Early chevrolet in desert war

[serge]

Hello

In the famous book « AMBUSH AT GEBEL SHERIF » two kinds of CHEVROLET are displayed: the most famous is the wreck of an LRDG CHEVROLET WB laying in the WADI destroyed by Italian forces and the second is a CHEVROLET described as truck belonging to the French Free forces. This last one seems to have burned following mechanical problems. Having found an old book, “L’EPOPEE LECLERC” wrote by French General INGOLD and edited in 1945, I have been very surprised to see two identical CHEVROLET in active service. The picture is not very accurate and at first glance they seem to be LRDG trucks CHEVROLET 1533, but the body is longer and the main difference is the head lights, separated from the fenders. The top of cab has been cut and the wheels allow the mount of large “sand tyres” but with only 5 bolts (instead of 8 or 10 in LRDG trucks). According to other pictures and information, the COLUNM LECLEC used only two CHEVROLET trucks when moving to KOUFRA and it might be these trucks. The other trucks were MATFORD (in the same configuration), BEDFORD MW and BEDFORD OY with 4 LAFFLY S15.

I add to my post a pic of the replica of CHEVROLET WB stored in Imperial War Museum builded by a French military vehicle collector.

Regards Serge

[Kuno]

Bonjour, Serge;

Do you have the book "L'Odysee de la Colonne Leclerc"?

[motto]

Here's a chance to show my ignorance. As I understand it a number of Chev trucks were obtained by the military from a GM dealer or dealers in the Middle East and modified for desert use. This would inevitably lead to a variety of trucks being pressed into service. Given the commercial predisposition to mix and match along with the urgency of the situation also with the presence of military contract vehicles i.e. Canadian sourced or Indian army pattern the possibilities are endless.
The two trucks in the first picture appear to be modified commercial trucks known in Australia as Lend/Lease Chevs or '42 Chevs though I think that in other parts of the world this sheet metal appeared in '41. In Australia most of these trucks had ten 9/16' studs holding the rear wheels on and five on the front. All wheels (20 inch) had the ten holes but on the front there was a plate that went on under the nuts that only had the five holes so the wheels appear to be different.
With the possible presence of Maple Leaf trucks or their components and the obvious use of 16" or 18" single wheels with a different stud pattern again the situation becomes somewhat confusing.

Help needed!

David

[Ganmain Tony]

Are they 18 inch rims on that replica Desert Chev in the last picture?

If so, what are the tyre specifications and are they a tyre that is still available to purchase?

[serge]

The story of the early CHEVY used by French Free Forces in the raid on KOUFRA is not very well knowed but they have follow the same way than the MATFORD used by this same forces (MATFORD was the society resulting upon the buy by FORD of the French factory MATHIS). One year before the beginning of the war near 300 MATFORD were send in AFRICA (and I thing also with a batch of CHEVROLET). Some of them have civilian body (similar to American stack and plate-forme) and other with steel body more useful for raid. So I thing that these steel body were made in FRANCE before the arrival in AFRICA, then other modifications were done like the removal of the top of the cab. ALL these trucks (MATFORD) were ordened by french ministery of defense but about the CHEVROLET I dont know. Nevertheless I think that there were from civilian origin (dealers) because all trucks coming in FRANCE from américan origin following french military order GMC,STUDEBAKER K25 ..
own US military modification (like black out ....)

On all pictures of trucks coming from FRANCE and used in TCHAD by RTST (Régiment des Tirailleurs Sénégalais au Tchad) the wheels were made in two parts in the aim to receive sand tyres. Nevertheless they have only 5 nuts (instead of the 8 or 10 nuts of british trucks).
I join a picture of a MATFORD in “raid configuration” similar to Chevrolet and a picture of civilian MATFORD using civilian body with it wheels very accurate. A large opening has been done on the roof.

Regards Serge

[Kuno]

Serge; as far as I know, the IWM has the wreckage of a Chevrolet WA which was recovered from the desert of Egypt in the 1980ies. Do they also have a restored example of a WA now (as you say in your first post)?