Great War truck

Sherman DD on the move.

Yes, probably. The one in front looks like an Albion A10 perhaps?

I think that it is an Austin twin shaft chassis. I think even £2K seems a lot, but there we go.

Hi Mike Really need Steve to answer that, but I would say that the top one is a post war J rad which has had a hole knocked through the tubes so that it would fit a war time chassis (possibly). The other two I don't think are J rads. Something smaller but not sure what. Let me have a think. Tim

The numbers are there but they have a crack and hole running through them (and now also a big weld too). I might have a better photo somewhere. Tim

Should be about here:

Pleased to see it coming along. This is how it looked three owners previously in 2008. This was one of those occasions when an angry man came up to me and said "What are you doing". I gave a long rambling explanation about AEC and he wandered away shaking his head.

A guru? Thanks. That is very kind of you to say. There are several other people who are more knowledgeable than me but who don’t post here very often. My understanding is that the British PA’s were shipped over as a rolling chassis and were fitted with a British built body on arrival. The French PA’S had their own style body which was hinged at the side. I would have thought that these would have been assembled in France but I have photos of these in the PA factory ready for shipping. You may have seen the Windscreen article I did in 2016 which showed PA’s arriving in France already fitted with their French style wooden body. I believe that the US PA’s were shipped to France from the manufacturer partially knocked down and were fitted with a wooden body on arrival which had been shipped separately. However, some trucks were transported from in service use to France and were shipped with the body fitted. I am not aware of the British War Department using American Army PA’s although the US Army did use British bodies PA’s. I do hope that everyone is keeping up with this. I see that the front of the body of your PA has been shortened by about 30 cm. Any idea why? Wheels, usually attached to rolling chassis with no drive train do occasionally turn up. I will keep my eyes open for one. Is your radiator beyond salvation as there might be one coming up for sale shortly (in the USA). Best regards Tim

Hi Tim. This Pierce Arrow has been around for a while with the price creeping upwards. Interesting to see it again though. Pierce Arrow fitted data plates in both French and English as I understand they were uncertain as to which country it was going to be ultimately supplied to. The French Pierce Arrows did not have the US Army body fitted to them so this was probably a US army one, but the body could have come off a different truck. Here are photos of another one in the USA. I should have bought it when it was cheap. But there we go. The markings should have been QMC not QM and they certainly would not have painted USA QM on the bonnet. If someone says that is original markings ask for photo evidence. How is your GMC coming along? Tim

Popular to copy the Renault style bonnet in the teens.

Nice looking tyres. A pity there is no photo of the wheels from end on or of any markings on the tyres. Lots of bids (19) so someone is interested.

Ah, but fitting in the collection and fitting in the shed are two totally different things.

They were used by the US Army in WW1 but only in very small numbers. Photos of them are very rare. Happy old iron have had this one up for sale for some time.

Did you go to Dallas Dig Out? Horsa loading ramp for sale there by Bill King.

Oh yes! Doh!

The French and Americans both used Unics during the war. Which model do you have? Tim

Sold for 15,709 AUD. Quite a reasonable price I thought.

PM sent. Thanks

I have two of these transformers in my pile of stuff. I cant remember where they come from or who I got them off. Are they of any interest to anybody? Thanks Tim

I think that was the US Army depot at Langres. Just imagine how much that lot would be worth now.

Thanks Marcel. Crikey. Prices are still on the up then. Do you know who the buyer was?

Just noticed it has two gear sticks. Caters for left handed and right handed drivers perhaps. Chassis number 2596 does indeed date it to 1917 so almost certainly ex WD through a post war rebuild and exported to Australia.

It has an unusual back axle and is missing the transverse spring. Makes a nice project for someone.

That's the one. I wonder how much that will make.

RAF blue? Well that will open a new can of worms!