Any idea what this is?

[Bill Murray]

From AWM, seems to be late 1945

[Lang]

Bill,

Looks like Japan occupation (driving on left side of road)

I would try to find out about Isuzu or Toyota Japanese army trucks - might get an identification. Vanderveen says "The 6x4 Types were the most common...... and some 40 variations existed."

Lang

[Bill Murray]

Mr. Lang:

Thanks for your comment. You are correct in that it is in occupied Japan, hence the right hand drive.

The vehicle I was questioning is fairly obviously a Chevrolet of late 1930's vintage that seems to be a conversion to 6X2 drive as far as I can determine. I realize this a bit off topic as concerns CMP vehicles but it is interesting, none theless as we seem to be also trending towards trying to get intel on rather a lot of GM, Ford, Chrysler vehicles used in the various theatres of war where Brits, Canadians and Americans were involved.

In any case, just another interesting photo to chew upon.
Bill

[Lang]

Bill,

Vanderveen again.

Of the 6X4 types he says several were of pre-war American manufacture or copied from American designs.

There is a photo of a Toyota 1 1/2 ton 4X2 in which he comments is very similar to the 1936 Chevrolet. Possibly the one in the photo is a 6X4 version of the Toyota/Chevrolet.

Lang

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

General Motors Japan Limited in Osaka produced military trucks from at least 1934.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Bill Murray
You are correct in that it is in occupied Japan, hence the right hand drive.

I wondered if the truck on the left was a DAF/Chevrolet(?) with TRADO bogie in the Netherlands East Indies, where they also drive on the left. Checked www.awm.gov.au and looked up the ID number P00082.011. According to the summary this picture was taken in "MANILA, THE PHILIPPINES, 1945. FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY AND QUEZON BOULEVARD, SHOWING AMERICAN TRUCKS IN THE STREET."

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

This has me really puzzled! I knew that the Phillipines drove on the left [until when? at least 1958] but I cannot add much more. It appears from my files that GM Java did not supply the Phillipines. I have no idea who did until 1940..it may have been the former GM Export Company to a local distributor. Anyhow, the former GENERAL MOTORS CHINA renamed itself GENERAL MOTORS OVERSEAS CORPORATION. GMOC set up a Manila Branch office on 10 October 1940, and also the same day in Shanghai [closed November 1941]. The Regional Director for the Far Eastern Region of GM Overseas Operations was captured by the Japanese and spent the war in a Phillipines prison camp together with five other executives.

Despite all the information I have I can see no evidence of supply from GM Java. It would appear that GMOC, Manila were supplied from the US, in which case all I can put forward is a Chevrolet-Thornton 6 x 4 chassis [1941 Models were ordered by the French and taken over by the British] if it is a Chevrolet, or a local conversion similar to several that were available in the UK from 1925 onwards on Chevrolet and later Bedford chassis.

Is that a 'woodie' Ford wagon on the left? Perhaps Australian C11ADF ex-Mid-East or did the US forces have similar wagons?

[Bill Murray]

Hanno:

My bad, I got some captions mixed up and it is, of course, Manila. I had forgotten they drove on the left side up until fairly recently.

To my eyes, this one is pickup based rather than the sort of 1.5 tonners we are used to seeing from Toyota and Isuzu and I would sort of suspect it might be "home made" as were so many vehicles after WWII in Burma, NEI and other South Pacific countries that had no normal vehicle production facilities functioning. An easy way to get more payload from a light chassis perhaps.
The wagon looks to me like a Ford but the picture quality is pretty bad. US forces did use those in non-combat areas, a lot of them from frozen stocks after Pearl Harbor.
Bill

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by David_Hayward
Despite all the information I have I can see no evidence of supply from GM Java. It would appear that GMOC, Manila were supplied from the US, in which case all I can put forward is a Chevrolet-Thornton 6 x 4 chassis [1941 Models were ordered by the French and taken over by the British] if it is a Chevrolet, or a local conversion similar to several that were available in the UK from 1925 onwards on Chevrolet and later Bedford chassis.

I was thinking of a DAF's TRADO bogie (walking beam construction like on Scammell's) because of the wide track and single rear tyres. But a TRADO bogie is a bit out of place in The Philippines....

Is that a 'woodie' Ford wagon on the left? Perhaps Australian C11ADF ex-Mid-East or did the US forces have similar wagons?

Yes, it looks like a Ford Station Wagon, but it being a C11ADF is unlikely as the US military used Ford Station Wagons as well.

H.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I was wondering if the Australians were in the Phillipines at the time? The wagon could have been a British order one delivered to the Mid-East and then taken on by AIF, then shipped back to Aussieland as happened to # 11 and # 12 cabbed CMPs as we all know. If the Aussies were not there, then it must be a US wagon, perhaps 11A or even a 1942 Model 21A?

[Lang]

No, the Australians were not in the Philippines (except the Navy).
MacArthur specifically excluded them quite openly to ensure his "I shall return" operation was all-American. The AIF were sent on a wild goose chase to Borneo at that time.

Lang

[king of obsolete]

the latest national geographic has a 2 page spread on the left and right hand driving and when they changed, just thought you might be interested, thanks