C15TA: deployment in combat

[Hanno Spoelstra]

C15TA during the Battle of Groningen, 14-18 April 1945.

C15TA_Battle of Groningen 14-18 April 1945.jpg
Source: https://www.rtvnoord.nl/nieuws/17750...-andere-tijden

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Two stills of a C15TA Ambulance near Apeldoorn. These are screenshots from this footage: The liberation of the Dutch area of Apeldoorn in 1945 in color

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[Barry Churcher]

Hanno, here is a C15TA with urban camouflage.
Barry

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[Ed Storey]

I find it interesting to see just how oblivious the civilian population is to the whole military operation that is being conducted in their vacinity. They are very happy to be liberated, but seem to have forgotten that there is still a war on. The German POWs seem pretty lucky as most don't appear to be guarded and they are not being harried by the local population. It is hard to believe that we are coming onto 80 years that that footage was filmed.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Look at the practical addition - to me this looks like a typical Canadian vehicle during the closing stages of WW2

C15TA during the liberation of the town of Hoogeveen, 11 April 1945:

0-1096939-B882528507Z.1_20200409141706_000G9G1LN5G0.1-0.jpg
Source: https://hoogeveenschecourant.nl/hoog...-26368617.html

[Ed Storey]

What a fantasitc image. If I were the proud owner of a C15TA, I would configure mine to look exactly like the vehicle in that photograph! Right down to the star and chalked writing.

[David Herbert]

You could dress your kids up in period costume too !

David

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by Ed Storey

What a fantasitc image. If I were the proud owner of a C15TA, I would configure mine to look exactly like the vehicle in that photograph! Right down to the star and chalked writing.

Ed, if you and I pool our pocket change, we might be able to pick one up. I'll set an alert on FB Marketplace for vintage armoured trucks, and see what hits we get.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Look at the practical addition - to me this looks like a typical Canadian vehicle during the closing stages of WW2

Bruno Bobak spotted one, too:

d8efad5f-b6fa-41c9-9e74-972a498688dd.jpg

[Ed Storey]

Some nice First Canadian Army markings on that Bobak example.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

C15TA during the Battle of Groningen, 14-18 April 1945.
Source: https://www.rtvnoord.nl/nieuws/17750...-andere-tijden

Then & (sort of) Now photo of this location. With thanks to Klaas Doornbos for pinpointing this location to me: the building with the arched gateway is the Willem Lodewijk Gymnasium in the "Oosterstraat" street in Groningen.

Eighty years later, using American technology, I found out that a German-built van has taken the place of the Canadian truck

C15TA_Battle of Groningen 14-18 April 1945.jpg 520757073_2514029202267606_8088085103358127828_n_cropped.jpg

[Hanno Spoelstra]

C15TA Z8522265 posing for an official photo.

Sadly I cannot read the small sign in front, it usually listed the designation and contract details in chalk.

C15TA Z8522265.jpg
Source:

Originally Posted by Nick Balmer

Quite a lot of the Bellona Military Data. Series are available online here https://archive.org/details/bellona-...le-prints-33./

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Some more photos of C15TAs during the liberation of the Western part of the Netherlands. This area was not liberated by force as this zone was still occupied by the German Army when they surrendered on 5th of May 1945 (though there were some pockets of resistance).


Liberation of Utrecht. Note the British 10-cwt trailer.
Location: Leidscheweg (opposite number 55), Utrecht
Date: 7 or 8 May 1945 (estimated)

45p18.jpg
Source: http://www.faase.nl/utrecht.faase.nl/1940/wo2.htm?2

------------------------------------------------------

Location: Molendijk, Oud-Beijerland
Date: 8 or 9 May 1945

bevrijding-oudbeijerland-canadezen-molendijk.jpg
Source: https://www.omroephw.nl/2025/04/maan...waard-actueel/ and https://wo2-hoekschewaard.nl/

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Liberation in Aalsmeer.
Location: Uiterweg, Aalsmeer
Date: 7 or 8 May 1945 (estimated)

Bevrijdingsdag Uiterweg.jpg
Source: https://aalsmeervandaag.nl/algemeen/...wel-geld-nodig

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Jordan Baker

Here are the rest of the series of pictures taken of Aristocrat. Army Numerical Album # 84
C15ta06.jpg

Here is "Aristocrat" again, there was a series photos made on 5 December 1945 near Nijmegen.
The original contact prints are labelled "Story: new type armoured 15 cwt for infantry assault work"

Would be great to find back the location!


"GM C15TA Armoured Truck CZ428917 'Aristocrat' near Nijmegen, Netherlands, 5 December 1944"

e011213485-v8.jpg
Source: https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.redir...=e011213485-v8


"Troopers of a Canadian armoured brigade getting out of a new General Motors Canada fifteen-hundred weight armoured truck near Nijmegen.
December 5, 1944 / Nijmegen, Netherlands (vicinity).
Credit: Barney J. Gloster/Canada. Dept. of National Defence/Library and Archives Canada/PA-177591"

a177591-v6.jpg
Source: https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/rememb...on-netherlands
and https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.redir...opy=a177591-v6

PS: Compare the quality of the second photo with the one used here:
https://www.warmuseum.ca/wp-content/...ressJacket.pdf

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Here is "Aristocrat" again, there was a series photos made on 5 December 1945 near Nijmegen. The original contact prints are labelled "Story: new type armoured 15 cwt for infantry assault work"

Would be great to find back the location!

Jordan Baker wrote:

"Hey Hanno. The day before he was taking pictures at Antwerp. Then the C15TA pictures, The next day the photographer was taking pictures in Oss and Breda. Maybe that helps with his route of travel.
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I’ve tried searching all over with google street view/overhead. Found a few spots that partial match but nothing conclusive as to the location the pictures were taken.

Canadian army newsreel no51 has film footage of the army postal office. Those pictures were taken the day before the C15TA was.

I’m positive I’ve seen film footage of the C15TA rolling up and the soldiers running out for the camera. But I couldn’t find it".

The Canadian Army Newsreel No 51 can be viewed on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/zl73W5rQ-6Q?t=189&si=gc3birJVR1lN7bGC

The first few seconds seem to depict the same location as in the photos taken by Lieut. Gloster at the 2 Cdn Corps Army Post Office in Oss.

I have asked a (somewhat) local battle field guide for help. If more info turns up, I wil post it here.