Canadian Long wheelbase Diamond T975 survivors?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Ad found on HMVF:

Well i have decided to sell my Diamond t to finance another project. The Diamond T 975 is one of only 1500 of this model made between 1940/41 to 1943. The 975 was a long wheel base.These were built for the Canadian Army and came in different forms such as GS cargo as mine and bridge laying bodys ect. My truck is in good running order and i have used it on a regular bassis it gets run at least once a month even in the winter time so no long periods of standing still. It still needs some paint work doing to the wheels and other odds and ends doing.It still has its hercules petrol engine, its 6 volts electrics and 12 volt starting.I am asking £7000.ono. I dont know of another 975 over here in the UK but i may be wrong.I can email more pics on request. My email Hwade111@aol.com Tel 01379 871161.

Thanks for Looking
Howard

No connections, not a CMP, but a truck built specifically for the Canadian Army and worthy of finding a good home!

- Hanno

[Neil Ashley]

I think this one has changed hands a few times in recent years and the cost of petrol cannot help.

If it is the one I am thinking about it started life as a Bridge Carrier and subsequently ended up with this body during a post war rebuild (ex-Denmark?). Still a very rare truck.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Neil Ashley

I think this one has changed hands a few times in recent years and the cost of petrol cannot help.

Indeed, the seller bought a GMC CCKW 353 which he hopes he can take out to shows more often than the Diamond T.

Just read on HMVF this Diamond T was sold to a new owner in Holland. The Dutch are at it again!

- Hanno

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Another Diamond T 975, this time a Pontoon Truck, was recent sold by Army Cars, to an unknown buyer.

[Alex van de Wetering]

I don't know of any exact numbers, but I guess several thousands of long wheelbase Diamonds must have been built under canadian contracts.....but how many of these T975's survive today?

The Dutch army picked up quite a few from the vehicle dump in Deelen, but I don't know if any of these survive today(?).
The Danish army sold a number of the Canadian Diamonds a few years ago and most of the trucks now seen on shows seem to have come from their stocks. Sadly most of them lost their "Canadian" bodies somewhere in their career.

Alex

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

but how many of these T975's survive today?

Alex,

Here´s a couple of them. One was for sale in the UK and came to Holland, the other was for sale at a dealer in Holland and went to who knows where.

Can´t think of many more, but once you start counting you should be able to come up with a few dozen?

H.

[Alex van de Wetering]

I know four examples in Holland:

1. First picture shows the T975 Pontoon carrier of the The Marshall museum in Overloon (ex-Danish army?). Sadly it carries US registration.
   
2. An identical example was recently sold to a group of MV collectors in the South of Holland. Hanno posted a picture of that one on MLU over here: http://mapleleafup.net/forums/showthread.php?t=12370
   
3. The second picture shows the ex-Howard Wade T975 which is now owned by someone in Holland. (picture taken at Wings and Wheels show, Belgium)
   
4. I have only seen a picture of the fourth Dutch example on the internet....I will try to dig it up. If I remember correctly it was in storage but it might still have the original body fitted.

Than there used to be another one; I remember seeing a Brown Diamond T flatbed (?) with mickey mouse camo here in Holland in the 80's, but I never saw it again. I even heard it was sold to one of the museums in Canada(?).

[Alex van de Wetering]

Hanno.......you are just too fast.....or I am getting too slow. I was still gathering info for this thread!

Alex

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

Hanno.......you are just too fast.....or I am getting too slow. I was still gathering info for this thread!

Alex,

Think of it as an 1-2tje!

I have a pic of Alex Schmidt´s 975 somewhere, I´ll post it here when I find it.

Hanno

[Alex van de Wetering]

Here is the fourth example I mentioned:

source: http://www.geocities.com/militairvehicles/

Still fitted with the Machinery body! I'd love to see this truck in real life!

I have a pic of Alex Schmidt´s 975 somewhere, I´ll post it here when I find it.

Terrific, I didn't know about that one. That would make 5 in Holland so far.

Alex

[Hendrik van Oorspronk]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

Here is the fourth example I mentioned:

Hello, this one is from Jarno Wormgoor, he also ownes a cab 11 Ford FGT, a Ql, Fordson and a Champ, looks like he likes Canadian Britisch .

Green Greetings

Hendrik van Oorspronk

[gjamo]

I think I may have discovered the spare parts book for it.
Graeme

[Alex van de Wetering]

Greame,

I recon the manual you found is for the short wheelbase US versions. The 968 is the normal cargo version, the 969 the wrecker. The Canadians did use the 969 however and I guess for work on the cab and chassis you could use either of the manuals...
Mechanically the short wheelbase and long wheelbase Diamonds were the same, the only difference being the longer chassis rails, one extra crossmember and longer drive shafts.

Attached a picture for some "colour" to this thread. Picture taken by Frits Lamberts in Almelo Holland, 1945. I just love this picture (one of a series taken at the same location) as it shows a number of Canadian Diamonds, but also CMP 3 ton trucks with Bailey bridge equipment.
I visited the location with a friend recently.....no, no Diamonds anymore



source: www.geheugenvannederland.nl


Does anyone know of any survivors of the Canadian Diamonds on Canadian soil???

[Alex van de Wetering]

Does anyone know the current location of Genaral Crerar's caravan? Borden maybe? Any pictures?

I understand the caravan was found by Bill Gregg and put on the back of a Diamond T975 for display in a Canadian museum. From what I have heard the Diamond in question might have been the Dutch one, previously a flatbed painted brown with black camo.

Hello, this one is from Jarno Wormgoor, he also ownes a cab 11 Ford FGT, a Ql, Fordson and a Champ, looks like he likes Canadian Britisch .

@ Hendrik. I think I remember seeing pictures of an cab 11 gun tractor under restoration somewhere in Holland; the fellow also owned the remains of the bodies of two others. Could that be Jarno?
It would be great to see both the FGT and Diamond T975 in a "correct" liberation parade next year!

Alex

[Alex van de Wetering]

I came across these pics this afternoon; taken at the Canadian War Museum in 2004 according to the source. Great to see a Diamond Machinery truck (Machinery M?) in preservation.

Alex









Source: http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/ro...ry_vintage.htm

[gordon]

About fifteen years back I was in Norway and saw a Canadian T with a Bay City crane / shovel set on it. Looked entirely original.

Gordon

[lendlease]

2 years ago I was in Sweden and looked at a Canadian LWB 6x6 for sale. I was reasonably original except for a missing engine and transmission. Had crane mounted on it as shown above in pictures in this thread. I know is was sold to a collector in Holland with a few big trucks. I have pictures, but don't know how to upload them. I do have an original CANADIAN manual for this military truck that I purchased here in Australia....also anothe CANADIAN manual for the Willys MB jeep....again purchased here from a book dealer.

[rob love]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

Does anyone know the current location of Genaral Crerar's caravan? Borden maybe? Any pictures?

I understand the caravan was found by Bill Gregg and put on the back of a Diamond T975 for display in a Canadian museum. From what I have heard the Diamond in question might have been the Dutch one, previously a flatbed painted brown with black camo.

Alex

Crerar's caravan followed Bill Gregg's collection to Shilo. They did not have a truck to put it on, so they removed the rear deck from the Diamond T wrecker which was also from the gregg collection, and spliced the frame to give it the required wheelbase. I drove it about 9 years back after doing a little work on the starter. As far as I know it remains in the Shilo Artillery museum's collection,

[welbike]

Hi All, interesting Topic! My 975 came from the Marshall Museums collection, they had 3 of them, all from Denmark, and the pontoon bridge model, with the spare wheel on the side of the bed.

I don't think mine went to Canada, first it went to Belgium, then Luxembourg, and now is or was in Germany, in a terrible state, believed to be for sale, can find out if anyone is interested.

Drove the truck to Normandy and back in 1989 I believe, with a M3A1 halftrack on the back, a memorable ride!!!



And here how it looked 5? years ago:


Cheers,

Lex Schmidt

[Alex van de Wetering]

Lex,

Thanks for posting the pics of your former Diamond; It must have been your truck that I saw in the 80's than. It was at a Remembrance tour in Haarlem and if I remember correctly (I was a young boy in those days ) the Diamond had about 5 motorbikes on the back before the tour and was driven by two women during the tour (?)

Oh my....it's terrible to see the current condition of the truck...let;s hope it gets saved once again.

Alex

[jwdejong]

hello all,

I have buyed the 3rd diamond T.

Jan Willem de Jong

[Alex van de Wetering]

I have "found" three more 975's on the web.

One restored by "Cameron restorations" in the UK and oddly enough described as being a 970A, but the data plate shows it's true identity. (picture 1 &2)
This truck seems to have the same rear body as the ex-Howard Wade 975, which I presume is a body fitted post-war by the Norwegians or Danish army(?)

source: http://www.cameronrestorations.co.uk...ary/4574129676

The other two are in the "Piana Delle Orme" museum in Italy and retain their Original bodies. (picture 3 & 4; Second Diamond can be seen in the background)

source: http://opevneni.blogspot.nl/2013_10_01_archive.html

Alex

[welbike]

Hi Alex,

Yes, I had seen the ones in the big Iti museum too!

And yes, that was my truck in Haarlem, with the 2 blondes!!!

Have not heard if anything happened with it, but presume the truck is still in Germany, one of the blondes lives in Normandy right now!

Also 2 pictures of the trip to Normandy in '89, must have been insane to even try that! but we got back OK too, only 3 burst (recapped) tyres, and had 3 spares, we were very lucky!





They are great trucks!!! also read the Wheels & Tracks article, very informing.

Cheers,

Lex

[David Dunlop]

A couple of cab and chassis units were sold into the St. Claude area of Manitoba back in the 70's and the Machinery body from one was still around a few years ago. Both vehicles came out of Military District 10, here in Canada. Probably all Scrappiest Fodder by now.

David

[Larry Hayward]

Was the Machinery body fitted to these the same as the six wheeled CMP Ford and Chevrolet trucks?

[Alex van de Wetering]

And yes, that was my truck in Haarlem, with the 2 blondes!!!

I will ask my father if he has any pictures of that occasion......of course taking pictures was different in those days....you could only take 24, maybe 25....nowadays we all just shoot along
That picture of your Diamond on the Normandy lane.....peace and quiet....very different from this years remembrance, I imagine!

A couple of cab and chassis units were sold into the St. Claude area of Manitoba back in the 70's and the Machinery body from one was still around a few years ago

David, I have seen pics of a Machinery body some time ago; I presume it could be the same you are talking about.

Larry, the Lindsey bodies used on the Diamond are slightly longer than the ones used on the C60X. Also, the layout and machinery differed.

Alex

[welbike]

Hello Alex,

Pictures would be splendid!! don't have that much for that period!!

Cheers,

Lex

[DanJahn]

I have a Diamond T 969B here in British Columbia Canada . It started life as an open cab was converted to a closed cab by the Canadian Army then I returned it back to an open cab. I will try to post pictures. George Mckenzie here in Canada is restoring a open cab Diamond T that was also converted to a closed cab and he is going to restore it that way.

Dan Jahn

[Alex van de Wetering]

It seems the "Cameron Restorations" Diamond T 975 will be auctioned next month;

Was used to carry Bridging equipment and pontoons. With winch, taxed with v5. Reg VSL 369.
To be auctioned by HJ Pugh on Sat 25th October at Letton Court, Letton, Herefordshire for for Duncan Cameron & Sons and the private collection for A D Cameron.
www.hjpugh.com

http://milweb.net/classifieds/large_...ad=74411&cat=4

Alex

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by welbike

Have not heard if anything happened with it, but presume the truck is still in Germany, one of the blondes lives in Normandy right now!

Lex, this is your old truck, right?

It is advertised for sale in France.....

Very rare Diamond T 6x6 Pontoon Truck

WW2 US Army 1943 with Garwood front winch, Pontoon carrier ex Corps of engineers US Army,
needs restoration, very complete truck, price £5000 (Pound Sterling) ,
please specify full address and landline telephone number,thank you very much for your understanding.
0033 665 234647
Jean Petit