Chevrolet photos wanted

[Lang]

I have bought a Chevrolet Panel Delivery to take to Normandy next year. I can find no photos of them even in the background. I would appreciate anything to try to find out their uses.

I have found out a bit about production 1941-47 almost unchanged. They came with painted or chrome grille in civilian service but strangely all the military ones were delivered in olive drab or navy grey with chrome grille. They may or may not have been painted over in service.

Mine is a;

Truck, Panel Delivery, 3/4 ton, 4x2 SNL G-616

The 1/2 ton is almost identical in appearance but SNL G-612

These have nothing in common with the larger 1 1/2 ton Chevrolet 4x4 dual wheel panel truck except the rear body.

On the right is a factory photo of the carryall version of my van - note the chrome grille.

Lang

Chev Shed2.JPG Chev carryall.jpg

[Owen Evans]

Slightly different makes/models, which I guess would have served the same purposes as your truck; might give you a few ideas. The 1939 Chev "sally bash" version (2nd photo) looks interesting.

There's a few panel vans of varying types on this site, mixed in with some nice CMP pictures:

http://silverhawkauthor.com/mobile-s...-rcaf_481.html

In the 'standard military motor vehicles' data book, the later 1/2 ton dodge panel truck is identified as "to transport light cargo"..

Nice project!

Owen.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Lang,

Great vehicle and great to hear you plan on coming over to Normandy, again!

Did you check the extensive LIFE picture collection posted here?: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Radio.WW...os/?tab=albums

There are some early war albums with pictures taken in the US, that often show very interesting, and rare, vehicles.

Alex

[Lang]

Thanks Owen and Alex

This gives me a few clues. Best I have found is a 9th Air Force "Flight Line Photographic Laboratory" - they got the film from the gun cameras on the tarmac and started developing them on the way back to the debriefing.

There is a photo of an International Metro van with that writing and the back of what looks like my vehicle parked beside it. Could be from the photographic unit or just the catering vehicle delivering sandwiches!

I will find something suitable.

Mike O'Sullivan (who drove his C15A to Normandy from Istanbul with us) is restoring the same type of Panel Delivery except his is a Dodge SNL G-613.
We are doing the work on both vehicles in his workshop in Texas then will ship together to Europe in May next year.

Any other brilliant suggestions always welcome.

Lang

[cletrac (RIP)]

Regarding the chrome, the US and Canada quit using chrome on vehicles from 1942 to 1945 since it was needed for more important stuff at the time.

[Lang]

Cletrac

That was the general policy but there were many civilian model based vehicles still produced with limited chrome trimming, including the Chev Panel and Carryall. Many of the Dodges also had the vertical centre strips still chrome while the rest of the bars reverted to paint.

Here are some photos of a group of new Chevrolet staff cars in New Guinea in 1944 all with chrome grilles. The posed factory photos of the chrome grille Carryall and Pickup are dated October 42. I suppose they would have had thousands of chrome grilles in the system when the stop order came. Maybe they decided to use them on the light truck orders? Most of these would have been for US home issue or at least rear areas.

Lang

[Lang]

Best photo so far of a Chevrolet in use but a Carryall not very useful! It has chrome hubcaps.

Aberdeen Proving Ground 1943

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Again that carry all, plus another example of a military Chevrolet truck with shiny bits!

id_chevy_early_700_01.jpg id_chevy_early_700_02.jpg

[Les Freathy]

Not sure from where these came from but interesting RAF adaption

[Alastair Thomas]

They are pictures of my Father, Hank Thomas, taking delivery of an outside broadcast truck in Egypt.
In addition to his responsibilities for all radars from Sfax to Basra, and from Istanbul to Mombasa, once war ended he was also responsible for some (all?) Forces Broadcasting in Egypt.
Prior to receiving this Chevrolet, he had been using a Humber and other vehicles. In one of these he covered the anniversary of the relief of Tobruk and on the way back to Cairo his driver muffed a gear change and snapped the pinion in the back axle. Thinking that it was no big deal, they changed to 4-wheel drive intending to continue by using the front axle. However they discovered that the front propshaft had been removed. Although they were surrounded by smashed up vehicles they could not pinch a propshaft as they had no tools. It was 3 days before they were rescued.
Below is a picture of his faithful Humber in Sinai and some of his trip to Tobruk. The tank is a Fiat-Ansaldo L6-40, the plane is a wrecked Heinkle HE111 and the shell is a 14" naval one.
I wrote all this up including all his journeys into the Egyptian and Libyan deserts in a private publication for my family so can enlarge on this if anyone is interested.
Alastair
F60S
LynxI MkIII*

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Alastair Thomas

I wrote all this up including all his journeys into the Egyptian and Libyan deserts in a private publication for my family so can enlarge on this if anyone is interested.

Fascinating - yes, please!

[Les Freathy]

Indeed i am with Hanno on that more info would be a great help

[Hanno Spoelstra]

As per Ian Phillips’ message on one of the FB groups:

“One of the innovations used to enhance the realism of the US Army's huge Louisiana Maneuvers of 1941 was the deployment of vehicles fitted with powerful loud-speakers which broadcast amplified "battle" sound effects...explosions, gunfire, the roar of vehicles and the squeak and clatter of tank tracks etc.

Here we see one such vehicle...a Chevrolet panel van with triple speakers mounted on its roof.

(LIFE / Kessel)”

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