GM Otter in Italy
 

The photo has to show an Otter in Italy as it has traces of the red & white recognition marking on the front and the RAF style roundal on the upper front of the hull. Also the terrain looks like Italy and nothing like Northern France. Having seen a few photos of British Army Otters in Italy 1943-45 I would guess that this is from a Canadian Army unit.

Out of interest in the enlarged photo it looks like there is a chalk swastika below the smoke discharger !

Larry Hayward

MVT Member

Otter
 

Hi Larry , this Otter was definately in Italy and the marking under the smoke discharger is a cross. This was painted on vehicles to represent the enemy in excercises.However this is mostly seen on vehicles used on Pre-invasion excercises in the UK before D-Day.Maybe this was general practice at the time in all theatres?
James

Larry just found another photo of a turretless Otter - see GM Otter with the RAF Regt in India / Burma in WW2.

Found some new info about this photo:

"Privates W.G. Skidstrup and A.A. Annala working on a scout car of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division near Apeldoorn, Netherlands, 19 April 1945

Credit: Lieut. Christopher J. Woods / Canada. Dept. of National Defence / Library and Archives Canada / PA-116322"

Seems the Otter in the brambles is the same as shown in the pic below. This picture was taken at the Museum Musée Août 44, Falaise (France).

I Saw Monsieur Leloup last Summer and he allowed me into the compound to view the Otters. Both are missing engines and gearboxes and the interiors have been stripped out. The far one has sustained some very serious battle damage, the whole roof is blown in and along the armour by the driver a large strip of armour has been pealed back where it was hit.
Whilst there he also showed me his Panther and the trailer to go with the newly restored Famo half track.

Here's the other damage!

Seen them!
 

James, Hanno,
I too have been to see those Otters. Well, not specifically, but when you see two you have to take photographs. I'll stick one on that I'm quite chuffed with, its what is left of the front of to one of them. I did film it, but I can't get that off the camcorder, so it ain't going on here!

Dirk´s turretless Otter has been sold to a collector in Holland, who is well underway with it´s restoration:

http://www.surfacezero.com/g503/data...mbs/Otter1.jpg http://www.surfacezero.com/g503/data.../otter_003.jpg

The new owner is looking for as many pictures of Otter Recce Cars in use in Holland as can be found - who can help?

Thanks,
Hanno

Found some pictures from beeldbankwo2.nl on my hard drive. All were taken in Holland; go to the site and punch in the picture numbers to find the details about where & when.

Hanno

Then and now!

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/at...3&d=1169323686 http://www.surfacezero.com/g503/data..._nieuw_002.jpg

At first glance this looks like a turretless Otter but I think it has a tarp or similar over it?

Picture taken during the liberation of Ommen, The Netherlands.

Source: http://www.oudommen.nl/bevrijding-van-ommen/

I knew that photo and museum name were familiar. The museum closed and the collection was auctioned earlier this year. Hanno posted a thread on it.

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...661#post178661

Another turretless? one in Italy

Caption: Chevrolet Otter crossing a Bailey bridge over the Volturno river at Grazzanise in October 1943

Attachment 58603
Source: http://panzerserra.blogspot.de/2013/...reda-20mm.html

Otters appear briefly in these Pathe films:

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/crossing-the-volturno
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/it...ops-and-people
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/te...n-in-palestine

Otter Tyres
 

Ok, another question, the Otter book calls for 9.00x16's, would 10.50x16's be too big for the rims? Also would US NDT's be appropriate to use, or should they be UK bar grip/track grip?

This picture the tyres definitely look bigger than 9.00's

Otter
 

More pics... of Otters

Attachment 59502 Attachment 59503 Attachment 59504 Attachment 59507 Attachment 59506

We know the turretless Otter in the background of the photo above was bought by a MLU member, but where did the turreted one go?

I thought it went to the MM Park France museum, but comparing pictures (below, courtesy of Pierre Olivier), this isn't the same one.

So, where did Mr. Leloup's second Otter go?

Attachment 91012

We know the turretless Otter in the background of the photo above was bought by a MLU member, and hopefully restoration started within the next year... :thup2: maybe they got it for parts or for a project...

Would that be you? Please keep us posted!

Will you go the "battle damage repair" route when restoring?

After some research the 2nd Otter (turreted one) did goto MM Park, La Wantzenau (France), it is currently in their garage.

Restoration page
 

Another turretless Otter, courtesy of Jordan Baker:

I had the same picture lined up for publication on MLU. it's a picture taken in "t Zandt", Netherlands 1945. source: https://beeldbankwo2.nl/nl/

Attached is another turretless Otter. Picture taken in Vierakker, Netherlands 1945. source:https://www.geldersarchief.nl/

Alex

Turretless Otter in Italy
 

Another turretless Otter, used as a pack mule:

Attachment 112201

Men of the 5th Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment, in the town of Portomaggiore, Italy, April 1945
Photograph, World War Two, Italy (1943-1945), 1945.

The 5th Battalion was part of the 11th Infantry Brigade and served throughout the campaigns in Sicily and Italy, ending the war with crossing the Italian border into Austria. Portomaggiore is located near Ferrara in Emilia-Romagna.

From a collection of British official war photographs relating to the 78th Division.

NAM Accession Number
NAM. 1999-03-88-126

Copyright/Ownership
National Army Museum, Out of Copyright

Location
National Army Museum, Study collection

Object URL
https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail....1999-03-88-126

"1st Canadian inf div, Heemraadssingel, Rotterdam, May 1945"

Attachment 121914

Source: Rotterdam City Archives - https://hdl.handle.net/21.12133/3184...6607AD104A58DF

GM Otter A/Car
 

Great colour photo! I wonder what colour the vehicle is in as it looks to be slightly glossy?

According to my references it should be SCC. 15 and at this late stage no need for any black disruptive camo.

Factory pics

more factory pics

Great pics. Most certainly a prototype. Note the back has a vision port instead of the arms for the radio antenna mounts and there are no interior fittings. The nose was also changed on production models. The civilian license plate and buildings put this at the GM plant in Oshawa circa 1941.

RAF Regiment
 

“Otter light reconnaissance vehicles of an RAF Regiment field squadron contingent make a detour near a wrecked bridge destroyed by retreating German troops, during a patrol outside Thessaloniki, Greece, 1944.
SOURCE/CREDIT: Trievnor J (Flt Lt) Royal Air Force official photographer/© IWM CNA 3277”

Attachment 127828