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Thread: GMH WW2 records
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8th Jun 2020, 12:16 AM #1
GMH WW2 records
GMH WW2 and later records and photos
https://www.hrc.org.au/holden/publications.html
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8th Jun 2020, 01:56 PM #2Golden Member
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- Oct 2008
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Thanks for posting that link. I was interested in the description of the problems of building a light training aircraft engine locally during WW2.
I had often wondered how the local production of Gipsy Major aircraft engines was achieved here. I didn't realise how many sub contractors were involved. It must have been a nightmare coordinating so many individual parts manufacturers in several states, coupled with wartime interstate transport and communication arrangements. I had previously assumed the engines were completely built in house by GMH.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13hs...1u0gkQhF1/view
In the sixties I had personal experience of the trials and tribulations involved in coordinating several interstate businesses to get a set of piston rings made for a small German manufactured aircraft engine whose manufacturer refused to supply spare parts to its foreign customers! It was a harrowing, long drawn out and very expensive experience, taking over a year from start to finish. All the several firms involved, from the ring designers, metal analyst specialists, specialist foundries and machine shops had to have DCA (Department of Civil Aviation) approval. I was living in country NSW at the time:the only businesses in Australia at that time having DCA approval to carry out these jobs were all located in Victoria, 2400 kilometres away. It is not an experience I would ever wish to repeat, let alone have to do it daily under wartime communication and transport constraints.
Frank.
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8th Jun 2020, 08:48 PM #3Golden Member
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Thanks for posting this. My interest is I have a Holden bodied Chev truck and would love more information about where these were assembled and how much was Australian content. I think the cabs are Australian made.
Steve
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8th Jun 2020, 11:39 PM #4
Metric
The Gipsy aero engine drawings GMH were given from the UK were metric. This added to the problems of wartime logistics. Assembly of trucks . The last bit of the cab serial nr is a clue M= Melbourne S=Sydney and so on
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9th Jun 2020, 06:39 PM #5Golden Member
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Morrisman
My truck has three tags on it, all in average condition.
The best I can make out is on the first tag
Body No C576
Series D
On the second tag
Colour DLY (?) Khaki This stamping looks like someone had a rough night the night before.
Date C1 The C is a definite and I think it is a 1
On the third tag
Chassis 140C
Chassis weight 2520
Gross weight 5800
This tag would have had stuff printed but it is ling past its use by date.
I would love to here any information that these tags provide such as build location and date.
Thanks
Steve
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9th Jun 2020, 10:56 PM #6
Ww2
Is this a WW2 truck ? Some of the wartime Chevs assembled by GMH had imported cabs on them, known as Lend lease models , the Nth American cabs have a single piece door glass, the GMH made cabs have the little quarter windows . The lend lease trucks usually have 235 splash feed engine . The GMH ones have the smaller 216 engine . date code C = March and 1 = 1941 DLX = Dulux Khaki: typical GMH wartime paint .A good forum for you is
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The AWM has the army census books. if you find the original army ARN number on the bonnet you can do a search , or even the engine number . The books are online and scanned for download. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1424610
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10th Jun 2020, 05:14 PM #7Golden Member
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Thank you very much Morrisman
Mine has Holden Bodies tags on the cab and I believe it is Australian. It has 1/4 vent windows, push out foot vents and the windscreen does not have a winder. It also has a 216.
It is was Australian Army and I believe driven by Private Harold Shepherd WX11793. On the dash there is Shep WX11793 scratched into the paint. I did a search and found his service records.
It would appear that Harold may not always have followed the rules. My wife is into family history and found the attached news paper article shows that Harold was driving his service truck whilst under the influence and ran into the King George statue in Brisbane. This may explain the crease from a previous repair in the front bumper.
Steve
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10th Jun 2020, 05:55 PM #8Golden Member
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As requested here is a photo of the truck arriving at my place. The second photo is the bad side from the shed it was stored in.
Steve
20160511_110815 (2).jpgChev Farm.jpg
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10th Jun 2020, 09:07 PM #9
Gee
Ah excellent
Amazing how one thing leads to a history search... Yes he was a naughty fella that soldier. Was he court martialed ?
Looks like you have the 18" split army rims, GMH had a large heavy press to make those rims. The 18" tyres are a bugger to find these days. Your truck is technically a MCP = Modified Civilian Pattern.
The later Holden cabs . late 41 , had a brass windscreen frame that opened out for desert conditions. oops yours has it !
My 40 model 8 cwt CMP had VX65738 JS Hunter, scratched on the instrument panel, I wrote him a letter , it was pre internet days. He wrote back saying he didn't recall doing it the act of vandalism as he put it.
You can request Harolds full service records from the NAA , they charge a fee
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/Sear...msListing.aspx
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10th Jun 2020, 09:36 PM #10Golden Member
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Morrisman
You appear to be very knowledgeable and thanks for the information. In your post you mentioned that late 41 was the start of the fold out windscreens. As mine is March 41 I am wondering if they started a bit earlier?
Steve
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10th Jun 2020, 11:33 PM #11
Yes earlier , think they had the desert war in Nth. Africa in mind with the opening screen . BTW the GMH parts books refers to those 18" split rims as 'Overseas rims' . At wars end many Chev trucks were purchased back from the Govt. by GMH and sold through their dealerships . The Disposals Commission had a priority scheme , Govt. departments had first option on surplus vehicles, then, next in line the vehicle manufacturer, GMH or Ford and so on could buy back the trucks . The Govt. tried to control the prices of surplus vehicles by placing a nominated price on each type of vehicle , this was to prevent greedy price gouging by dealers. It was reported that by 1949 approx. 100,000 vehicles had been disposed.
The 30 cwt models had 9.00-18 tyres . The 3 Ton models had 10.50-18 tyres.
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11th Jun 2020, 10:46 PM #12
pics
Pics .................
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