Lend Lease Studebaker US6s

[Jon Schneider]

Does anyone know how many Studebaker US6 trucks were shipped to Australia during WW2? I was looking at Oliver Missing's great website on Lend-Lease vehicles to the USSR and noticed that almost the entire production run of the US6 6x6 with and without winch were shipped to Russia. I cannot find any figures on US6s shipped to Australia. I know that the US6 is VERY scarce here in the United States. Out of about 200,000 made (both 6x6 and 6x4), 150,000 (approx.) were shipped to the USSR, leaving roughly 50,000 for the rest of the allies----BUT most of these were the US6 6x4 model according to the figures. Any input is greatly appreciated.

[gordon]

You need to consider secondhand trucks.

It looks like early, non-standardised Dodges like the VC 3 pickup pictured at the Holden plant may have been first used in the north west US and on the Alcan and Canol projects, then given a production line rebuild at the mount Rainier Ordnance Depot in Washington State before being shipped as war aid to Australia in the middle of the war.

There were a lot of Studebakers on the Alcan and Canol projects too, so it might be that the trucks that ended up in Australia were ex-Alcan vehicles rebuilt and shipped to Australia as war aid, since the US wanted to keep the standardised GMCs and move on the early and limited standard trucks?

Evidence is sketchy though. When did the first of them arrive there? did any of them have any evidence of winterisation kits, or suspicious 4" holes in the engine cover for those fuel-burning engine heaters so commonly seen on the Alcan project?

Gordon

[Keith Webb]

Originally posted by Jon Schneider
Does anyone know how many Studebaker US6 trucks were shipped to Australia during WW2?

I interviewed Mike Cecil for the (still) upcoming Year of the Blitz 2 with a substantial segment on the US6 - Mike has numbers and when they arrived including the breakdown between Studebaker and Reo.
I'll have to refer to the interview but perhaps Mike would like to chip in.
There are quite a few US6 surviving in excellent condition here - we had 21 attend Corowa in 2003.

[Mike K]

No expert on these US6's . But , I am pretty sure the US6's here in OZ were shipped out under lend lease towards the end of the war in CKD form .

Most of them were kept in storage in the CKD condition until the late 1950's and even into the early 1960's . When these US6's were sold at auction in the early 1970's , many of them had less than 10,000 miles on the clock . Many were in use with the CMF ( army reserve ) units in the 1960's . Of the many thousands of AWM WW2 pics I have perused , I have not seen one pic of a US6 in service with Australian forces in WW2 .

Gordon , the VC Dodge pic at the GMH plant was taken in early 1942 . It was among the first US vehicles to arrive in Melbourne with the U.S. forces . I have the GMH war history book here . GMH rebuilt many US army vehicles including DUKW's Jeeps etc.

The theory of rebuilt VC's being shipped out here is rather thin . There are no surviving VC's anywhere in OZ , none . Never even heard of one in 27 years of MV interest .

BTW . the VC is about my favourite vehicle .

Mike

[gordon]

It may be thin, but I'm just suggesting that even in 1942 that VC3 would have been a rebuild - even if they only sent one.

I know one VC 1 got to Moscow, maybe they just sent a sample of each type to all the allied forces for evaluation, something like that?

Gordon

[Jon Schneider]

Thank you guys for the replies----- Gordon, I had not considered the theory of rebuilt US6s from the Northwest. Although... the 8 to 10 US6s I've seen in here in the Western United States have all been 1945 models. I have not seen an early Studebaker here. So my small observation might give a little weight to the rebuild theory.
Keith, I will have to order a copy of The Year of the Blitz 2 from you when it is completed. I've seen the pics on your site-----IMPRESSIVE!!! The Studebaker is a beautiful truck. The REO is a rare bird! I've heard of one in Washington State from Rick Larson of Oregon. He was not sure if it was still there.
Mike, I like the VC Dodge too. Perhaps you've seen pictures of Steve Greenberg's VC1 command car. Really, really nice.

My feeling is that there had to be more than 1400 US6s shipped to Australia. But if the figures of shipments to Russia are right, where did they come from?? Thanks again, Jon

[Keith Webb]

Just had a quick look at the "Year of the Studebaker" (which I have almost finished) and it looks like there were about 1200 imported to Australia and assembled in the late 1950s, finally being disposed of between 1972 and 73. The original configurations were mostly troop carrier/GS type with a small number of dump truck versions. The Australian Army also used a variety of bodies on the chassis.
I'll let all know when the program is finished.

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Jon

Once again Oz comes to the fore. A mate of mine owns a Reo. Being complacent they look no different to the US6 apart from the chassis plate that has Reo enscribed on it and the Reo horn button. I don't know where but there are other Reos in Oz.

Bob

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by Bob Moseley
Once again Oz comes to the fore. A mate of mine owns a Reo. Being complacent they look no different to the US6 apart from the chassis plate that has Reo enscribed on it and the Reo horn button. I don't know where but there are other Reos in Oz.

Bob,
I have an old copy of the Milt. Jeep Club of Queensland's club magazine. In there is an article on the US6 in Aussie service, by Ross Prince. It states that approx. 1,200 were allocated Aus. Army regos and of that the total number of Reos is approx. 85.
Reo Motors produced a total of 22,204 from 1944 to 45, LwB without winch.

I know of a restored Reo in Sydney, had a drive of it once in Corowa, it was converted to right hand drive, but the gear lever was still angled to the left!

Richard

[Jon Schneider]

Thanks to everyone for replying to my first time post. This site is well set up and clean. My compliments to the webmaster. Soo... if 1200 Studebakers were shipped to Australia, that would leave 232 for use in the U.S. No wonder they are so scarce 60 years later!!! ( In the United States). Once again, thanks to you all, this subject is a little off track for the forum especially since last year was the "Year of the Studebaker" at Corowa. I am trying to become a US6 owner, don't know if it will happen, a US6 is a little bit big for the driveway!!! Jon

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi Jon

If you want one there are plenty in Oz. All you have to do is buy one and ship it. You would probably get a fortune for it over there due to the scarceity.

However I have been involved with restoring one at our Museum and they are not easy, far more complicated than our Blitzs' or Jeeps.

Have you been to the Russian Studebaker sites? Some guys over there have done tremendous research on them as so many went there. I can't remember the site addresses but a quick search should reveal them.

Bob

PS - increase the size of your driveway.

[Oliver Missing]

Originally posted by Bob Moseley
Hi Jon
...
Have you been to the Russian Studebaker sites? Some guys over there have done tremendous research on them as so many went there. I can't remember the site addresses but a quick search should reveal them.
Bob
...

Two (excellent) Russian Studebaker sites :
- http://www.autogallery.org.ru/gstuder.htm (in English)
- http://mil-trucker.narod.ru/Studebaker.htm (in Russian)
Regards,
Oliver (www.o5m6.de)

[Tony Smith]

It always surprised me that Australia kept thier stocks of Studebakers boxed up 'til the CMPs wore out in the late '50s. After reading the "Autogallery" link mentioned by Oliver above, I found this comment:

"4. Some of foreign goods was payd off with the Soviet gold reserv, but very many had to be returned back after the war. My father described me the procedure he witnessed. American ship with tremendous press machine arrived into Soviet Far East. Americans, accompanied by Soviet officials, gathered every lend-lease automobiles they were able to find (many of these vehicles had been sent and participated the war against Japan in August 1945). American ship, laden with trucks went off-shore, crushed the load and dumped it onto the Pacific bottom. They returned and returned. One can imagine, they found not everything, it's easy to understand that many Soviet directors tried to hide good lend-lease vehicles and often succeed in this."

Australia also had heaps of Lend-Lease stuff that was dumped/buried/burned, but why were these CKD Studebakers spared? Were they hidden from the Yanks? Were they not even noticed in stores? (Corporal, what's in those boxes?) Mystery!

[Keith Webb]

Originally posted by Tony Smith
Australia also had heaps of Lend-Lease stuff that was dumped/buried/burned, but why were these CKD Studebakers spared? Were they hidden from the Yanks? Were they not even noticed in stores? (Corporal, what's in those boxes?) Mystery!

The question is were they actually Lend-Leased to Australia or were they part of normal supply contracts which were paid for?
There are many other US supplied WW2 vehicles here as well. Under what arrangements were they supplied? Same goes for aircraft such as the Lockheed Hudsons, C47s, the US-built P51s and others...

[Mark Sierant]

There were several US6 trucks for sale in 2003 at the Kennedy brothers clearing sale at Adaminiby up in the Snowy they ran at about $6000.00 aussie dollars in bush fire colours. They were all goers and rust free. At the sale I was talking to a chap who was keen to buy one, he informed me that he was a Vietnam Vet. and that at the begining of Australian commitment Studebakers were sent with the troops. He recounted that he had driven one for his tour of duty and that they were phased out in favour of the Inter AACO.
Maybe they also went to Korea does any one know?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Mark Sierant
At the sale I was talking to a chap who was keen to buy one, he informed me that he was a Vietnam Vet. and that at the begining of Australian commitment Studebakers were sent with the troops. He recounted that he had driven one for his tour of duty and that they were phased out in favour of the Inter AACO.
Maybe they also went to Korea does any one know?

Hi Mark,

Interesting to hear this. A quick search for pictures in the Australian War Memorial Collection Databases did not yield any of Studebaker 2½-ton 6x6 trucks, neither in Korea nor Vietnam. Pictures of GMC CCKW-353 2½-ton 6x6 trucks in Australian use are present, however, both in Korea and Vietnam.
I am in not really in a position to suggest the vet you spoke to is mistaken about the use of Studebakers in Vietnam, but one of the captions for a CCKW-353 truck does suggest this could be the case: "a converted GMC Model CCKW truck (also known as studebakers as this was one of the companies that manufactured them)".

Regards,
Hanno






ID Number: DNE/65/0444/VN
Maker: Dunne, Bryan Rupert
Summary: South Vietnam. 1965. A converted GMC Model CCKW truck (also known as studebakers as this was one of the companies that manufactured them) used by members of the Truong Son Force. This is one of a fleet of twenty five. The steel centrepiece and the cutaway side of the armour plated truck are to give protection and make abandoning of the vehicle easier in the case of ambush. The truck was designed by 13668 Captain (Capt) Arthur Barry (Barry) Petersen of Ipswich, Qld. Capt Petersen served with the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV), and during this period spent over two years training and leading the Montagnard's Truong Son Force.

[Mike K]

Studebakers were definately used in Vietnam early on by Australians . Some were converted into special mobile radio stations and fitted out with Larkspur radios . Ask Rick Cove as he has one of these radio versions .

The Israeli army used some also , I recall talking to Col Bell at auto surplus Melbourne , in the late 1970's . He told me that they had offered all their US6 new spares , many tons , to the Israeli army .

I used to buy their brand new US6 seat covers for my 1/2 ton dodge . They had new in the box stuff like windscreen motors , for $ 5 each , Much other stuff , the US style tail lights in the box $5 each , its all gone now . Many of the boxes were labelled REO MOTORS , They even has NOS headlights , in the box , I bought these for my Dodge and removed the base , and fitted the Dodge base .

I know that quite a lot of the Auto Surplus US6 new spares ended up being sold as scrap metal , as they could not find any buyers for it . The MV collecting thing really had not taken off at that point in time here .

Mike

Mike

[Keith Webb]

I remembered once seeing a pic of the HMAS Sydney with Studebakers on deck and have found the following image



Source: Royal Australian Navy Gun Plot HMAS Sydney Midshipmen 1963

Not sure whether it's the same pic and the resolution isn't quite good enough to confirm, but this is a similar image of the Sydney in it's fast troop carrying role.

[Ian Fawbert]

Mark wrote

At the sale I was talking to a chap who was keen to buy one, he informed me that he was a Vietnam Vet. and that at the begining of Australian commitment Studebakers were sent with the troops. He recounted that he had driven one for his tour of duty and that they were phased out in favour of the Inter AACO.

I`m sure i have seen several pics somewhere of US6's in service wiht australian troops who were training for vietnam, or maybe it was in the period bewteen korea and vietnam. I think these were on the AWM website but i cant remember for sure. I saw at least one of a crew on a truck as it was on a type of ferry/landing boat, and several others of the trucks waiting for assembly in sheds. Like i said, i can't remember where i saw them but it was on the web! Its stuck in my mind becasue of the trucks still in crates as late as the early 60's.

Does anyone know what hapenned to the one up the NSW coast- 7000 original miles, good condition, orig tray etc for $2000? I`m really kicking my self rather hard now!


Jon- i knew someone would be able to help, they really are a great bunch of people here.

Cheers,

Ian.

[Rod Diery]

I have talked to a couple of old and bold exRAEME mates who served in Vietnam in the mid 1960s.
Both were certain that no Studebakers were sent to Vietnam for use by the Australians. They thought that the first Australian Army vehicles sent to Vietnam were International Mark 3s sent with 1 RAR in 1965. These Mark 3s were apparently factory fresh having been received by 1 RAR literally days before their departure from Australia.
One of the old guys though, thought that some Studebakers may have been sent to Vietnam as aid to the SVN government at some time. He remembers seeing Studebakers being rebuilt at Northern Command Workshops at Bulimba, Queensland about 1967-68. When completed they were painted in what he describes as a darker shade of olive drab. At the time most Australian Army Studebakers were painted gloss Mid Bronze Green. He also remembers that the Studebakers at Bulimba did not carry an ARN and that when last seen were on the wharves at Hamilton across the Brisbane River from Bulimba.

Regards
Rod Diery
Kulin, Western Australia

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Jon Schneider
I am trying to become a US6 owner, don't know if it will happen, a US6 is a little bit big for the driveway!!!

Jon,

There's a US6 for sale in Kennewick, WA, USA:

See Vehicles of Victory > Vehicles For Sale for more details. The cargo body does not look to be original - most likely originates from a much younger 2.5 or 5-ton cargo truck.

Like Bob said - increase the size of your driveway. And make it pretty by putting a US6 on it

Regards,
Hanno

[Jon Schneider]

Hanno, I have been trying to get up to see that US6 in Kennewick Washington for awhile. It is only 300 miles from where I live. The bed or tray is not original to the truck, of course, but not a bad truck. If I can get a day off during the week, I will take a run up to look at it in detail. The gentleman who has it for sale sent me some more pictures of it. It really needs to come out of the weather and be preserved----Needs a good home!!!! Thanks for spotting it and thinking about me, Hanno. Regards, Jon

[Alex van de Wetering]

Hi Guys,

Yes the tray on the Studebaker looks like the tray of an US 5 ton truck. But the rest of the truck looks good and original.



A museum here in The Netherlands (George C. Marshall Museum in Zwijndrecht) has 2 restored Studebakers. One of them is fitted with the workshop body that was taken from a GMC-cckw 353.
Jon, that might be an idea!

Alex

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Jon Schneider 0
I was looking at Oliver Missing's great website on Lend-Lease vehicles to the USSR and noticed that almost the entire production run of the US6 6x6 with and without winch were shipped to Russia.

See http://photofile.ru/default/do.php?id=8446108#sm for a survivor in Russia, in Moskou if I am correct.

H.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I have a photo of H 5521516, a Studebaker Model US6x4 ‘Lorry 10 ton 6 x 4 – 2 Articulated’ to Demand S/M 2306 and part of the batch H 5521384 to 5522208. S/M 2306 also covered 6 x 4 7-ton Tractors for semi-trailers.

[Jon Schneider]

Thanks for the great picture, Hanno! Jon S.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Jon Schneider
Thanks for the great picture, Hanno! Jon S.

My pleasure, Jon.
Did you save that US6 in Kennewick, Washington?

Cheers,
Hanno

[Snowtractor]

Originally posted by Hanno Spoelstra
Jon,

There's a US6 for sale in Kennewick, WA, USA:

See Vehicles of Victory > Vehicles For Sale for more details. The cargo body does not look to be original - most likely originates from a much younger 2.5 or 5-ton cargo truck.

Like Bob said - increase the size of your driveway. And make it pretty by putting a US6 on it

Regards,
Hanno

And if you note the front , its already set up to tow behind the Motor home so you can use it as a dailey driver when the RV is parked. I have pics of a few US6 frames in a junk pile along the Alcan highway I could dig up if someone wanted.
Sean

[Tony Smith]

Currently on e-bay. See here REO versions are the rarer of these rare trucks, and the SWB US6's are rarer still! This truck still appears to have it's WW2 tyres.

[Jon Schneider]

Hello to all: Many thanks for the input on the Lend Lease US6s. I bought the REO US6 which was advertised in Military Vehicles magazine this year. It is very intact and rust free. I am going to get it the first weekend of October. It runs, but the brakes are not there. I think it sat for 20 years, the previous owner died 6 years ago so it had not been running for at least that long. It is about 5 hours from where I live. Apparently, the grain farmers of Eastern Washington and Oregon bought a few of these US6s for use as grain hauling trucks. Wish me luck as I enter into the unknown world of BIG military truck ownership!! Jon S.