On the road to Syria

[Tony Wheeler]

Base colour is original DBG which often looks almost black in B&W photos.

P02006.050 Puckapunyal, Vic. 1940-03-01. GMC one and a half ton 4x4 cargo trucks and Chevrolet.jpg

[Mike Cecil]

The sign on the 1 ton Chev GS, as Tony mentioned, has the formation sign of a black swan on a yellow background, surmounted by a 1 inch wide white stripe across the top, which equates to 1st Aust Corps Troops, Middle East, while the Unit sign of '308' on a black background equates to any of the four (3,4,5,or 6) Anti-Malaria Control Units under command - they all carried the same sign. The design of sign with the combined formation/unit together, and the formation sign itself, were introduced on 12 January 1942. The black swan/yellow ground formation sign only applied to units in the Middle East.

Later, the name of the Anti-Malaria Control Units was changed to 'Aust Malaria Control Unit'.

The 1 ton with registration AIF V5252 was sent to the ME in October 1940, so had lasted very well given the image was taken in 1942. The Chev 3 ton GS reg L14045 went to the ME in June 41. The Cab 12 'Nancy' has a Brit registration - a common occurrence for CMPs issued to Aust units from British stocks in theatre, often with the letters 'AIF' simply prefixed to the Brit number. Can't quite see if that is the case with this truck due to the angle.

Thanks, Mike: nice pics. Lots of details.

Mike

[Mike K]

The ute appears to be a 1 Ton chassis , with 17" wheels . The 15 cwt models had a full length running board , right to the rear guards , whereas the 1 Ton model had the short running boards as seen in this vehicle . Look at the worn tyre on the front near side.... this ute has travelled many miles

Driver Tom must have been a keen photographer, because there are later pics taken by him in New Guinea , now a corporal but still doing the same job , spraying DDT on mossies !

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...New_Guinea.jpg


Yes Tony , the base colour would be the darker green with the Light Stone applied with a brush

[Mike Cecil]

You are right, Mike .... can't read my own handwritten notes!!

Edited accordingly....

Mike

[Mike K]

I managed to track down the original source of this photo. By chance, I have a wreck or the bare bones of one of these 1939/40 1 Ton trucks. I can't find any army paint on it. The rear axle and springs are identical to the C8 CMP truck. The wheels are split type 17" with 750-17 tyres. The army version was fitted with a typical Australian ute style body, in this case built by GM-H , a wooden frame with metal skin - these Australian style bodies are wider and more spacious than the narrow North American ' pick up ' style bodies. In civilian use, GMH also offered other body options, including a wooden flat tray or deck . The grill is unique to 1940. The 39 models have a different looking grill. The example I have is fitted with the 4 speed crash gearbox. The drive to the rear axle is through a torque tube. It would be a long-term project , building an Aust. Army version, the biggest problem would be finding a original body to measure, like finding the end of a rainbow. The GMH archives, held in South Australia, include a few factory photos of a similar body, fitted on a 1941 1/2 Ton model.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/885722...57631771339670


Early July 1942 - Australian Army 2/4 Anti Malaria Control Unit mates Sergeant Norm Grainger & Driver Bob Elliott with Driver Tom Beazley's Chevrolet 1-Ton GS (General Service) light truck at Syr, Syria (now North Lebanon)
SOURCE INFO

- The original image was captured by my late father-in-law, Driver Tom Beazley of the Australian Army 2/4 Anti-Malarial Control Unit, 9 Division, 2 Australian Imperial Force, using a Kodak 6-20 Folding Brownie camera with B&W 120 roll-film.

[Mike K]

I found a pic of what appears to be the rear end of a CHEV. 1 Ton GS Van. The rear mudguards are longer than the similar 15 cwt. Version. The 15 cwt (model 13) has a 113.5" wheelbase, the 1Ton chassis (model 14) has a 123.75" wheelbase.

Detail of the canvas fittings: the only major modifications to the civilian truck were the fittings for the canvas tilt frame and the military directional bar tread tyres.

Update: the pic with the two guys, the vehicle is looking more like a car based utility.

[Mike K]

The GM-H issued parts book for the Chevrolet and Maple Leaf MCP Army vehicles they built - 1939/1940. It's interesting that GM-H refers to the vehicles as standard or commercial chassis, rather than using the army nomenclature i.e., GS Van.

The 123.75" wheelbase model, in Aust. Army terms, is the 1Ton G.S. Van . The contemporary North American civilian equivalent model, was the 3/4 Ton pickup, which unusually, had 15" wheels. But , in North America, there was also a special 'heavy duty' 3/4 Ton model listed, which had the 17" wheels fitted, it was also fitted with heavy duty rear springs. This 'special' model was the model (series 14) chosen for the basis of the Aust. Army 1Ton G.S.Van.

The book has a previous owners name inside the cover, it belonged to a soldier: Sgt. G.A. Brown V165580. He transferred to the AIF and became VX106727. I found his WW2 service records in the naa system. He had worked as a storeman at Ford Geelong. He served overseas at Morotai and Labuan, Borneo.