11 cab portee/17pdr gun tractor,help!

[Matt]

Hi All
Back on the old forum I posted a question for a friend who has a 11 cab Chevy portee (date of mfr 21 Nov 41,to S/M 2028,cenus No L4595318) the truck was converted later in the war into a 17pdr gun tractor with a wooden GS type body. thanks to David and Hanno we now know a little more about this truck but there are still a couple more questions.

Firstly how many 11 cab portee's were made?

How many of these were converted to 17pdr gun tractors? where and by whom?

Does anyone have any photos of one of these trucks AFTER converson and can anyone tell us which units used these trucks in action after yhey were converted?

Last question,can anyone tell us if the original portee frame for the canvas was cut down and used or was a new one made when the trucks were converted?
TIA!
Matt.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Phew! What a question! The answer is as follows:
L 4594498 to L 4595497 Contract SM 2028 "LORRY 30 CWT. 4 X 4 A/TK PORTEE" .

E.g. # 1844031840 ENGINE # [XR] 3,742,962 # [L] 4594778
and # 1844031840 ENGINE NUMBER XR3,742,962 # L4594778 [NOVEMBER 21 1941]

Another plate: Model 84-40 X2 Serial # 1844031433 ENGINE # XR 3,757,180 PAINT FC98 [IN N.Z.] THIS WAS PROBABLY ONE OF 219 CHEVROLET AND MORRIS AT PORTEES SUPPLIED TO N.Z.
BY 1944

Now rebuilds were allocated H prefixes if they were converted to Tractors: E.g. REBUILD # H 4594682 : IWM PHOTO NA 19787.

That said the census number listing cannot be relied upon as this was for British orders only [i.e. UK delivery]. SOME OF THESE S/M 2028 PORTEES WERE DELIVERED DIRECT TO THE MIDDLE EAST, AND ISSUED E.G. TO THE A.I.F. E.G. L 4623008, L 4623053, L 4623061, L 4623452, L 4623541.

If you thought that the number could be calculated from data plates, regrettably it does not work because GM of Canada produced both C-GT and Portee chassis to the same specification [in theory] and then both chassis were models 8440. All known [by me] 1941 MODEL 8440 chassis of which some of these saving 1844025305 which WAS a C-GT could have been A/Tank portee chassis:

1844010482
1844012843
1844013828
1844013951
1844024391
1844025071
1844025305 ENGINE # XR3,742,940
1844025958
1844031322
1844031330
1844031394
1844031433 A/TANK PORTEE ENGINE # XR3,757,180

1844031681
1844031703
1844031799
1844031825 A/TANK PORTEE ENGINE NUMBER XR3,742,886

1844031840 A/TANK PORTEE ENGINE NUMBER XR3,742,962

1844078896
1844081674

Now the next question to be addressed is whether we know how many were rebuilds to 17-pounder Tractors, and by whom? Again I have no idea but the Morris-Commercial C.8/MG Portees were rebuilt by Morris Commercial Cars Limited to tractors at the end of 1943 in Birmingham. I would imagine that the Ministry of Supply contracted to do the same with the obsolete Chevrolets around the same time. The logical conmpany to undertake this work was General Motors Limited at Cuerdon Mill, Bamber Bridge, near Preston, Lancashire, although Vauxhall Motors Limited at Hendon and Dunstable [the shadow Churchill tank factory] are possibilities, and also the other various M of S contractors as well. I have wondered who converted the 6-pounder C.60L Portees to GS trucks with the # 43 Cab:
L 5216042 to L 5216554 Contract SM 2613 "LORRY 3 TON 4 X 4 A/TK PORTEE"
1942 MODELS BUT THEN REBUILT TO GS BODIES AS OBSOLETE E.G. L 5216493 IWM PHOTO KID 4052.

I would have imagined that the same company undertook this work as the 2-pounder Portees. My money is on GM Limited at Bamber Bridge. Whether any 2-pounder Portees were converted to GS trucks I have no idea and no evidence so far, and suggest that those not shipped out to the Mid-East and then issued to the AIF [which then ended up in Australia?] and those sent to NZ were all converted to 17-pounder tractors. Whether any former British Portees were converted by Holden's perhaps someone can answer.

As to the retention or not of the rear framework, it is possible as this appears to have happened [in part] with the 6-pounder C60L versions. When I can find my copy of Wheels & Tracks with the IWM photo in it of the rebuilt 2-pounder Portee I can say whether the rear body looks as though some of the framing was retained...from memory,but altered to suit.