Quote:
Originally posted by Larry Hayward
A photo in the IWM archives in London, (NA7702) shows a line of GMC CCKW-353 (or similar GMC CCKW 352's) towing Mk I 17pdrs, waiting for the attack over the River Volturno, Italy, Oct 1943. The photo shows only the rear of the trucks, so I couldn't say which model they were. The rear vehicle carries the unit serial 64 and a vehicle number '53099???.
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Larry, Charles Bogart in 'The 93rd Anti-Tank Regiment' (
AFV News, Vol.32, No.1, January-April 1997, p.8) mentions two batteries of the 93rd Anti-Tank Regiment in Italy, "receiving U.S. 2½-ton trucks in place of the British tractors used for towing their guns" in August 1943. He noted that in June '43 the 93rd converted to a new establishment of four batteries, one self-propelled and three towed, of which one had 17-pounders with Mark II carriages and the other two 6-pounders. Could the picture you mention show units of the 93rd Anti-Tank Regiment?
Also, according to
Andy Talbot, Field Marshal Lord Carver's
Book of the War in Italy; 1943-1945 there is a photo of 352's (or 353's) towing 17 pdr A/T guns through Scarfati on 29 September 1943. It claims they are of 65th AT Regt RA (Norfolk Yeomanry).
Quote:
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The vehicles and guns are painted in a light colour over which a darker grey or green has been painted in a disruptive pattern. I doubt the unit was Canadian but at least it confirms the GMC's use as an Artillery Tractor.
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This could well be the
camouflage scheme introduced in Italy in April 1943, which used bold patterns of black, or SCC7 (a dark olive green), over a base of SCC.5 "Light Mud". Reportedly, this scheme was used by the British only, which would indicate the trucks in your picture are British.
Regards,
Hanno