Australian Chevrolet books

[Mike K]

While looking in the red covered GM-H 1940 repair manual, I came across this signature and army service number . He signed his name in a few other pages.

A quick search in the naa system found his records. Archibald Glover was shipped to New Guinea in July 1942, he spent 1 and 1/2 years there . He was transferred to the 158 General Transport Company. His unit was involved in a tragedy in Port Moresby , a B-24 bomber crashed into parked trucks and over 50 people were killed , including members of his unit.

Pic of one of the burnt trucks, an MCP Chevrolet.

The ship he sailed on to New Guinea, the Dutch owned SS Both. https://birtwistlewiki.com.au/wiki/SS_Both

"in 1943 members of 2/33rd Infantry battalion and 158th General Transport Company were waiting at Jackson’s Airfield near Port Moresby, when a B-24 Liberator bomber accidentally crashed among where the 5 trucks were waiting.
62 men were killed and over 90 were injured; 2 men of 158th General Transport Company and 60 from 2/33rd Infantry battalion - a third of the battalion's fatal casualties for the entire war. Eleven members of the American Liberator aircrew also died in the accident."

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Very interesting to read this, Mike! From the manufacturing of wheels to the sadness of needless loss of life. I sometimes wonder if more lives were lost during training and accidents than during actual combat? For the FAA squadron one of my great uncles served in, that was certainly the case