CMP trucks used by US Forces

[Brian Gough]

Currently on eBay there are 2 interesting photos of US Army Air Force CMP Fords, identified as "Rover Truck", both from the same seller.

1. Rover Truck - USAAF - Tunisia - Original Photo
Item number: 270343983267
http://cgi.ebay.com/ROVER-TRUCK-USAA...ayphotohosting

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2. AAF Mobile Canteen Truck - Tunisia - Original Photo
Item number: 270343992900
http://cgi.ebay.com/AAF-MOBILE-CANTE...1%7C240%3A1318

I have no connection with the seller.

Brian

[cletrac (RIP)]

That's interesting as I didn't realize that the US used any CMPs. The one that's stuck is a 2 wheel drive Ford F15 with ID829720 stenciled on the front bumper. It has the 2B1 box which would make it a 1942 model.
The canteen truck is an F60 serving under the Delta Service Command, whatever that is. It doesn't have a roof hatch which is a little bit unusual for the time period but then a canteen truck at an air force base might not need it's own aircraft protection.
You can tell they're both Fords by the push bar setup. On the F15A you can also see the Ford horn and the shape of the grille emblem.

Why won't it let me post the pictures?
I was using my Firefox browser and it wouldn't show the Manage Attachments button so I tried my Netscape 9 browser and there it was. That's hard to figure!

228756482_o.jpg 229171594_o.jpg

[gordon]

In the US Government scheme of things, Service Commands were organisations that took over military / admin duties in an area when the units that were based there were posted overseas, things like recruitment and family admin and so on.

I ran across them as so many of the old interesting Dodges left in the USA were oddbal military types or civilian used by the military, in Service Command setups. Both my WC36 trucks were 8th Service Command based in Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

They covered the whole of the US and Alaska, I wasn't aware they existed outside the continental US but it might make sense if this was the admin organisation for, say, the Nile Delta area or whatever was the Tunisian equivalent?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

While looking for something else, I ran across this picture captioned:

"A Ford truck is parked next to a wrecked USAAF truck, North Africa (probably), 1942-43"
2009.278.536_1.jpg
Source: http://ww2online.org/image/ford-truc...obably-1942-43


Plus the ones above from the same source:

"United States Army Air Forces Chevrolet truck, with enclosed cab and door with a pick up-sized box for cargo, which is stuck in the sand. Servicemen are standing near the rear of the truck. North Africa (probably). 1942-43"
2009.278.425_1.jpg
Source: http://www.ww2online.org/image/unite...obably-1942-43


"Box body-type truck, probably a Chevrolet, with words on it that read "U. S. Army Air Force Mobile Canteen Service, Post Exchange Service, Delta Service Command." A serviceman is standing near the passenger door. North Africa (probably). 1942-43"
2009.278.426_1.jpg
Source: http://www.ww2online.org/image/us-ar...obably-1942-43

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Two pictures of the same Ford F8 8-cwt:

"Serviceman and a United States Army Air Forces Chevrolet truck with enclosed cab and door with a pick up-sized, covered box for cargo. See also 2009.278.446. North Africa (probably). 1942-43"
2009.278.445_1.jpg
Source: http://www.ww2online.org/image/servi...obably-1942-43

"Close up view of a United States Army Air Forces Chevrolet truck with enclosed cab and door with a pick up-sized, covered box for cargo. "War scenes. Checked 6/28/00 L. Air." See also 2009.278.445. North Africa (probably). 1942-43"
2009.278.446_1.jpg
Source: http://www.ww2online.org/image/chevr...-probably-1942

[Hanno Spoelstra]

And then some:

"Many United States airmen, some wearing life jackets, climbing onto, and sitting in the bed of, a 2- ton truck/CCKW. North Africa (probably). 1942-43"
2009.278.799_1.jpg
Source: http://www.ww2online.org/image/many-...obably-1942-43


"American truck convoy in a desert. "Horace Greely 'Go west, young man.' 12th G[rou]p convoy, Western Desert, Africa [19]43."
"'Go West young man.' Greeley. 12th G[rou]p on the move in the Western Desert of Africa. 1943." North Africa. 1943"
2009.278.1371_1.jpg
Source: http://www.ww2online.org/image/ameri...th-africa-1943

[Hanno Spoelstra]

If one searches for Ms. Patricia J. Williams site:ww2online.org, there is a host of interesting pictures to be found.

They were apparently made by Lloyd Anthony "Frenchie" Rogers who was assigned to the 434th Bombardment Squadron where he served as a crew chief on North American B-25 Mitchell bombers. He served in this capacity from McChord Field, Washington to Esler Field, Louisiana and to North Africa throughout the battle of El Alamein, Sicily, Italy, and the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater of Operations.

Enjoy!

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

While looking for something else, I ran across this picture captioned:
"A Ford truck is parked next to a wrecked USAAF truck, North Africa (probably), 1942-43"
Attachment 100674
Source: http://ww2online.org/image/ford-truc...obably-1942-43

Ford F15 CMP 15-cwt truck with mine damage next to an Indian Pattern Ford MCP 3-ton truck, somewhere in the North African desert.
The F15 was in service with the USAAF, note the USA recognition star on the roof. The Ford MCP has a British roundel on the top and the front of the hood.

CA7BAFA9-87D5-4EBF-8FEC-8D7BA871EFF9.jpg

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Seeing these photos begs the question why the USAAF was using CMP trucks in North Africa.

From the photo captions above we learn that Lloyd Anthony "Frenchie" Rogers (born on 16 May 1914 at Patterson, Louisiana) was assigned to the 434th Bombardment Squadron where he served as a crew chief on North American B-25 Mitchell bombers. He served in North Africa throughout the battle of El Alamein, Sicily, Italy, and the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater of Operations.

From August 1942 to June 1943, the 434th supported the British Eighth Army as they advanced into Tunisia and later participated in the invasion of Sicily and Italy. The list of stations where the 434th served from in North Africa shows they were more often than not co-located on RAF bases.

Possibly, supporting the 8th Army and doing joint operations with the British, it could be they used their infrastructure much like in the UK? That could explain they got a number of CMP trucks assigned to them.

PS: the official listing of the 12 Operations Group (AETC) on the US Air Force Historical Research Agency does not show much more light on this matter: https://www.afhra.af.mil/About-Us/Fa...ns-group-aetc/

[Mike Cecil]

Hanno,

USA Services of Supply were supplied with hundreds of vehicles by the Australian government. These ranged from 10 hp 2-seat cars to large staff cars, and many trucks including CMPs. They were not free issue, but added to the Reciprocal Lend Lease (RLL) account at specified values. Same goes for the specialised vehicles built specifically for US forces, such as the S1 armoured car based on a CMP 15 cwt. Shipping was at a premium: made sense to obtain as much as possible as close to the battle front as possible.

These were all registered under the various schemes operated by the individual US service: USN, US Army and Air Force. When the draw-down of US Forces in Australia started to occur from about late 1943, many were returned to the Commonwealth and credited against the RLL account at an agreed value based upon condition.

Not many people realise that lend-lease was a two-way street, and that Australia provided a value of something like 75% of the total value of LL equipment provided to Australia, back to US Forces as RLL.

Mike

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Ford F15 CMP 15-cwt truck with mine damage next to an Indian Pattern Ford MCP 3-ton truck, somewhere in the North African desert.
The F15 was in service with the USAAF, note the USA recognition star on the roof. The Ford MCP has a British roundel on the top and the front of the hood.

USAAF roundel: white star on blue circle

F15 USAAF roundel.jpg

[David Dunlop]

Hanno.

On the Indian Pattern MCP in the last photo, is that the front of a wood slat stake box protruding out either side of the cab? It almost looks like the width of the wood box exceeds the width of the fenders on the cab, and the section of box sticking out on the left side of the cab looks quite distorted. Could this MCP also be a damaged vehicle pushed up beside the CMP to get it out of the way?

David