GMH ( Australia ) archive items

[Mike K]

This may be of interest to the Aussie readers :

I have on loan a 1/2 hour video colour film made by GMH in 1944 . I think The film was intended to be a PR exercise by GMH , it depicts the various wartime projects GMH were involved in with scenes of each main plant . Fishermens Bend Vic , Woodville SA, Pagewood in NSW and Brisbane .

Some nice shots of CMP's including a row of new Chev C60L's at Fishermens bend . The GMH built 6 pounder AT gun is seen being test fired in SA . The downside is , it was shot on rather low quality film stock , there is no sound track , I suspect it was never released to the public and it is badly over exposed in places and the film shot inside the factories suffers from low light levels .

The video is available from the Sth Aust. state library . GMH still owns the copyright but its available to anyone for personal research etc.

Another item is , I now have a copy of the official GMH War record , the 180 page book published by GMH in 1946 . It details all the 1939-45 wartime projects . Much emphasis is placed on aircraft and gun production but it does go into soft skin vehicles as well.

Mike

[Mike K]

A page from the GMH WAR RECORD book

Of interest is the AT portee pictured and the No. 8 gun tractor plus the O series Bedfords and MCP chevs .

GMH had a 1944 workforce of over 10,000 .

[Barnaba]

Where can I find books like this?
Could you please tell me an online bookshop?
Thanks

[Tony Smith]

Would these body styles have been produced by GMH and/or Australian Contractors or is this just a showcase of body types produced by GM subsidiaries from around the world? I don't recall that there were any of these style 6pdr Portee bodies made in Aust, and that style of Portee wasn't used by AIF.

[Mike K]

Tony ,

All of the bodies pictured were made by GMH here in Australia .

You never or rarely see any of them around today because they were made in quite small numbers compared to the overseas built stuff .

For many types , typically less than 500 were built , and I suspect for some types less than 100 . For instance , the 1941 Chev car based military roadster cab ute , they only made 291 , I know of only one of these utes surviving today .

The well known GMH bodied Blitz signals vans are more common because they built just over 1200 of them .

Mike

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi Mike

So when are you going into production of this book and when do I get my copy?

Gimme Gimme Gimme Bob

[Tony Smith]

The "Maple Leaf " LP2 breakdown unit (did I read that right, it's a bit small) body looks similar to a GMC truck body I've seen in NZ. This body was built in USA.

[Mike K]

Hi Tony and Bob

Yes, there were various breakdown trucks made in different countries during WW2 . One I can think of is the Austin 6X4 K6 and another is the GMC you posted . There was a Marmon H 6x6 breakdown vehicle here in Aust. as well . They all had the same idea , e.g. a large single piece of I section steel with a sliding block and tackle chain hoist .

Bob , The GMH War Record book has a 1946 copyright on it , is this still valid ? Or has it expired after 50 years . I can copy it for you for personal research purposes , how about a swap for a set of your Chev instrument stickers ? The book has many pics of the three Sth Aust. GMH plants at Woodville , Beverley and Birkenhead .

I am sure the Sth Aust MV club would like to see the book if they haven't already.

Mike

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi Mike

Under the Berne Convention photocopying for research purposes is allowable, and this is advice from Mike Cecil. As far as the swap goes, all I have in Chev at the moment is the glass with all the scripting, the speedo face and the odometer reel. I haven't reproduced the gauges at this stage as they seem fairly basic. However I must also admit that most of my emphasis to this time has been towards the Ford stuff.

So if you are happy with those three items let me know.

Bob

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Tony Smith
The "Maple Leaf " LP2 breakdown unit (did I read that right, it's a bit small) body looks similar to a GMC truck body I've seen in NZ. This body was built in USA.

Originally posted by Mike Kelly
Yes, there were various breakdown trucks made in different countries during WW2 . One I can think of is the Austin 6X4 K6 and another is the GMC you posted .

Tony, Mike, I wonder if this is the same type of body. The British / Australian breakdown gantry trucks (as described by Mike) had a wooden body - click here and here for pictures of a typical Austin K6/A Breakdown Gantry.
Could it be the subject GMC 353 had the equipment from a breakdown gantry truck transferred to its steel cargo body?

Originally posted by Mike Kelly
There was a Marmon H 6x6 breakdown vehicle here in Aust. as well . They all had the same idea , e.g. a large single piece of I section steel with a sliding block and tackle chain hoist .

Ah yes, that wonderful 3-TON BREAKDOWN (AUSTRALIAN) NO.3A (Source: http://www.awm.gov.au/)

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Mike Kelly
There was a Marmon H 6x6 breakdown vehicle here in Aust. as well . They all had the same idea , e.g. a large single piece of I section steel with a sliding block and tackle chain hoist .

There also was a CMP version of this, the 3-TON BREAKDOWN (AUSTRALIAN) NO.4 (see pic at bottom of this posting - source: http://www.awm.gov.au/)

At least one of these has survived, see http://www.oldcmp.net/rcovec60xstory.html

[Mike K]

Yes, that's OK Bob . The small instrument faces are simple as you said .

I will email you .

Mike

[Keith Webb]

Originally posted by Hanno Spoelstra
There also was a CMP version of this, the 3-TON BREAKDOWN (AUSTRALIAN) NO.4

Here's the bones of another, sadly now long gone...



It was at Ringwood Timber in the 1970s.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I would dearly love a copy of the book for my own research. I can probably with 100% certainty say that the film was produced in 1944 as part of the General Motors overseas Operations programe to announce to the world that GM was in fact always behind the allies/United Nations, and that the world-wide subsidiaries were and always had been actively involved on the allied side. The official GMOO book of 1944 includes the Holden operations. Then in 1946 GM-H, Vauxhall, GM of Canada et al all produced their "What We Did In The War" books, as did Ford in England.

The point about copyright is easily resolved with asking permission to reproduce...but it's now 75 years in Europe. It was 50 years. Why not ask, and then do laser copies of the book and flog 'em to punters like me? Those pix will scane nicely. I know as the same thing has been done with the Vauxhall 1946 book, although consent was requested from official sources anyway.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I have just done a review an article on Bedford in wartime.