Boggy road in Holland

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Peter Duggan

Guys,

I've always viewed that dealing with the weather, and logistics were almost as challenging as the enemy. I have always admired the dust jacket on this book by G.N. Georgano, perhaps someone can identify the make and model of CMP ?

Thanks, Peter


Attachment 105589

What a neat pic. Underneath all the muddy water is a Chev 12 cab with what looks like a 101" wheelbase. It's a British tractor because of the H census number. And what a number. It starts on the cowl, then continues on the radiator overflow can and finishes on...what? Is that a door? If so it's backwards as it should hinge on the rear if a regular 12 cab. The star on the bonnet would suggest NW Europe.

[Mike K]

Is it A converted portee to tractor

[Tony Smith]

It is indeed a Chev Portee (with 42 Cab, not 12 Cab), but I think it is not yet converted, it looks like it is still a 2Pdr Portee (H class was used in the original Portee configuration and also for a 17Pdr Tractor, but they switched to L class when converted to GS). The conversion to either 17Pdr Tractor or GS involved moving the fuel tanks from behind the cab back wall to alongside the chassis.

This truck on the book cover (although well equipped with other accessories like a signal wire cable reel and a vice on the front bumper), still has one of the hand winch crank handles on the side of the cab. Neither the 17Pdr Tractor or the GS conversions retained the hand winch on the rear body, which was used to load the 2Pdr up onto the rear deck. It looks like a embarkation stencil on the windscreen and an ETO air recognition roundel on the bonnet, so evidence of a Portee in Europe in 1944, and it still only has one single blackout headlamp!

Great photo!

[Mike K]

Some examples of these cab 12 portees are found in NZ today. Back in the 1970's one example turned up in a sawmill in Gippsland , my informer told me he went back but it had been moved somewhere unknown. I actually saw the pics and it was in very good condition.

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

Some examples of these cab 42 portees are found in NZ today.

I can think of another 8, besides mine, but only one is still in Portee configuration, the others having being converted to 17Pdr tractor or GS.

Quite different to the Australian 12 Cab 30cwt Portees.