Kiwi Chev portee

[Mike K]

Eric Rooke in NZ has just aquired this cab 12 Chev. portee with non original body ? I have invited him to join this forum . I know a few of these rare vehicles have turned up in New Zealand , but they are vitually unknown elsewhere . I wonder why .

Mike

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Is that a S/M 2028 # 42 Cab Portee? One answer, as stated before, is that when new these were assembled in the UK and also it seems by General Motors Near East Ltd, Alexandria, or rather the WD in the leased GM Near East facility. They were then issued to the British Army, AIF and NZEF, and possibly Indian Army though I have never found any evidence that any of these "issued" trucks were ever loaned to the IA.

In due course, starting mid-1941, the UK and Commonwealth Governments agreed to the sale of the vehicles loaned to the various forces, and subsequently they retained their domestic (if shipped out from the UK) and Mid-East theatre Census Numbers, albeit having been loaned then sold to the various Governments with settlements made in London. After all we needed the £! The survivors were then shipped back to Australasia for further service; after all they had been sold!

The other answer is that in 1943-4 219 surviving Portees, MCC C8/MG and the Chevrolet equivalents, were sold/donated to the New Zealand Government and then shipped to NZ. I conject that these were ex-North African ones and the remainders as we have discussed before were rebuilt (Chevs by GM Near East or GM Ltd, England; MCC by Adderley Park) to G/S trucks (Chevs) or FATs.

[cliff]

Most of these portees were rebuilt to GS trucks so you could say this one is in it's original form. Nice find though.

Cheers
Cliff

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I know it is too much to hope for but I wonder if the Data Plate is still there? I echo: nice find!

[David Ellery]

Great project to get stuck into, not to many of these left now, The good thing with this vehicle is that it still retains its original rear guards which are impossible to come by today, and the GS tray as Cliff mentioned is original ex NZ Army.It seems that most if not all of the Chev 2 pdr Portees were stripped of their original portee ramps and decks and converted with a GS tray to the role of 15cwt lorry. Eric if your reading this, PM me as I have a set of workshop plans for the GS tray and the purpose built canopy frame and I'll get a copy to you.
cheers David...

[Ken Hughes]

is this the portee that came from peter little in canterbury nz the same guy that has the half track up for sale in our sale section ,ive heard that the portee is quite original ex nz army and an asset to anyones collection ,well done.

[Mike K]

Eric paid $350 for the portee , a bargain in anybody's language . He found it in a wreckers yard . He is in the Nth. island from the sound of it . He mentioned the tray is a NZ army mod.

The problem with these portees is , the 2 pounder guns are rare as , and worth huge money . Much more than the truck is worth .

David H. - Your theory seems plausible to me . I am not aware of any of these 12 cab Chev. portees turning up here in Aust., except for one back in the 70's , which has dissapeared . We got the Morris C8 portees here , who knows why NZ got the Chevs and we got the MCC version .

Eric seems a bit shy about joining this forum .

Mike

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I wonder of the Australian Government had enough British orders for new trucks to take care of their requirements, so no cast offs were needed? Interesting thoughts though..worth considering further.

[David Hardway]

Hi Guys

This Chevy came from Paul Burr in Palmerston North and had
been recovered in the Manawatu. Pauls a Ford man so the Chev was picked up to pass onto a new home rather than the scrap man as far as i can tell the rear guards are the originals from the portee and from memory the NZ number is very close to
David Ellerys.

Dave

1941 3" Mortar Carrier
1941 Ford F30 LRDG Replica
1942 Ford F15A
1942 NZ Pattern Wheeled Carrier