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GMC's in British Army ??


LeeEnfield

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Howdo all,

first of all, having just found this site, and starting as a Newby here, want to say, from what i've seen so far, looks good.

A question ? GMC 352/353's, what British Army units used them during WWII. ?

Reason for asking, I portray a tommy, and cannot find a british truck,as affordable as a jimmy. Also 6x6 drivability could come in useful, for other things.

Any pointers, etc gratfully accepted.

 

All the best;

 

Andy

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Hi Andy.

 

I no someone on here will have the answer for you as I am too, interested in marking my GMC up in British markings but they will still have to have the 5 pointed star on them.

 

Welcome aboard Andy, tell us more about yourself!

 

 

cheers

 

Jack.

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Hi jack.

No problem with the star, after all, it was used as the main recognition sign, I seem to remember reading somewhere.

I know a driver training school up in wales had some,along with DUKW's, in '44, am in process of digging info regarding that .

 

Cheers for reply.

 

Andy

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Same goes for postwar, Reos etc are common and cheapish, big British stuff is rare either cos the cabs have rotted away, are very thirsty or popular with earthmoving contractors.

There is also an image problem, most public seem to go oooh at American gear but not appreciate homegrown trucks. Even I've got spilt views, think Scammell Crusaders and Foden FH70 limbers are v sexy (sad I know! positively drool over the Foden drops IMMLC fleet) but appreciate the good looks of all the Oshkosh trucks and puposeful looks of the MANs (in other words the British army's new fleet). Wandering off thread into a rant on the state of the British truck industry here I think.

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  • 3 months later...
A question ? GMC 352/353's, what British Army units used them during WWII. ?

Andy,

 

CCKW-352's were indeed used by the British during WW2. Below follow the references I found on GMC CCKW-352 2½-ton 6x6 truck in Commonwealth service:

 

"The GMC CCKW-352 2½-ton 6x6 truck was also produced for allied forces, incl. at least 400 for the United Kingdom" [bart Vanderveen, Historic Military Vehicles Directory, p.353]. I do not know when these trucks were exactly ordered, but somehow I think this was early during the war when Britain was frantically trying to make good the Dunkirk losses? If my assumption is correct, these British CCKW-352s were fitted with closed cabs (transition from the closed to open cab took place from August, 1942 until late in April (possibly early May) 1943).

 

As the CCKW-352's intended main role was artillery towing, "the British pressed a number into service as Bofors 40-mm light AA gun tractors. With no special stowage arrangements the ammunition was simply stowed at the forward end of the body with a spare barrel down the middle, the crew using the standard hinged slatted seats" [John Church, Military Vehicles of World War 2, p.93].

 

There is also mention of two batteries of the 93rd Anti-Tank Regiment in Italy, "receiving U.S. 2½-ton trucks in place of the British tractors used for towing their guns" in August 1943. (note: in June '43 the 93rd converted to a new establishment of four batteries, one self-propelled and three towed, of which one had 17-pounders with Mark II carriages and the other two 6-pounders) [C.H. Bogart, 'The 93rd Anti-Tank Regiment'. AFV News, Vol.32, No.1, January-April 1997, p.8].

 

So it seems the CCKW-352 in British service was definitely used as a tractor for the the Bofors 40-mm AA gun, whilst 17- and/or 6-pdr AT guns seem to have been towed as well. As far as I can ascertain, no 25-pdr field guns were towed by Commonwealth CCKW-352's during WW2.

 

Ref. http://www.mapleleafup.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1785

 

Hope this helps,

Hanno

Edited by mcspool
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I have seen a pic of a GMC in British service in N africa towing a Bofors

and I believe that some GMC's used in the desert were fitted with larger tyre's, singles on the rear but which wheels were used is questionable

as it was apparently done before the DUKW was available. Studebakers were also supplied to Britain but which units they were issued to I don't

know a friends father drove CCKW's or Studes during RASC service.

CCKW's were still being used during the Korean by both British and American units, another friend remembers dumping a large no of Jeeps and GMC's into the sea in Malaya in the fifties, they were no longer required but the Malays were not allowed to have them for political reasons.

 

 

 

Cheers

Degsy

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Thanks very much, Guys.

Info of this sort will be of interest to all, I guess, who've GMC's,- and want to do something other, tham dress U.S.

(no disrespect to those who do so,- was a personel comment, I've more of a leaning towards british forces)

 

Cheers.

Andy

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  • 1 month later...

LeeEnfield

 

The Jimmy was used quite a lot in Tunisia & Italy in the British Army for towing artillery, especially the heavier types such as the 17pdr AT gun. The 17pdr gun was too heavy for a typical 15cwt truck to tow and too long to tow behind a Quad and its limber.

 

So if you find a suitable GMC paint it sand with dark grey / black camo, then cover with dust and load it with very sun tanned soldiers dressed half in Battledress - ie top half un-buttoned BD blouse, borrowed Canadian Army shirt and lower half khaki shorts down to the knees - and you will have the right look. That should stir things up at a few MV shows. The only problem is were to get the 17 pdr!

 

NB The attached photo taken in Italy is believed to be a towed AT Regt of the 7th Armd Div in 1943. Relatively speaking these soldiers look quite smart! The IWM have more photos of GMCs like this, some of which are painted in disruptive camo as described.

 

GMCtowinga17pdrinScarfati29thSept43.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...
LeeEnfield

So if you find a suitable GMC paint it sand with dark grey / black camo,

(...)

The IWM have more photos of GMCs like this, some of which are painted in disruptive camo as described.

 

Larry,

 

Do you have copies or reference no's of the pictures you refer to? It would be great to see some GMC's in the camouflage scheme introduced in Italy in April 1943, which used bold patterns of black, or SCC7 (a dark olive green), over a base of SCC.5 "Light Mud".

 

Thanks,

Hanno

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  • 2 weeks later...
:twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :cry: Don't say that I have to paint my truck, again :shock:

I'm not saying anything, just that I would paint a GMC in British livery. The UK used both the -352 and -353 (see below), the problem is finding the pictures and information to accurately restore one, while info on US units is abundant.

 

Cheers,

Hanno

 

From Data Book of Wheeled Vehicles: Army Transport 1939-1945. Sadly it does not mention the S.M. numbers for the GMCs.

GMC_CCKW-352_2_-ton_6x6_truck.jpg Studebaker_chassis_types.jpg

(click on image for large size scan)

Edited by mcspool
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