reo24

It is a US Army message center clock made by the Chelsea clock company of Boston, Massachusetts who also made ships clocks etc. This model was first produced in 1943. It has a 12 jewel, 8 day Chelsea 12E movement with a 11 jewel detachable lever escapement, sweep second hand. It is mounted in a dust proof and moisture proof black phenolic case with a 6" dial with an hour, minute and second hand. It has another hand for a second time zone. This is slaved to the hour hand The time is set by moving the hands forward with you finger. You should not move them backward as that will damage the movement The US military used these from WW2 to the Vietnam War. The M-2 model was made until 1970. These were used in the field to mark the time when a message was received. This one also has its wooden box to protect the clock. It also holds the brass key. For sale for £400. Located in France

This is a photo of the number on the chassis, in the usual place. There are no suffixes at all. Not what I expected to see!

At last the transport company has managed to deliver my CCKW crane - a big "well done" to them & my thanks to Airborne Garage for storing it for me for so long! I am trying to date it but the chassis number does not seem to conform. CCKW 352 4599. It is a closed cab, split axles & a winch. Anyone got any ideas?

That's Peter Birch & myself finishing up the job. We had lots of help there & Colin enjoyed playing with the crane. Nigel was memorable for his pink marigold gloves. Much water under the bridge since then & a few more jimmies & DUKWs too. This crane will help me restore my ex French army DUKW as well as giving me something to "play" with whilst the restoration is in progress. I might even join the MVCG Aquitaine group down here as they are quite active. The Dordogne group which I have been a member of for a while tend to favour reenactments over vehicle restoration. I am more the bbq & beer sort of person nowadays! @Neik, can I use the picture of the Ford in other sites? I have joined a few in an attempt to get an answer so I should go back & let them know the end of the story! Thanks guys - is there a reminiscing thread? I seem to recall that we used to get up to all kinds of adventures in the old days - Rex Cadman & I being held by the gendarmes on our way to Dunkirk in 2 jimmies rescued from a scrap yard. Time was against us & the headlights did not work - hardly a safety issue as the traffic was nose to tail all the way but against the law nevertheless! They made us effect a roadside repair before allowing us to continue, watching from a bar as we did so.

Yes, Neik seems to have nailed it! So not an obscure wartime conversion after all but a well executed sympathetic civvy one. It tallies as it comes with Belgian documents. It is still interesting & useful & I think I will still restore it as a military looking truck but will be truthful about its origins - the general public will not really care as it looks "busy" & period anyway. It will also be useful around the yard but I will check out the mounting first! Thanks, guys! I know Edgard's yard of old - I bought an engine for my GMC back in '86 when it ran the big ends on a rally to Bruges. There is a photo in Wheels & Tracks of a bunch of us doing the engine swap. Those were the days...

Hi Mike, Is your contact captain Crank? There was a post from him about his Autocar on this forum (he is a member) & I have included his post as the link in my post.

I have now bought this jimmy but have not yet arranged delivery, so have not been able to crawl over it! I have done some digging & compared some photos but this has not helped answer the question on authenticity. Although the crane assembly looks similar to that on the Diamond T chemical truck the frame at the top is different & the Diamond does not have hydraulic hoses. There was a similar crane fitted to a few Autocars by the US airforce, I believe, for aircraft salvage although again there is no record of that. The crane seems the same as the Diamond one while the GMC, although similar, has different drives on the controls.http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?16778-Hello-from-Hamburg-USA/page2 If it was a post war conversion then it must have cost a fortune - I'm sure modifying the PTO to run THREE different drives is not the work of a weekend. Also, most trucks stuck with a set 7 or a simple tripod arrangement for towing if a Diamnd T wrecker or Ward could not be bought surplus at the right price. Not every GMC variant was listed but I can't help feeling that all the gear on this truck is American made while post war mods came from all over! Here is a photo of the operating side of the crane - see how it differs from the Diamond setup & bears no resemblance to the Ward La France. Please keep your ideas coming!

Hi , The crane looks familiar! I have just bought this GMC from Airborne Garage in Arnhem, Holland. I know nothing of its history & there are no records of a GMC being built with such a crane - but then there are quite a few oddities about! It could have been a post war modification of course, but where did the crane come from originally? Any insight would be great!. have you discovered any history behind yours? Cheers,

Years ago when I had my first DUKW the late Bill Keen had a DUKW register. I am trying to revive the idea & have started a blog in the hope that others will add to the list so that we can all see how many of these are left, & in what condition. So, with the HMVFs permission, can I post my blog address? It is http://dukwchassisnumbers.blogspot.fr/ Thanks guys!

That you did! It is mine & is seen here in my garden - you should have popped in & had a drink! This DUKW has had a few adventures since this photo was taken. I have moved house to a place about 3 kms away & the DUKW has been moved to a metal fabricators in a nearby town by low loader from where it was stolen! Its whereabouts are known & the gendarmes are investigating. Funnily enough, I used to have a very nice & original DUKW in the late 90's which I had to sell due to financial problems. It was bought by Rex Ward & I gather it then went to the Royal Marines to replace a DUKW which had been retired & it may be that the DUKW pictured is that very one, in which case the Marines got a good deal. The story does not end here but as this case is still subject to investigation I cannot say more yet.

I bought my 3rd DUKW in 2010 which would need so much work I have decided to break it for spares & have just bought a 4th one which will also need much work but is less rusty. Work will start when it finally arrives from the seller which will depend on low loader costs. My 2nd Dukw was mint - ex French army - but had to be sold when my business went pear shaped & I just have to have the buzz of swimming a DUKW again!

Hi Guys, As promised here are a couple of pics of my bolster truck. The ponton (not pontoon) still requires paint but the truck is finished. Even managed to find the compressor! I have just taken delivery of a DUKW so it looks like the bolster will soon be going - watch this space! Reo24

Hi everyone, I have at last located & fitted the Westinghouse T-1 compressor on to my GMC bolster truck. All seems well but the plate says " lubricate when vehicle is lubricated" ??? There is a greaser which I presume is for the pulley bearing but there is no obvious way to lubricate the cylinder. I am loath to run it before making sure it won't sieze. Does anyone have an answer? Any advice would be most welcome.

Yes, these cans were indeed for wine, & some surplus shops here still sell useable examples, which is handy if you buy your wine "en vrac" - in bulk.

Actually, the generic name for paraffin in France is, confusingly, petrole. This is what you will find written on the supermarket forecourt pumps.

When you say "almost identical" what is different? I have seen one of the cleaning kits on Ebay USA, but can't remember it exactly. Keep it up!

Thanks but I attach photos which might help...

Hi Gareth, Its not one of the wine cans. Those are built like the american, but with the German style spout. Imagine a German/British can, shrink it to the same size as the wine can, then cut it in half vertically along the weld & complete by welding a flat plate to the cut. I'm not sure how to put photos on the forum but I will when I can! Does this help?

Just returned from a show near Bordeaux where I saw for sale a 5 litre jerrican. It was manufactured out of one half of an original 10 litre can. I have heard that during the war the Germans produced a 10 litre can using one half of the standard jerrican but who made one out of a squat can? There are no markings on this at all but it was a factory produced item. I seem to remember reading about such a can for motorbikes. Anyone got any clues?

I have started the restoration & have found some odd little extras not found on standard jimmy chassis, like chains attached to the rear chassis aft of the rear axle, with a little hook to hang the centre ring on when in transit. There is also a large U shape attached to the vacuum powered shockless tow hitch. Does any one have any info on how these vehicles were used? I wonder if with the right kit it would be possible to load the pontoon without a separate crane. Perhaps someone has a manual on the M4 bridging kit. Many thanks, Mark.

A friend has just arrived from the old country bearing red cross parcels. 48 tins of beans, tea bags & 6 big jars of marmite! I'm fitting in well.

Would you believe it? I have W & T nos 1 to 68!!!

Thank you all for the welcome. By the way, if anybody needs things like, say, a diesel engine for their Sumb (a French army retrofit) I might happen to know where they might be found!

All right, Richard, you win the prize! Nice to be amongst friends & kindred spirits! Mark.

Hi Everybody, My id is Reo24 because my last vehicle was a Reo M35 & the 24 is my department no, Dordogne. I have always had an interest in green machines & have owned a few. A jeep M38A1, CCKW 353, DUKW, International Half track, Ford GPW, the Reo & as of 19th Feb the Bolster truck. Imps member since 1983, MVT member for a few years & now also a member of MVCG Dordogne, although not of the dressing up as Americans bit, which makes me a "fringe" member!. They are a good bunch & have made me welcome but the Reo, not being wartime, meant that most vehicle shows were out of bounds! Mind you, most of the jeeps are Hotchkisses! I have lived in France for almost 10 years & love it here, it just means a major expedition to get to War & Peace every year. I am currently single so can indulge my hobby. I have always liked unusual vehicles & as an oddity have an electric Peugeot 106 as well as a "normal" car. Oh yes, the name is Mark.