Why Gun Tractor Shape

[Mike Cecil]

Interesting, Lang. Always good to have first-hand observation.

The Studebaker was the front-line, overseas deployable truck for the regular army from the late 50s (when they were pulled out of storage) until progressively replaced by the No.1 Mk.3 Inter 2.5 ton trucks from the early 1960s.

By 1964, sufficient Studebakers had been replaced in reg units by No.1 Mk3 Inters to see them with CMF units, as you observed. In Victoria, 2 Fd Regt remained with CCKW353 and Tractors No.8 & 9 until the early to mid-60s. Don't remember ever seeing Studebakers with 2 Fd Regt, and as a young lad, I was a frequent visitor (father was BSM, Q Bty) but I may be wrong - it was a long time ago. Studebakers were retained until sold off in the early 1970s. I wrote an article on their Aust use a long time ago, for Army Motors. I think there were about 1,300 in total in Aust service.

Still, that is getting us away from your original question: why the odd shape of the British FAT? (Morris, CMP, Guy, etc)

Mike