[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi gals and guys

I'm back after a couple of weeks J-Curve learning about this truck. My findings to date are that this is a FWD Model B manufactured between 1914-1918 by the The Four Wheel Drive Auto Company of Clintonville, Wisconsin, USA or one of its licensed manufacturers namely Peerless of Cleveland, Ohio; Premier of (??); Mitchell of (??) and Kissel of (??). The trucks sold to the UK were without a body that was subsequently designed and fitted by the British.

FWD Model Bs In General

1. 1914 - two truck sent to the UK for evaluation.
2. By end of 1914 - 288 trucks exported to UK and 88 to Russia.
3. By 1915 trucks had been exported to the UK, France, Russia, Spain, Portugal, Brazil and Argentina. The Germans inadvertently obtained seven trucks when they captured a ship.
4. 1916 - 500 trucks were built by Peerless for the UK.
5. 1917-1918 - Kissel, Mitchell and Premier built under licence.
6. End of WW1 - 16000 Model Bs had been built.
7. 2985 Model Bs were bought by the UK of which 1599 were used in France. Eventually most returned to the UK and refurbished by The British Four Wheel Drive Tractor Lorry Company in their factory at Slough, west of London.
8. End WW1 - 8000 trucks in France.

I believe our truck is one of the 2985 that later went through Slough. I'm currently tracking its ownership in Australia and that is also turning out to be really interesting.

I have also managed to secure a photocopy of a July 1917 publication titled "The Handbook of the Three-Ton Truck Chassis F.W.D. Model B1917" written bt the Ordnance Department USA. This was courtesy of members of a UK re-enactment group called the Pershing Doughboys, in particular brothers Steve and Tim Gosling. I can't thank these guys enough so wherever I can I am advertising their assistance to my research.

I've attached an image of what our truck could possibly have looked like. There are differences between the USA ones and those manufactured for the British War Department, but that's another story.

Whilst I'm here, the Gosling brothers have requested a search for the following items, namey solid tyres for lorries? Dunlop stopped making them a couple of years ago. They are after a pair of 720x120 and four 881x120. They are also looking for a differential for a Dennis or Thornycroft Subsidy lorry and a Peerless engine.

I am looking for a Wisconsin or Dorman engine for our truck.

Keep you posted - Bob