[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Nuyt, I can answer your query with certainty in part. That is that immediately after the fall of France the French Government formally assigned all contracts outstanding to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I believe that a similar arrangement applied to the Belgian and Dutch Governments thigu I have yet to see anything in files. On top of that, there were seizures on the High Seas of trucks destined for Danmark albeit that they were to be sent on to Norvege and Sverige. This latter accounted for several hundred Chevrolets and there was an almighty fuss over that created by GM in New York with the British Government! In addition I know of some Opels that were seized by the Royal Navy and then auctioned off at the quayside virtually in Southampton.

Now, that general assignment applied to trucks as well as tractors etc. in transit as well as not yet shipped. Some shipments were diverted, e.g. White and White-Ruxtell, to the Mid-East for N African assembly. Other contracts were avoided if required or delivery was taken by the NY Purchasing Commission and then sold off on the civilian market. e.g. fuel tanks for Whites.

In addition, a quantity of GMCs and Chevrolets arrived at La Rochelle all crated up, rather than in Port de Paris and these were intended for the French forces still fighting after the fall of Paris. However after the surrender the Germans found these CKD units and then had them shipped to Antwerpen/Anvers for assembly. I cannot comment on anything other than the Chevrolets and GMCs but these were indeed assembled in Antwerpen/Anvers for the Low Countries, and indeed some crated vehicles wre damaged on the dockside by the Luftwaffe. GM France assembled all GM vehicles. The official history states that Gennevilliers Plant was requisitioned by the military authorities soon after war was declared and then released many of the workmen from the Army so that urgent assembly of the 2,000 GMC trucks could commence. The order managed to get through to France 'early in 1940' and 450 men worked 12-hour shifts 7 days per week assembling trucks, with 60 per day being produced on June 11. Orders for 7,000 Chevrolet and GMC trucks and 480 Detroit-Diesel generator sets never reached France, and the trucks and 'much of the Diesel material were later transferred to the British Army'.

Gennevilliers was evacuated June 11, and then all men aged between 18 and 48 were ordered to make their way to a predermined rendezvous at Marcilly-en-Villette. All through the last night of June 10 & 11, the employees worked to assemble as many of the last 250 GMC trucks with which to move equipment out of danger.

In addition to the GM contracts there were of course the Ford ones. Dagemham assembled the Models E01Y, E01T, E018T, and 01A from diverted US Ford components.