Hi Lionel,
I can't answer all your questions, but I believe that the two "boards" you see are not boards at all, I think they are possibly called spreader bars, and are basically tubular in shape, with fittings on the end to attach to the towed vehicle. When the towed vehicle is suspended from the crane, the bars each pivot from the centre of the breakdown truck, are chained to the front of the load, and basically form an A frame to keep the towed load firmly spaced from the breakdown truck, stopping it from swinging. That's what they look like to me anyway, someone may know for sure.
If you search for "breakdown" on the AWM site, you will see some of the later Ford breakdown trucks with very similar equipment.
Here's a picture of something similar in use.
Cheers,
Allan
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