Tower for 17-pdr

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Larry Hayward
A photo in the IWM archives in London, (NA7702) shows a line of GMC CCKW-353 (or similar GMC CCKW 352's) towing Mk I 17pdrs, waiting for the attack over the River Volturno, Italy, Oct 1943. The photo shows only the rear of the trucks, so I couldn't say which model they were. The rear vehicle carries the unit serial 64 and a vehicle number '53099???.

Larry, Charles Bogart in 'The 93rd Anti-Tank Regiment' (AFV News, Vol.32, No.1, January-April 1997, p.8) mentions two batteries of the 93rd Anti-Tank Regiment in Italy, "receiving U.S. 2½-ton trucks in place of the British tractors used for towing their guns" in August 1943. He noted that in June '43 the 93rd converted to a new establishment of four batteries, one self-propelled and three towed, of which one had 17-pounders with Mark II carriages and the other two 6-pounders. Could the picture you mention show units of the 93rd Anti-Tank Regiment?

Also, according to Andy Talbot, Field Marshal Lord Carver's Book of the War in Italy; 1943-1945 there is a photo of 352's (or 353's) towing 17 pdr A/T guns through Scarfati on 29 September 1943. It claims they are of 65th AT Regt RA (Norfolk Yeomanry).

The vehicles and guns are painted in a light colour over which a darker grey or green has been painted in a disruptive pattern. I doubt the unit was Canadian but at least it confirms the GMC's use as an Artillery Tractor.

This could well be the camouflage scheme introduced in Italy in April 1943, which used bold patterns of black, or SCC7 (a dark olive green), over a base of SCC.5 "Light Mud". Reportedly, this scheme was used by the British only, which would indicate the trucks in your picture are British.

Regards,
Hanno