CMPs at the Dutch National Military Museum

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Today, I visited the Dutch National Military Museum in the brand-spanking new building at the former air base at Soesterberg. It combines the collections of the former Military Aviation Museum in Soesterberg and Army Museum in Delft. There are numerous pieces on display, including tanks, planes, armoured vehicles and helicopters.

Well worth a visit if you are in the neighbourhood with numerous aircraft and vehicles and lots of other interesting displays.

Even though I know most of the vehicles from when they were on display in the Arsenal in Delft (which dates back to the 1600's!), it is quite refreshing to see them in a well-lit and very roomy building.

The collection comprises several CMPs, of which I will post pictures in the next postings.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Chevrolet CGT FAT (ex-Danish Army) complete with limber and 25-pdr field gun.

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[Hanno Spoelstra]

C60X 6x6, Machinery

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[Hanno Spoelstra]

C60L APT, 4x4 3-ton truck

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Build date July 30, 1945:

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Detachable right-hand front quarter nose piece, typical for the APT (airportable) version of the C60L:

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[Hanno Spoelstra]

C15A, 4x4 truck with 2H1 composite wood and steel body

Note: both the C60L APT and C15A were recently repainted in Canadian livery by Bob Kos, with paint samples supplied by Alex van de Wetering, and parts supplied by Dirk Leegwater - all MLU members!

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[Hanno Spoelstra]

Universal Carrier, MK II (?)

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[Niels V]

Hi Hanno
How do you know that the Quad is ex danish, and where it a cut down or complete before restoration ?

[Ed Storey]

Impressive! This museum is on my short list of places to visit during my next trip over.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Niels V

How do you know that the Quad is ex danish, and where it a cut down or complete before restoration ?

Hi Niels, that is what I was told by one of the people who restored the CGT decades ago. It reportedly was a complete example.

The picture on the left shows it on display at the old Arsenal in Delft, when it still sported US side lights on the front fenders (which have now been removed), just like on the modified Danish Army CGT on the right.

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[Hanno Spoelstra]

Some numbers on CMP trucks in Netherlands Army use:

• About 900 C60L's in use until 1960
• The Artillery had 165 CGT's plus 101 FGTs on strength
• In 1951, 338 C15A's were listed on strength, but undoubtedly more were in service early after WW2

The museum catalog notes that the Army Museum acquired the C60L, C15A and CGT in 1975 as part of a major acquisition. They are unsure if these examples were ever used by the Netherlands Army.

The C60L was used in the movie "A Bridge Too Far".

The C60X was added to the collection in 1983, when it was in poor condition but came with Netherlands Army provenance. This type of truck was in use from 1945 until 1954, then kept is storage as war reserve.

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[Maurice Donckers]

Hello Hanno , The Quad was comming from the French Army , at the same time one went to the Pourville Dieppe museum. They where in mint condition.

And another thing , the sidelights on the Danish ones are M series lights , and on the French ones they are Marchall copies from US WW2 style