CMP C60L comes home

[George McKenzie]

I have the flange bearing brackets for the winch .There is a cab here that I might get a fender for you . You should not have any trouble getting a fender .My friend here has a lot of 1100x20 used army tires if you would rather have them than what is on it now .I have two fuel tanks but no battery box .Is that a carrier for gas cans in front of the tool box? Has anybody got a picture of the radar trailer that it pulled ?

[Comox Air Force Museum]

The tires on your truck look like the original tires that were put on by REL. Our truck had the same and all REL conversions had those tires

What's even better is if you look on the sidewall you may find the RCAF brand burnt into the sidewall like ours. We believe that our tires have been on our truck since new.


As for fenders, we now have everything to complete the truck including the other gas tank and dog house. I have a picture of the radar trailer and I'll post it later. Thanks to Barry Churcher for helping to find the short shaft from trans to transfer and the wheel cylinder that came from Holland.
Rob

[Bob Carriere]

HI George

Keep your eyes open for the winch..... they are almost indestructible and are the same form 15cwt to the 60....... I would be surprised not to find a few out West.

If you were closer to Ottawa, I would say drive over and see what spares I have....... I know of a few in the Toronto area as well....oh and another still in the chassis just outside of Ottawa.

Bob

[Bob Carriere]

Beautiful job Rob..... do you have the complete box for the truck...?

I am looking for the weirdest part..... it is the little cast part that takes two large bolts to hold the beginning of the winch rope on the winch drum.....

In the absence of a spare part.... does any one have good close up pictures from various angles and some measurements....!!!

Bob

[George McKenzie]

Bob Carriere .I see a picture of the cable holder in the manual . Should be easy to make .I have a lead on a couple of other CMP 60s and will go farther to get a winch .More history on this truck .It was first ownd by a ex air force man E Mahood,his dad logged with MacMillan & Bloedel , who later was a big logger at Lang Bay by Powell River He had a farm by me also and that's where two of these trucks ended up .The local garage owner bought one and I might know where the other one is but it is just a cab and frame now .I'll see if I can locate the box . The fellow that had the garage has a new crated motor that came with the one I got as the original one had a knock in it . Bob Roy ,my tires have the RCAF on them .They are Firestones
The other box is probably on a farm truck now. The rumor is excitment, The searching is the fun,the paying is the pain ,restoring is the work and driving a restored vehicle is the ultimate of all .

[johnnyroad]

There was a long thread dealing with this topic in 2005/06 under the title "Radar Trailer". It was started by Tony Smith Feb. 24, 2005 and in the last post by Terry Hanes (June 22, 2006) he states that these Chevs were "cable trucks" in the Army gun laying radar units. Nothing has turned up to date regarding their use by the RCAF. The Comox truck was stationed there (as Rob mentions it was painted on the driver's door) but when, and for what purpose continues to be a mystery. Did the Air Force ever have portable radar for "gun laying" purposes?

Further information: we're still researching the history of this truck. "The Gunners of Canada" Vol 2 (Nicholson) makes it clear that a Bofors detachment was planned for RCAF Comox the summer of 1943 - the 36th AA Troop of the 30th AA Regiment (headquartered in Port Alberni). Nicholson states it.... "was intended for defence duties at Comox but was never put into action". Given the April 1944 manufacturing date of the truck and its Air Force ownership, it's clear it was never part of a gun-laying radar unit.

And since the liquidation of domestic anti-aircraft defenses commenced early 1944 and the overseas need for light AA diminished after D Day - to the point that some of these units were converted to Infantry - it seems likely that a number of REL contract trucks were deemed surplus to Army needs and turned over to the Air Force as utility trucks.

As our opportunity for original document research here on the Island is essentially zero, we're asking anyone who finds documentary evidence of such a re-allocation (Army to Air Force) to please forward same.

Thanks,
Dave H.

[Comox Air Force Museum]

George. What I'm about to tell you is unbelievable your truck and the museums trucks are sisters.

Your truck went through the conversion right in front of ours. Yours 52 ours 53. Can you imagine that, after all this time.
Here's the truck data plate for David's info.

Thanks Bob for the compliment, Coming from the CMP centre of the universe, it's great to get feedback from the Hammond barn folks. And yes we do have the box, and when we get back to work this fall, at the Skunk Works that will be the number one priority.
Rob