-book. Do you have an ISBN for the hardcopy, please?

Thanks
Mike