Ford F15 Cab 11 CBW70

[Pete Ashby]

Here’s a picture of an early F15 that was at Beltring one year, note the 2A1 body. I had the opportunity to buy this truck some 16 years ago un-restored from a previous owner. It had an interesting history in so much as it was very low mileage and had been used as a run about on a large Berkshire country estate that had been taken over by the SOE during the war. The story went that the truck was left behind when the unit pulled out at the end of the war. It then worked for a couple of years in the estate wood mill before a fault with the distributor put it into the back of the shed where it stayed until bought at sale in the mid 1980's. The truck was totally original when offered for sale to me.

David this ones on the CD I sent you
Pete

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Pete Ashby
It had an interesting history in so much as it was very low mileage and had been used as a run about on a large Berkshire country estate that had been taken over by the SOE during the war.

Pete,

I'd seen a picture of CBW 70 before at http://www.autogallery.org.ru/m/cmp15.htm:


But it was your remark that triggered me to recall it was featured in some back issue of Wheels & Tracks. It turned out to be in the same Readers' Forum of W&T 25 (October 1988) as a 1943 F15 with equally interesting history.

Surely CBW 70 must be the most likely contender for the oldest surviving F15, if anything else the oldest one in running, restored condition?

What "sensible offer" did Paul turn down?

Regards,
Hanno

[Pete Ashby]

Hanno,

How's that for memory, not bad for an ageing gentleman like me. I had completely forgotten it was in WT's.

Paul was indeed the man, he was an early stalwart in the Berks and Oxon area of the MVCG as we were then and I was the Area Secretary.

The jeep mentioned in the text went to Tony Oliver; those with an interest in German vehicles will know this name.

Sensible offer?........ £500 to the punters.......... a bit less to me,………….. At the time I had just acquired the F8 FFW in the picture else where in this thread, it came as a kit of parts on a trailer and a set of tea chests. Trying to find out what the thing should look like was almost impossible.

The world of CMP restoration was very much fringe then, and early stuff was nearly non existent.

It was all Jeep, Dodge a few GMC's but not many and a handful of 13 cabs and a few stalwart British truck restorers, we were all restorers then, we had to be!!.

Remember the world was not at our finger tips in terms of forums such as this and access via e-bay and the web to suppliers and dealers all over the world at the touch of a button. It was very much a case of Wally Wheatly or nothing for CMP's, and Wally didn't advertise.

As a result I have to say that I passed the truck up, although there is never a month goes by when I don't think about that decision. It's good to see it now has a good home because it did change hands a number of times before it found its present home.

Pete

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

The rego appears to be from Oxfordshire County Council, and late 1946. Regrettably the rego does not appear in my listing.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Pete Ashby
Here’s a picture of an early F15 that was at Beltring one year, note the 2A1 body.

Another picture of the same F15, taken by Phil Waterman at Beltring in 2001:

Source: http://www.canadianmilitarypattern.com/

I must admit not seeing it that year, I probably was too occupied with my own Ford...

H.