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  #1  
Old 17-08-15, 22:25
Mark Towers Mark Towers is offline
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Default 1944 CMP F60 LAAT + Bofors Gun

Hello all,

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to fellow MLU forum members and express how happy I am now that I have been able to register. I have waited patiently for a year

I am a proud custodian of a 1944 F60 LAAT and a 1942 Canadian 40mm Bofors Gun (Otis Elivator Company) I have owned them for the last 2 years and have had great help from my close friends getting the F60 back on the road😃

The power plant (Flathead Ford v8, has had a total rebuild) and I now attend many shows around the south west of England.

Can any one kindly tell me if the British Army used the F60 LAAT during WW2 or was it only used by the respected Canadians forces. All of the British Bofors gun crew veterans I have ever spoken too can only remember having Bedford gun tractors in their units?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated 👍

Kind regards,

Mark Towers
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  #2  
Old 17-08-15, 23:41
Phil Waterman Phil Waterman is offline
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Default First Welcome Aboard

Hi Mark

Glad you were patient, and now I hope you will find MLU and its participants well worth the wait . Now to your question were CMP LAAT 60s used by the British Army, I suspect that the answer will be yes. Now to the question of how to prove it, photographic proof will probably be most interesting. A quick look through histories of British Units such as the Desert Rats show that they used a lot of CMPs all the way from North Africa, Italy into Germany.

Looking forward to seeing more photos of your equipment.

Though not of LAATs in British Army, you might find some of these photos of interest LAATs in British Columbia http://canadianmilitarypattern.com/C...20Columbia.htm

http://canadianmilitarypattern.com/R...20-06%2014.jpg

Cheers Phil

PS- Yes, I really need to move copies of these photos inside MLU archive instead of showing them as a link
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  #3  
Old 18-08-15, 00:53
Harry Moon Harry Moon is offline
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Those were pretty cool pictures of B.C.
I recognize the road, it follows much the same route today. given the low speeds involved it is surprising to see the trucks with out chains on. Most of that route in winter even today is "Chains on"
oh and welcome to the Forum!
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  #4  
Old 18-08-15, 13:11
Frantisek Nachlinger Frantisek Nachlinger is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Towers View Post
Hello all,
Can any one kindly tell me if the British Army used the F60 LAAT during WW2 or was it only used by the respected Canadians forces. All of the British Bofors gun crew veterans I have ever spoken too can only remember having Bedford gun tractors in their units?
Hi Mark,
welcome aboard!

I was told yesterday, that the 200th Anti Aircraft from the Czech Independent Armoured Briade Group - that was serving under brits - was using cab 13 LAATs too, but only told. I can ask if anyone has some pictures, if you were interested.

Enjoy this great forum,
Frankie
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  #5  
Old 18-08-15, 13:47
Neil Ashley Neil Ashley is offline
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The most likely area of use would probably have been in Italy during 44-45.

Its been commented on before how strange it is how many Canadian Ford LAAT have survived in the UK against hardly any of the British version. One use of the Fords seems to have been with Bus Companies for recovery use. There were two for many years at a garage out-side of Wootton Basett in Wiltshire.
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  #6  
Old 18-08-15, 21:30
Mark Towers Mark Towers is offline
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Please see below more equipment pics as kindly requested.

Langport show 3 weeks ago
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  #7  
Old 18-08-15, 21:37
Mark Towers Mark Towers is offline
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The old girl parked in front of my garage
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  #8  
Old 18-08-15, 21:40
Mark Towers Mark Towers is offline
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The ford hitched up to the gun
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  #9  
Old 18-08-15, 21:53
Mark Towers Mark Towers is offline
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Default Thank you

Thank guys for all your helpful input😃

Sorry about the last photo being upside down.

Phil the pics you sent me were very interesting indeed!... I have spent hours searching for wartime pictures of CMP LAAT's towing their Bofors guns but only ever manage to fine one, a great photo of our brave Canadian cousins in a C30 LAAT with Bofors driving through the burning town of Falaise Normandy.

And yes please Frankie.... If you can hunt down some pics of the 200th Czech LAA that will be great👍

Niel I know what you mean about the ratio of CMP Laat's in the uk compared to the Larger Bedford type. This must certainly mean that the Brtits used them too.
Though some concrete evidence would be very welcome from any body out there
Hope you enjoyed the pics....

Mark Towers
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  #10  
Old 19-08-15, 08:22
Frantisek Nachlinger Frantisek Nachlinger is offline
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Default LAATs in CIABG

Hi Mark,
there are more pictures of them, mostly from the parade in prague shortly after the war. There is a picture made from a movie, that was filmed on this parade.

Click image for larger version

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https://forum.valka.cz/files/fordf60_594.jpg

I have found few LAAT pics in Canadian service in Italy, too, e.g. this one:

Click image for larger version

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https://forum.valka.cz/files/laat_cdn_175.jpg

Last edited by Hanno Spoelstra; 20-08-15 at 16:51. Reason: please attach photos to your posting, the links will disappear one day....
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  #11  
Old 20-08-15, 00:09
Ivor Ramsden Ivor Ramsden is offline
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I've had a look through my list of British Army vehicle census numbers and I've found about 2200 Ford 30cwt LAA Tractors in 4 batches. There may be more; it was a quick look.
I'm interested in this because I'm curator of the 15th Light AA Regiment museum and to my great frustration I can't find any record of the make of the LAA tractors which they used late in the war. The Regiment used a lot of CMP vehicles from 1941 onwards and we've got several photos of 15cwt 4x2s which seem to have been the commonest type in use but I haven't found one decent photo of a CMP LAAT. Is the vehicle lurking in the background here a LAAT? The shadows on the body suggest LAAT rather than GS to me.
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  #12  
Old 20-08-15, 09:50
Neil Ashley Neil Ashley is offline
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In NW Europe they did achieve a much higher level of standardization in equipment and vehicles than elsewhere so in general terms it is very unlikely that any served in British Divisions.

Holding two different models of vehicles for a specific limited task in the supply chain would have been unnecessary. In Italy the early Morris Commercials may have also carried on until the end of the war.
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  #13  
Old 21-08-15, 11:45
Mark Towers Mark Towers is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ivor Ramsden View Post
I've had a look through my list of British Army vehicle census numbers and I've found about 2200 Ford 30cwt LAA Tractors in 4 batches. There may be more; it was a quick look.
I'm interested in this because I'm curator of the 15th Light AA Regiment museum and to my great frustration I can't find any record of the make of the LAA tractors which they used late in the war. The Regiment used a lot of CMP vehicles from 1941 onwards and we've got several photos of 15cwt 4x2s which seem to have been the commonest type in use but I haven't found one decent photo of a CMP LAAT. Is the vehicle lurking in the background here a LAAT? The shadows on the body suggest LAAT rather than GS to me.
Hello Ivor,

I have been studying your photo for some time 👀

The shadows on the side of the body do indeed give it the impression of an LAAT. The canvas does look a little to large around the sides though? LAAT canvas was fairly short around the sides in order to allow the gunners easy access to the ammunition lockers.... But maybe the canvas in your picture was a field repair/mod perhaps ?

I can't quite see the cab properly ..... There is a large shadow or hedge or disruptive hessian camouflage at the front of the cab that gives the truck a longer appearance than an LAAT ... LAAT chassis are short .... Not as short as an F15 cwt but not as long as an F60 GS 👍

The super structure (canvas frame work) does look like an LAAT ... Especially the top side corner .... The way that it slopes upwards towards the roof top section.

If only that hansom Soldier stood slightly further to one side whilst posing for his picture lol 😃..... It will be interesting to hear other members opinions 👍

I'm jealous about your fantastic job as curator of the 15th light AA regiment 😉... What a superb job you have. I've never been to the Ilse of Man but may plan a visit sometime and a trip to your museum.

I attended the VJ weekend celebrations in Cobbaton Combat Museum in North Devon. Preston and Tim Issac have several Cmps and Bofors guns in their fantastic museum. They used to take their Ford CMP LAAT all over the country and to Normandy for the D-Day anniversarys.... Tim is very confident that British LAA units used the CMP LAAT 👍

It's such a shame that not much photographic evidence remains today.

Hope this helps your search for an answer to your question.

Keep up the good work.

Kind regards,

Mark Towers

1944 CMP F60 LAAT
1942 Canadian 40mm Bofors Gun
1940 BSA M20
1944 Military Cycle bike
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  #14  
Old 21-08-15, 12:00
Mark Towers Mark Towers is offline
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Some different angles of the super structure !
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  #15  
Old 04-09-15, 15:48
Larry Hayward Larry Hayward is offline
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Default Chev LAAT

I wonder if the this Chev C30 LAAT is in use by the British Army and the one referred to above? Sadly I can't be sure of the Div sign but on the drivers side it could be 7th Armd Div.
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  #16  
Old 04-09-15, 23:14
Ivor Ramsden Ivor Ramsden is offline
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Is that an IWM photograph? If so it will probably have a date and location associated with it. I've got copies of the 15th LAA War Diaries so if anyone can provide that information I could check the Regiment's positions on the relevant date.
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  #17  
Old 08-05-20, 04:45
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Jon Bradshaw Jon Bradshaw is offline
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Default Tires on the Bofors

I see what look to be implement (low speed tires) on the gun carriage. I am looking to do the same on mine.

Nice pics of the gun and tractor. Does anyone know if they used just the Ford or was there also a Chevy CMP LAAT?
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  #18  
Old 08-05-20, 14:09
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Hanno Spoelstra Hanno Spoelstra is offline
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Default LAAT production: F30, C30, F60S only?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon Bradshaw View Post
Nice pics of the gun and tractor. Does anyone know if they used just the Ford or was there also a Chevy CMP LAAT?
Jon, the LAAT was manufactured by both Chevrolet and Ford, as fas as I can see only on the F30, C30, F60S chassis.
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  #19  
Old 09-05-20, 10:27
Alastair Thomas Alastair Thomas is offline
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Default British LAAT

Attached is the manifest for the 15th Isle of Man Light Artillery Regiment for D-Day.
You will see (in column 10) that they had many LAATs and the Manx Museum informed us that they were CMP.
My brothers and I took advantage of there being more LAATs than guns not to have to find a Bofors.
Apparently they took the extra LAATs for their winches in order to be able to pull the Morris out of the ditch if necessary.
Alastair
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