CMPs - where are they now?

[Larry Hayward]

Were is it now - Ford F30 with No 11 Cab?

I have attached photos of an Ford F30 that was restored in the early 1980's by John Jackson from Essex / Suffolk area. He told me at the time that it was one of the earliest CMP's still in existance in the UK, dating from about 1940. Could it be one of those Fords constructed at the Southampton factory, which was destroyed on 30th November 1940?

John Jackson said the GS body was rebuilt to the original shape and design, which with rounded rear wheel arches must be quite early. The L number is said to be original as is the unit serial 76 - which were found on the vehicle when John stripped it down. I was lucky enough to get a ride in this vehicle at an MV event at Duxford in 1981. I have not seen or heard much about this CMP over the years but about 18 months ago I saw it for sale in Classic Military Vehicles magazine. I wonder where it is now?

I attach another photo. The unit serial 76 was found on the rear of the back axle and suggests the Ford was used by the Royal Artillery or an RASC suppy unit for the RA.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Unless the F30 was a Canadian order with an erroneous Census Number, portraying it as British, then it was to S/M 2003, one of 1,200 delivered direct to Egypt and assembled in Alexandria.

The Census Number does not feature in my listings but appears to be in the Mid-East allocation series.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Larry Hayward
I have attached photos of an Ford F30 that was restored in the early 1980's by John Jackson from Essex / Suffolk area. He told me at the time that it was one of the earliest CMP's still in existance in the UK, dating from about 1940.

See CMP prototype photos wanted please for another 1940 Ford, an F15 in this case.

John Jackson said the GS body was rebuilt to the original shape and design, which with rounded rear wheel arches must be quite early.

This reminded me of a photo (see below) in Windscreen issue 91, in which Paul Lincoln relates about the finding and restoring of an F30 to LRDG specs:
"In the winter of 1985... I went to see [a man who] had not one but three, Canadian pattern 30cwt Fords! He wanted ₤300 each for them but only one had a running engine. To this day, I have never ceased to regret only buying the one and we have never managed to trace either of the other two, despite several attempts".
Maybe the one you show was one of this trio?

H.

[Larry Hayward]

Hanno,

By the time Paul Lincoln was looking at three old Ford 30 cwts in 1985, John Jackson's Ford F30 had been restored and on the show scene for four years. John bought this Ford circa 1979 from another guy who found it on a local East Anglian farm but who did not have the skill to take on the job. Perhaps the farmer had four 30cwts at one time!

The GS body on the one being loaded certainly has the same style GS body as on the one in my photo, so perhaps it is a photo dating back to 1979 and not 1985. The LRDG F30 on the UK show scene has a completely different metal rear body and if the photo from Windscreen 91 is Paul's - what did he do with the original & rare body?

[Nigel Watson]

One of our members has one. Civvy Reg No. ACF 255

Don't have the WD No. on the photo I'm afraid and this programme won't attach my photos from my computer so can't post the photo...sorry!

Nigel

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

...dates to spring? 1946, the registration being in West Suffolk County Council so this was a relatively early demob. Suffolk of course is in East Anglia! Blowers & Coleman of Halstead, north-east Essex sold a lot of demobbed CMPs from early 1946 onwards and buyers were from all over East Anglia.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Larry Hayward
The GS body on the one being loaded certainly has the same style GS body as on the one in my photo, so perhaps it is a photo dating back to 1979 and not 1985. The LRDG F30 on the UK show scene has a completely different metal rear body and if the photo from Windscreen 91 is Paul's - what did he do with the original & rare body?

Larry, I guess you're right about the time frame. Who knows there are still a couple of F30s on that East Anglian farm - more likely they have been scrapped, though...

Paul had a body fabricated for his F30 to bring it up to LRDG spec. As for the original wooden body, when I read the article I wondered what he did with it, too!

H.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Nigel
this programme won't attach my photos from my computer so can't post the photo...sorry!

No fooling around, Nigel - this is serious stuff! E-mail it to me and I'll do it for you

H.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by Hanno Spoelstra
No fooling around, Nigel - this is serious stuff! E-mail it to me and I'll do it for you

Hanno,

ACF 255 is the Ford that John Jackson had. I have a photo of it when it was taking part in the 1979 HCVS London to Brighton run. According to the programme it is a F305 model of 1940, demobbed in 1946 and sold to a Suffolk farmer and used until late sixties.

I guess 305 is a mistake? Should be F30

Richard

[Nigel Watson]

Originally posted by Hanno Spoelstra
No fooling around, Nigel - this is serious stuff! E-mail it to me and I'll do it for you

I'm not fooling around my friend from over in occupied territory! I simply can't get it to work!! Will email it to you Hanno and perhaps you could help me attach photographs because its really bugging me!

Nigel

[Larry Hayward]

Nigel,

The secret of posting photos is to save a copy in a smallish size such as 5 x 5 cm and on a low dpi - I use 78 dp cm I think and now I get them to attach every time.

It would be nice to see the old photos you have of this old F30

[Richard Farrant]

Here is a picture of ACF 255 back in 1979 on the Brighton run.

Richard

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Nigel
I'm not fooling around my friend from over in occupied territory! I simply can't get it to work!! Will email it to you Hanno and perhaps you could help me attach photographs because its really bugging me!

Attach file: hit "Browse" button
Choose file; Open
Hit "Submit Reply" button - do not hit "Preview Reply" button

Thanks for the pic, Nigel!

HTH,
Hanno

[Nigel Watson]

Originally posted by Hanno Spoelstra
Attach file: hit "Browse" button
Choose file; Open
Hit "Submit Reply" button - do not hit "Preview Reply" button

Ok here goes!

[Nigel Watson]

It was the preview button thing!!
That's Bob Simmers C60L, he took it to Arnhem last year. Well travelled machine like all our vehicles up here. Incidently the one lost in the fire was ex-Bob Simmers. I have now bought the remains of Jims CMP in the hope of doing something with it or its parts.

Nigel

Thanks Hanno for tip re loading pics.....be serious Nigel!!

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Nigel
It was the preview button thing!!
That's Bob Simmers C60L, he took it to Arnhem last year. Well travelled machine like all our vehicles up here. Incidently the one lost in the fire was ex-Bob Simmers. I have now bought the remains of Jims CMP in the hope of doing something with it or its parts.

Nigel

Thanks Hanno for tip re loading pics.....be serious Nigel!!

Nigel, good to see you're getting serious about uploading pics!

As for the picture, that surely looks like an F60S LAAT rather than a C60L?

Anyways, good to hear you're not giving up on CH5582457! Proves you're serious - about CMPs that is!

H.

[Nigel Watson]

Originally posted by Hanno Spoelstra
As for the picture, that surely looks like an F60S LAAT rather than a C60L?

It does doesn't it?!!!! Maybe they're known the other way round up here? Na that's the whisky!!!

Nigel

[Larry Hayward]

Hanno,

Where was your photo of ACF255 taken? Was it War & Peace in Kent?

Is it a recent photo, as the paint scheme has changed a little from earlier times?

If it is now in Scotland, I doubt we will ever see it again down south in the UK - unless the owner has a low loader it would take a few days driving at 30mph each way!

[Nigel Watson]

Originally posted by Larry Hayward
If it is now in Scotland, I doubt we will ever see it again down south in the UK - unless the owner has a low loader it would take a few days driving at 30mph each way!

Now just hold on a wee minute there! Should we no say we cannae see yon other ones up here because yer all fairt to come across the border noo!!! Yee'l jist have tae be a wee bit braver and venture up oor way tae see it, if you ken wit a mean?

See you down south Larry!!

Nigel

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Larry Hayward
Hanno,

Where was your photo of ACF255 taken? Was it War & Peace in Kent?

Larry, it's Nigel's photo. He sent me the picture to learn him how to attach it

H.

[Larry Hayward]

Nigel,

If that's your photo of ACF255, it doesn't look like it was taken Scotland. It's too flat and sunny! So where was it then?

As for going north of the border - yes I have been to the Highlands but the seasons there seem to change every 15 minutes! How do you dress for hot sun, wind, rain, hail and snow all on the same afternoon? Also there are far to few people there so I get lonely and can't wait to be back in London. It's like a breath of fresh air to smell the traffic fumes or sit on an underground with hundreds of other sweaty individuals!

[Nigel Watson]

Originally posted by Larry Hayward
Nigel,

If that's your photo of ACF255, it doesn't look like it was taken Scotland. It's too flat and sunny! So where was it then?

As for going north of the border - yes I have been to the Highlands but the seasons there seem to change every 15 minutes! How do you dress for hot sun, wind, rain, hail and snow all on the same afternoon? Also there are far to few people there so I get lonely and can't wait to be back in London. It's like a breath of fresh air to smell the traffic fumes or sit on an underground with hundreds of other sweaty individuals!

The kult man, you no herd o the kult? When its hot you lift it up to shield your face, when its windy it does its own thing!, when its raining you keep it down and when its hailing you hold it out (I can assure you that hail stones on your head are far preferable to them elsewhere!), and when it snows you take it off and put it on the snowman! or woman!

Larry photo was taken at East Fortune Airfield outside Edinburgh, where the Concorde was taken and is on display, which explains the flatness I suppose. The truck is taken out fairly often to support the events but as yet the owner hasn't ventured your way. A Scottish invasional convoy is called for me thinks!

Nigel

[Hanno Spoelstra]

F30 L4404659 pictured at the Tilbury Fort event, featured in Military Machines International, Feb.2002 issue.

[Les Freathy]

Now i believe this Chev once belonged to John Marchant a avid collector of all things CMP in the past she is fitted with Garwood wrecking gear

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Les Freathy
Now i believe this Chev once belonged to John Marchant a avid collector of all things CMP in the past she is fitted with Garwood wrecking gear

Thanks for the nice pictures, Les.

John Marchant's Chevrolet C60S Wrecker is now owned by Jon Newbold. He bought it as it is the very same truck his father used to drive. It has now been restored and is still working for a living.

However, comparing pictures I think it is a different truck from the one in your picture.



Linked from Chev CMP restorations in the UK

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by Les Freathy
Now i believe this Chev once belonged to John Marchant a avid collector of all things CMP in the past she is fitted with Garwood wrecking gear

Les,

This one was not John's, it is from Norway and looks to be taken at one of the MVT D-Day shows at Southsea, possibly 1994.

Richard

[Les Freathy]

Thanks Hanno and Richard you are both right a second look tells me i am wrong ,now somwhere i do have some shots of Johns old wrecker taken at duxford one thing i cannot remember did it have a diesel replant or was that his 8cwt HUP
cheers
Les

[Les Freathy]

OK gang, following my failure to identify the owner of the cmp wrecker heres a chance to help me identify the owners of the following CMPs. As most have guessed by now when at a rally field i am a bit of a snap happy chappie and seldom ask the questions we should all be seeking so lets see if we can find some awnsers, keep in mind that the photos are from a 30plus year time span and ownership may have changed if not once many times
A Dutch HUP to start with

[Les Freathy]

Wrecker with Garwood equipment

[Les Freathy]

CMP Chev 15cwt at Sellidge rally last year