Indian Pattern bodies

[Alex van de Wetering]

3-ton GS truck: today, I found some new pictures on the IWM website of 3-ton GS trucks with bodies of the same construction:

Quite a few of these found their way into Dutch service in the East Indies so it seems!

source: https://nimh-beeldbank.defensie.nl

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Note the wooden Indian Pattern body, indicating this C15 was assembled in India.

"Chevrolet C15 4x2 truck towing fuel bowsers at an airfield in Burma, 27th March 1945. It belongs to a formation using 33 Indian Corps' sign. Probably an AOP Flight/Squadron, combined Army/RAF."

162049399_10222352019022951_5444747141787128291_o.jpg

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Note the wooden Indian Pattern body, indicating this C15 was assembled in India.

"Chevrolet C15 4x2 truck towing fuel bowsers at an airfield in Burma, 27th March 1945. It belongs to a formation using 33 Indian Corps' sign. Probably an AOP Flight/Squadron, combined Army/RAF."

Someone commented "These are Stinson L-5 must be US Airforce", to which Nick Balmer replied:

There was a US Army Air Corps force called the 1st USAAF Air Commando Group, that was led by Colonel Philip Cochrane that was specifically attached to the Indian Army in Burma and which worked very closely with the Indian Army. It operated several types of aircraft including Mustangs, Mitchell bombers, C47 and also Stinsons.
The Stinson pilots were very highly regarded in the latter part of 1944 and into 1945 as they developed Casevac services, coming into land just behind the forward troops, often landing on river sandbanks, dry rice fields, and picking up stretcher borne casualties for evacuation to forward clearing stations.
I expect that this photo shows one of these temporary airstrips at a casualty clearing station, not far behind the frontlines.
These pilots saved an awful lot of Commonwealth troops lives, reducing the time from the sepoy or soldier being hit, until they were in an operating theatre greatly.
"The commanders' hopes and the soldiers' morale rose sky-high. Now, if we got hit in the middle of Burma, we would not be left under a bush to die."

[dcrfan]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Note the wooden Indian Pattern body, indicating this C15 was assembled in India.

"Chevrolet C15 4x2 truck towing fuel bowsers at an airfield in Burma, 27th March 1945. It belongs to a formation using 33 Indian Corps' sign. Probably an AOP Flight/Squadron, combined Army/RAF."

Attachment 120911

The aircraft is displaying US national markings and it is clearly not a Stitson as that has radial engine so I believe it is a L-4 Grasshopper aka Piper Cub. If it had roundels markings I would be suggesting it was a US Lycoming engined Auster.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Originally Posted by dcrfan

The aircraft is displaying US national markings and it is clearly not a Stitson as that has radial engine so I believe it is a L-4 Grasshopper aka Piper Cub. If it had roundels markings I would be suggesting it was a US Lycoming engined Auster.

I disagree Paul; it is a Stinson L5. The Piper's fuselage is not as rounded as the Stinson and has the engine partly exposed.

picture source: https://www.flugzeug-lexikon.de/ILA_...flugzeuge.html

[Mike K]

Spotted in this film:

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C188826

It might be a Ford Hanno. The screen shot isn't clear enough for a positive I.D. It has the long pointy nosed bonnet , the Chev has a more rounded point to the bonnet. But the flat cowl does look like the Chev 1311X3

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

Spotted in this film: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C188826

Nice spotto, looks like a Chevrolet 1311X3 15-cwt 4x2 GS truck

[Igor Shadrin]

Fwd fenders longer shape, and hidden headlights resembling Ford V8 15cwt (8cwt)

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

Quite a few of these found their way into Dutch service in the East Indies so it seems!

Indeed - here is another one in 1947 at Wonokromo, Soerabaja, Java.
It looks like a late F60L with the Indian made wooden GS body pressed into service as a water tanker.

2174-1674_cropped.jpg
Source: Netherlands Institute for Military History (https://nimh-beeldbank.defensie.nl/f...3-0fa0d2c44da6)

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Indeed - here is another one in 1947 at Wonokromo, Soerabaja, Java.
It looks like a late F60L with the Indian made wooden GS body pressed into service as a water tanker.

And the Trailer? It looks well constructed with 20" CMP wheels. Canadian?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Tony Smith

And the Trailer? It looks well constructed with 20" CMP wheels. Canadian?

IIRC there were no 4-wheel trailers with 20” wheels manufactured in Canada. Would have to check my sources to be sure.

[Grant Bowker]

As well, the drawbar of the trailer is much lighter construction than any of the 4 wheeled trailers of Canadian manufacture that I have seen. Also, no visible braking system, either over-run or connections for air or electric brakes (or mechanical/cable like some gun brakes).

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Variation on a theme: Indian-made 15-cwt GS body fitted on a Ford chassis/cowl:

270072004_10160008331228217_7278104193149034654_n.jpg 270114268_10160008331958217_7202137665354704342_n.jpg
Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/8596...20644101338359

[Alex van de Wetering]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Variation on a theme: Indian-made 15-cwt GS body fitted on a Ford chassis/cowl:

That does look odd without the headlights in the fenders. Was there a Ford version without headlights in the fenders?