4-wheel drive Maple Leaf truck

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Mike, I moved it back into a separate thread.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

The thread Canadian Chevrolet Maple Leaf 4x4 artillery tractors? has some info on what this most likely is:

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

I have not heard before of Maple Leaf trucks being supplied to the KNIL. I have looked through my references and found a vehicle which fits your description in Bart Vanderveen's The Observer's Fighting Vehicles Directory World War II (revised edition), p. 233:

"Truck, 30-cwt, 4x4, Gun Tractor (Maple Leaf)
6-cyl., 80 bhp, 4F1Rx2, wb 134 in. The Maple Leaf was a product of GM Products of Canada Ltd and could be described as a heavy-duty Chevrolet. This unit was produced for Australia, where it was fitted with GM-H cab and fixed-side body."

The picture (sorry, no scanner) shows a chassis/cowl (front end sheet metal plus windscreen) on large (20"?) tyres and a spare tyre fitted behind where the cab would be.
As noted by Vanderveen, "this unit was produced for Australia", but I cannot recall seeing pictures or references of these in Australian Army use. Did GM Holden deliver vehicles to the KNIL?

Now with the picture from Vanderveen side by side with the finished truck:

maple leaf bart.jpg nla.obj-52802709-4_mapleleaf4x4.jpg

[maple_leaf_eh]

I have nothing to add specific to the question. However, my grandfather operated a trucking company in Canada from 1932 to the 1960s. He seemed to like Internationals over other companies. Maybe the local dealer was easier to work with - dunno.

But, he bought frame and chassis truck. He had skilled woodworkers and fabricators in his employees who built every box, arch, tailboard and trailer body from local materials. No factory pieces in his line-up. For the company to delivery "incomplete" trucks (or tractors as it were), was therefore not unusual for the times.

[Mike K]

The closed cab example has a GMH built cab fitted . Notice the rectangular vent on the cowl . Bart 's pic shows a Canadian made cowl by the look of it.

So what type of axles were fitted ? Did GM Canada manufacture 4x4 axles prior to building CMPs ?

Just notified the rear axle in Barts pic looks like a split axle housing

Also Barts pic is of a 1940 model ( side lights on the guards ) ,the closed cab is a 39 model

[David Dunlop]

Fuel tanks are also different, Mike.

David