MLU FORUM  

Go Back   MLU FORUM > GENERAL WW2 TOPICS > The MLU Sappers Mess

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 07-02-08, 22:56
sapper740's Avatar
sapper740 sapper740 is offline
Derek Heuring
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Corinth, Texas
Posts: 2,018
Default Too big for a D4

Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith Webb View Post
Here goes...

Thanks Kieth, much appreciated! Y'know, after taking a good look at the dozer being loaded into the C47 in this pic, it's too small to be a D4, I wonder if it's a CA-1?
__________________
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 18-02-08, 22:50
George McKenzie George McKenzie is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Northern Alberta CA
Posts: 451
Default bulldozer

Hi First I will say that the older cats pre 1936 numbers stood for horse power .A 30 cat had 30 HP a 60 had 60HP .The 35 was the first deisel .The R series were R being a gas ,RD is a deisel The RD 2,4,6,8 and some U series were the Catipiller modles used in the ww2 .I put a D7 in a Hurculies aircraft in Yellowknife where it was hauled to the artic we had to remove all the dozer parts ,blade and C frame maily because it was too wide ,not too heavy .I might add that these cats did not have canopies on them and when working in the bush kild alot of operaters from the tree tops comming down on them .Some were sheeted in with iron and used in combat They were so reliable that they made a great impact on the out come of the war George
__________________
George is hooked on OD
5 window DT969
8 ton Fruehauf trailer
M2A1Halftrack ,CMP #11 F15A1 #13 F15A1
RAF Fordson Tractor, 42 WLC HD
No.2MK11 CT267514 center CB24713 bottom hull25701 ,No.2 MK2 parts
MK1 10128 ,(2) MK1 ,Parts Hull9305 .Hull 10407
Hull plate # 7250 all have walk plate on back steps
1917 Patent modle amphibious army tank
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 18-02-08, 23:28
Lang Lang is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Brisbane Australia
Posts: 1,676
Default

Keith,

I agree with Sapper that it is a little baby Clarke air portable tractor.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 18-02-08, 23:39
Lang Lang is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Brisbane Australia
Posts: 1,676
Default

Some Clarkair photos

the action scene is at Nadzab in the Markham Valley in New Guinea. The equipment all arrived by air.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg clark-scraper.jpg (48.7 KB, 270 views)
File Type: jpg Runway%20grading.jpg (59.8 KB, 229 views)
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 19-02-08, 02:27
sapper740's Avatar
sapper740 sapper740 is offline
Derek Heuring
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Corinth, Texas
Posts: 2,018
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lang View Post
Some Clarkair photos

the action scene is at Nadzab in the Markham Valley in New Guinea. The equipment all arrived by air.

Lang, you seem to have the same interest in the ClarkAir as I do. I have about 40 pictures of the little dozer and it's attachments, if you're interested in any, let me know and I'll email them to you. I've just posted to "Transporting the Clark-Air CA-1 bulldozer" regarding the temporary stub axles I've seen on them before. If you're interested, check it oout. Derek.
__________________
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 19-02-08, 04:35
Alan Nicholas Alan Nicholas is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Rockhampton Queensland Australia
Posts: 34
Smile Probably a bit off track?!

I was up in the Ramu Valley with my father in early December 2005. He was 7th division 2nd/25th infantry battalion and had fought up in the Markim and Ramu valleys. He showed mum and myself where he had fought – main battle/skirmish being at the site of Kesawai village. We also went to Kiapit and a distant look at Shaggy Ridge.
While up in that area we stayed at the Ramu Sugar complex. We got talking to the local expatts, which wasn’t hard as they were impressed that someone of Dad’s age(82) had come to visit and pay his respects.
Anyhow it was mentioned that they had in the process of developing a new cane field came across a couple of buried little dozers that where used to develop the military airfields in WW2. Apparently a lot of equipment was buried after the Japs where driven out of Papua New Guinea. The theory being that while the war was going the allies way, they may have ended up back in PNG still having to fight. So if that was the case they would need some gear, so they buried catches of equipment just in case. That is what I was told by the expatts anyway! I don’t know as to the condition of these dozers or what happened to them. I assume that it is true due to the amount of ex-military equipment being dug up or that was left lying around and can still be seen today.
Apparently they have a hell of a time digging up Marsden matting when they develop new cane/oil palm fields. Here’s a link for those interested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marston_Matting
Just to the North West of this town is the Ramu Sugar township / complex for those who are interested.
"Kaigulan" lat=-5.979949, lon=145.905197 Copy and Paste into Google earth.
I thought this might be of interest to the discussuion.

Regards
Alan Nicholas
__________________
Alan Nicholas
C15A
Central Queensland
Australia
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 20-02-08, 06:51
Lang Lang is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Brisbane Australia
Posts: 1,676
Default

Derek,

Always interested in Clarkairs. I have only ever seen one in Australia - well restored - at a tractor show a few years back. I have always wanted to own one. Just drove across USA and saw two in the mid-west on poles advertising earth moving companies.

lang@st.net.au
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 20-02-08, 17:48
sapper740's Avatar
sapper740 sapper740 is offline
Derek Heuring
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Corinth, Texas
Posts: 2,018
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by alnich View Post
I was up in the Ramu Valley with my father in early December 2005. He was 7th division 2nd/25th infantry battalion and had fought up in the Markim and Ramu valleys. He showed mum and myself where he had fought – main battle/skirmish being at the site of Kesawai village. We also went to Kiapit and a distant look at Shaggy Ridge.
While up in that area we stayed at the Ramu Sugar complex. We got talking to the local expatts, which wasn’t hard as they were impressed that someone of Dad’s age(82) had come to visit and pay his respects.
Anyhow it was mentioned that they had in the process of developing a new cane field came across a couple of buried little dozers that where used to develop the military airfields in WW2. Apparently a lot of equipment was buried after the Japs where driven out of Papua New Guinea. The theory being that while the war was going the allies way, they may have ended up back in PNG still having to fight. So if that was the case they would need some gear, so they buried catches of equipment just in case. That is what I was told by the expatts anyway! I don’t know as to the condition of these dozers or what happened to them. I assume that it is true due to the amount of ex-military equipment being dug up or that was left lying around and can still be seen today.
Apparently they have a hell of a time digging up Marsden matting when they develop new cane/oil palm fields. Here’s a link for those interested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marston_Matting
Just to the North West of this town is the Ramu Sugar township / complex for those who are interested.
"Kaigulan" lat=-5.979949, lon=145.905197 Copy and Paste into Google earth.
I thought this might be of interest to the discussuion.

Regards
Alan Nicholas
Matting is always of interest to any discussion, well, if you're an Engineer anyway! I'll be posting a story soon of Canada's role in developing expedient runway coverings.

Interesting story you have told of buried equipment in PNG and one that is so oft repeated around the world that there must be much truth to it. In British Columbia stories abound of equipment found along the Alaska Highway and in the Chilcotin training area. When you consider how remote much of Papua New Guinea is, and how quickly the jungle retakes cleared land, I imagine there is much to be found yet. No surprise that they're spending a lot of time digging up Marsden matting (PSP) as there was 2,000,000 tons of the stuff made during WW II. Derek.
__________________
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +2. The time now is 07:23.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © Maple Leaf Up, 2003-2016