Rare vehicles and unusual sightings in Dutch Liberation pictures

[Alex van de Wetering]

FWD HAR-1 trucks. Actually when you start looking, they seem to appear in a lot of Dutch liberation pictures. It seems there was a unit moving around the country pulling smoke generator trailers.

Picture1 Haarlem source: https://noord-hollandsarchief.nl/
Picture2 Bloemendaal source: https://noord-hollandsarchief.nl/
Picture3 Amsterdam source: https://beeldbankwo2.nl/
Picture4 Apeldoorn source: https://beeldbankwo2.nl/
Picture5 Zutphen source: https://beeldbankwo2.nl/

[Alex van de Wetering]

More FWD's

Picture1 Utrecht source: https://hetutrechtsarchief.nl/
Picture2 Nieuwerkerk aan de IJssel source: https://beeldbankwo2.nl/
Picture3 unknown location source: https://beeldbankwo2.nl/
Picture4 Groningen source: https://beeldbankwo2.nl/
Picture5 FWDs Amsterdam source: https://beeldbankwo2.nl/

[Alex van de Wetering]

early British trucks

Picture1 and 2: Morris PU 8/4 in Amsterdam source: http://in.beeldengeluid.nl/collectie...134/false/true (at about 4:12)
Picture3: Morris CDF in Oosterbeek. source: https://beeldbankwo2.nl/
Picture4: Leyland Retriever (?) in Utrecht source: https://beeldbankwo2.nl/
Picture5: Thornycroft ??? Arnhem source: https://beeldbankwo2.nl/

[Alex van de Wetering]

Canadian Jeeps with US markings.....A few years ago I saw a restored jeep with US numbers in Blue drab and Canadian census numbers painted in white on top of the blue drab marking. I liked it, but a friend said it wasn't realistic. However the pictures attached show that it happened at least once or twice.......

picture1: Amsterdam source: https://beeldbankwo2.nl
Picture2: Marssum source:https://beeldbankwo2.nl

[Alex van de Wetering]

It's quite normal these days to find restored Machinery trucks, radio vans and GS trucks at MV events fitted with a camper interior in the back......
a pity sometimes for the vehicle fanatic.......but the attached pictures show that this was done in 1944/45 as well!

Picture1 Amsterdam source: https://www.nederlandsfotomuseum.nl/
Picture2 Den Haag source: https://noord-hollandsarchief.nl/
Picture3 Utrecht source: https://hetutrechtsarchief.nl/
Picture4 15cwt's were also used ....Ede source: https://noord-hollandsarchief.nl/
Picture5 Another 15cwt. Barneveld source: https://www.archieval.nl/resultaten.php?nav_id=1-0

[David Dunlop]

Were those Smoke Generator Trailers being used for fumigation purposes, perhaps?

David

[Ed Storey]

1st Canadian Army had six smoke companies under its command for smoking screening operations and they were used from Calais to the crossing of the Rhine.

202-10 M1 Mechanical Smoke Generator in action.jpg

[Hanno Spoelstra]

You never cease to amaze me - thanks Alex!

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

FWD HAR-1 trucks. Actually when you start looking, they seem to appear in a lot of Dutch liberation pictures. It seems there was a unit moving around the country pulling smoke generator trailers.

Indeed, here are some more, gleaned from the thread FWD HAR-1.

The first one comes from Special: Van D-Day tot de Dam, the second one from INFANTERIE CANADIENNE - NIMEGUE / CALCAR [link to FB]. Both were taken during the Canadian advance across the Dutch/German border in the Nijmegen - Calcar area.

Like Ed says, they were used for towing smoke generators to lay smoke screens to conceal advancing troops.

ddaytotdam_fwd.jpg 12304473_1688945051351484_2226755795846927410_o.jpg

[Alex van de Wetering]

David, Ed, Hanno,

Thanks for your replies. Somehow, the FWD's with the smoke generators have managed to show up in a lot of pictures and period films!

Alex

[Alex van de Wetering]

More Campers and one Caravan

Picture1: Dodge D60L in Den Haag source: http://www.haagsebeeldbank.nl
Picture2: Dodge D60L (?) in Rotterdam (far right of picture) source: https://beeldbankwo2.nl/
Picture3: Ford F60L in Hoogland source: http://www.historischekringhoogland.nl/2015-1-1.html
Picture4: Makeshift Caravan in Groningen (just left of picture centre) source: http://beeldbankgroningen.nl/

[Alex van de Wetering]

It seems every soldier had a lot of "stuff" to move around in 1945......campers, caravans, roofracks, but also all sorts of trailers are seen in period pictures. Ever wondered what to do with half a CMP?

Picture 1 and 2: the rear end of a Chev, Ford or Dodge converted into a trailer. Amsterdam source: https://beeldbank.amsterdam.nl/

Picture 3 and 4: bit more difficult to see, but to me this looks like a front axle converted into a trailer behind this Bedford OY in Den Haag, source: http://www.haagsebeeldbank.nl

Picture 5: Bedford MWC water tanker converted to trailer? Arnhem 1945 source: https://beeldbankwo2.nl

[Alex van de Wetering]

Ex-German trailers in use by their new owners...

picture1 and 2; Sd sh51 trailer behind a carrier in Den Haag: Source: https://www.nederlandsfotomuseum.nl/
picture3; Sd sh51 trailer towed by a Fordson WOT2 in Den Haag: Source: https://www.nederlandsfotomuseum.nl/
picture4; German trailer towed by a Bedford MWD in Utrecht: Source:https://beeldbankwo2.nl
picture5; Same Irene Brigade Fordson as picture 3, but this time in Utrecht: Source:https://beeldbankwo2.nl

[Alex van de Wetering]

More ex-german trailers

picture1; Bedford ex-portee towing an ex-German trailer in Utrecht: Source:https://beeldbankwo2.nl
picture2; Renault UE trailer behind this Bedford QLB in Groningen source:http://beeldbankgroningen.nl/
picture3; tiny Infanteriekarren behind the Jeep in the far right of the picture taken in Nijmegen; https://beeldbankwo2.nl
picture4; Another infanteriekarren behind a Tilly in Eindhoven. Source:https://beeldbankwo2.nl
picture5; Unknown (to me)...presumably ex-German trailer in Amsterdam Source:https://www.nederlandsfotomuseum.nl/

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

It seems every soldier had a lot of "stuff" to move around in 1945......campers, caravans, roofracks, but also all sorts of trailers are seen in period pictures. Ever wondered what to do with half a CMP?

Picture 1 and 2: the rear end of a Chev, Ford or Dodge converted into a trailer. Amsterdam

This screenshot shows a similar conversion. Is it a 2B1 15-cwt body on the back half of a 15-cwt chassis? The wheels look larger. It is towed by a C15TA.

This picture was not taken in Holland, but during OPERATION GOLDFLAKE - the move of 1 Cdn Corps from Italy to North-West Europe, Feb-Mar 1945. So this trailer proably ended up in Holland.

screengrab 2.jpg

[David Dunlop]

Hanno.

It almost looks like tie rods under the axle assembly on that trailer. A salvaged front end, or perhaps even an artillery axle?

David

[Steve Guthrie]

A couple of interesting documents.
The first two are from 'Wait for the Wagon' by Arnold Warren. It's a history of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps. These excerpts explain why units made their own trailers

The next are parts of the Manifest for the 5th Canadian Armoured Brigade Workshop and list all the vehicles it shipped from Italy to France in February 1944. Lots of unregistered trailers and some rather interesting vehicles too

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

It seems every soldier had a lot of "stuff" to move around in 1945......campers, caravans, roofracks, but also all sorts of trailers are seen in period pictures. Ever wondered what to do with half a CMP?

Picture 1 and 2: the rear end of a Chev, Ford or Dodge converted into a trailer.

Mike Calnan noted:

Really hard to make out the markings on this one. Most likely artillery based on the hat badge of the young fella with the big grin! Some Gunner units used the M3 Scout Car as a Battery Reconnaissance vehicle. They were also a good size for a FOO vehicle. Drop the trailer in the hide and then move to a position of observation.

To which Mark Tonner replied:

The vehicle belongs to one of the regiments of 1 Cdn AGRA, whose Arm of Service (AoS) serials were:
1 Cdn Med Regt - 181
2 Cdn Med Regt - 182
5 Cdn Med Regt - 180
11 Cdn Army Fd Regt - 184
all with a 2-inch white bar below
(Source: SD 4/Tpt/Veh Markings/5 - “Vehicle Serial Numbers CMF Units,” dated 7 April 1945)

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And who knows, this could be the same White Scout plus makeshift trailer before the move from Italy to Holland?

large_NA_024751_1.jpg large_NA_024751_2.jpg
Source: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/i...ject/205538734

[Alex van de Wetering]

Steve, Hanno,

Thanks for adding these very interesting documents!!

Alex

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

Picture4: Makeshift Caravan in Groningen (just left of picture centre) source: http://beeldbankgroningen.nl/

Picture of the same column, viewed from the other side:

“Canadian Military Pattern F60 truck, towing a captured German trailer, with other vehicles at a crossroads in Northwest Europe, 9 April 1945. (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3205242)”

CBF5D812-72FC-4D61-951F-137525603FA8.jpeg