C30 LAA 12 cab

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

It seems that I have uncovered another mystery! Pearsons of Liverpool assembled F60B Bofors trucks with the Willys-built G/S trailers in say 1943. However by early 1944 they had apparently 'rebuilt' or 'converted' at least some of these to self-propelled units. The trailers went, and the prefixes on the Cemsus Numbers were changed from 'H' as 'tractors' to 'S' for 'Self-propelled units'.

The IWM official Kidbrooke series photo I have seen has an 'H' prefixed truck, whereas the early 1944 shot clearly shows no trailers and 'S' prefixed numbers. The IWM has an official shot of the rebuilt C60L 6-pdr Portees..GM of Canada published shots of the original but the IWM has the only one I have seen so far of the rebuild to G/S trucks. Note the Number 43S and 43 cabs in both cases respectively. In both cases there seems to have been a short period between assembly in the UK and conversion.