Norman D. Landing

[cutiger83]

14 hours ago, General Apathy said:

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From the Shoebox . . . . . . . .

 

Hi Kat,  one for you here a set of WASP wings, note that they have a ' vaulted ' centre, i.e.  they do not lay flat on the rear the diamond shape in the centre is raised evident in third photo and mid wings in photo two where the wings have had contact with the jacket material. 

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 15  2022.

 

...

 

Beautiful! Thanks for posting. 

 

..Kat

[earlymb]

I visited the Historic Grand Prix at the Zandvoort racetrack today, and I will go tomorrow too. I absolutely love this yearly event which features a wide variety of classic race cars (1930's till 1990's) in many different classes. The paddocks are accessible for the public and these cars aren't just for show, they are RACED.

 

Nothing like a revving' early 1980's JPS Lotus F1 car warming up its 3 litre Cosworth V8 to wake you up, I was about 100 mtrs away and still had to wear earplugs :)

 

A (rather large) selection of the pics I made:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[earlymb]

Continued...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[manayunkman]

I spent a week in Zandfoort but all we had was bad weather and no F1s.

 

Is that green number 10 a Lotus?

 

Some great pictures.

[Dogsbody]

10 hours ago, manayunkman said:

I spent a week in Zandfoort but all we had was bad weather and no F1s.

 

Is that green number 10 a Lotus?

 

Some great pictures.

That looks more like a Cooper to me. The red car behind it is a Lotus, though.  The green no. 20 is a Lotus also.

[Dogsbody]

On 7/11/2022 at 12:22 PM, General Apathy said:

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Military vehicle discussions . . . . . 

 

I have been sharing off-forum discussions with two long-time Jeeping friends about experimental or little known WWII vehicles, and this amphibious trailer was our current research.  Initially designed for use behind LVT's & DUKW's it must have been a failure as it was un-powered and the towing vehicles especially the DUKW was under-powered to tow it through choppy waters or even up sandy beaches.  It's been a struggle to find any in photographs and we have found just two images, this being one of them in the Pacific and use  by Marines.  

 

.

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 11  2022.

 

...

Found another two.

 

 

[Dogsbody]

On 7/13/2022 at 6:13 PM, General Apathy said:

.

Message received from Miv my girlfriend late 70's . . . . . . .

 

I shared some old photographs this afternoon with various friends and ex girlfriend Miv, here's her reply

 

" Still amazes me how crazy you were!!,  It’s one thing getting completely covered in mud…. But getting stuck in ditches wasn't that much fun!  Miv.  xxx "

 

I still laugh when I think about Martin field stripping his blocked carburettor while we were on this muddy trail, We regularly went down tracks like these . . . . . . . .

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 13  2022.

 

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You look the part with that drill instructors hat.

[General Apathy]

.

Today was a great day, great when you finally see two crated Ford GPW's  . . . . . . . 

 

This morning myself and two local friends drove over to Marigny near St. Lo to see a 100 Red Ball Convoy vehicles,  and there they were two crated GPW's on a trailer.   Well let me spurt out the truth, it was actually made to look like two crates but it was the living quarters for the next ten days for the driver and his co-driver on the 700 kilometre run.  The convoy was a ten year project for a long term friend Belgian friend Andre Witmeur, Andre also arranges winter rallies in the Ardennes, which we attended about four years ago

 

Notice on the second photo the third vehicle from the left an open door into the two crates, great fun and a deserved compliment for the effort.    

 

More photos to post when I sit down to download them.  

 

 

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[General Apathy]

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Red Ball Convoy Marigny July 2022 . . . . . . . . . 

 

Hers a vehicle that few military vehicle owners will ever own or even see, GMC open-cab workshop, the sides drop down to make walkways along the outside of the truck, the canvas sides open out to provide rain cover, the power for all the tools is provided by a stationery mounted Jeep engine in the back left corner. 

 

The vehicle owner is capable of operating all of the machinery and can be used for any vehicle problems and breakdowns. We saw various vehicles carrying out minor repairs to brakes, wheel bearings and other pieces ready for Monday morning start. 

 

.

 

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 17  2022.

 

...

 

[earlymb]

9 hours ago, Dogsbody said:

That looks more like a Cooper to me. The red car behind it is a Lotus, though.  The green no. 20 is a Lotus also.

 

Correct on all 3! The red 37 is an Alfa Romeo.

[earlymb]

2 hours ago, Dogsbody said:

Found another two.

 

So did I:

 

 

 

[cutiger83]

10 hours ago, Dogsbody said:

Found another two.

 

 

The guy in the second picture looks like he has on a bathing suit??

 

..Kat

[cutiger83]

8 hours ago, General Apathy said:

.

Red Ball Convoy Marigny July 2022 . . . . . . . . . 

 

Hers a vehicle that few military vehicle owners will ever own or even see, GMC open-cab workshop, the sides drop down to make walkways along the outside of the truck, the canvas sides open out to provide rain cover, the power for all the tools is provided by a stationery mounted Jeep engine in the back left corner. 

 

The vehicle owner is capable of operating all of the machinery and can be used for any vehicle problems and breakdowns. We saw various vehicles carrying out minor repairs to brakes, wheel bearings and other pieces ready for Monday morning start. 

 

.

 

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 17  2022.

 

...

 

Now this workshop is too cool! I don't mean to ask a stupid question but was this a standard truck or was this designed just for this convoy??

 

P.S.  Do you have any pictures of the inside of the crates (living quarters)?

 

...Kat

[Johan Willaert]

14 hours ago, General Apathy said:

.

Today was a great day, great when you finally see two crated Ford GPW's  . . . . . . . 

 

This morning myself and two local friends drove over to Marigny near St. Lo to see a 100 Red Ball Convoy vehicles,  and there they were two crated GPW's on a trailer.   Well let me spurt out the truth, it was actually made to look like two crates but it was the living quarters for the next ten days for the driver and his co-driver on the 700 kilometre run. 

 

 

.

 

Great idea and they almost got it right.....

Both crates are dated 4th August 1942, while the frame/engine numbers are from January/February 1945 produced Jeeps, and the US Army registration hood numbers were allotted to November/December 1944 Ford GPW Jeeps...

But 10/10 for the effort... Looks great!

[Johan Willaert]

13 hours ago, General Apathy said:

Hers a vehicle that few military vehicle owners will ever own or even see, GMC open-cab workshop, the sides drop down to make walkways along the outside of the truck, the canvas sides open out to provide rain cover, the power for all the tools is provided by a stationery mounted Jeep engine in the back left corner. 

 

The vehicle owner is capable of operating all of the machinery and can be used for any vehicle problems and breakdowns. 

 

This very rare and complete GMC workshop truck belongs to a Dutch friend, Corné L, an avid collector and restorer of GMC and other WW2 US Army vehicles...
He was lucky in finding this special vehicle and did a very high standard restoration on it... An eyecatcher at any show!!!

The truck has its own facebook page where Corné relates the story of this peculiar vehicle ( https://www.facebook.com/opentoolset )

 

Our story about this open toolset with registration number 60110015-S.

We found this truck unrestored a couple years ago in the condition as it left the Belgian Army in the early eighties. It was reasonably complete but missing the smaller hand tools, like screwdrivers and wrenches. Of course it was used and not untouched.

Truck is fully matching numbers. Hoodnumber and chassisnummer are confirmed.

Workshop was built in december 1943 by The Schnabel Company in Pennsylvania and truck was delivered to the US Army in march 1944 with the workshop of course.

Under all layers of paint we found registrationnumbers, stars, gaspaint and remains of an engineer unit number on the back 1253E.

This unit was attached to the 9th Army with the task of building bridges over the Rhine near Wesel, Germany in March 1945.

Purpose for these trucks were repair and maintenance for all engineer equipment like air compressors , dump trucks, cranes, bulldozers, hand tools, etc, etc,

After the war the truck was shipped back to Sharpe General Depot in California not far from San Francisco. In the cab is a dataplate from Sharpe General Depot, this was formerly called Stockton General Depot during the war.

Later it came back to Europe where it saw service in the Belgian army, probably due to the MDAP - Mutual Defense Aid Program.

Here it was sold in the eighties complete with all the tools as we found it.

After the army quickly learned that the toolsets often where bought only for the tools or just the truck. They made separate lots for the trucks and tools to make more money. Belgian army had many open Toolsets.

Below is a photo of what the truck looked like when he acquired it (still with Belgian Army post-WW2 markings) and a photo of Corné at work in the truck...

 

 

[Johan Willaert]

6 hours ago, cutiger83 said:

Now this workshop is too cool! I don't mean to ask a stupid question but was this a standard truck or was this designed just for this convoy??

 

P.S.  Do you have any pictures of the inside of the crates (living quarters)?

 

...Kat

 

Standard vehicle as shown below in Technical Manual TM9-2800 Standard Military Motor Vehicles 1st September 1943

Truck shown in the manual is the earlier closed cab version.

 

[cutiger83]

1 hour ago, Johan Willaert said:

 

Standard vehicle as shown below in Technical Manual TM9-2800 Standard Military Motor Vehicles 1st September 1943

Truck shown in the manual is the earlier closed cab version.

 

Thanks so much! I have never seen one of these. 

 

..Kat

[General Apathy]

6 hours ago, Johan Willaert said:

 

This very rare and complete GMC workshop truck belongs to a Dutch friend, Corné L, an avid collector and restorer of GMC and other WW2 US Army vehicles...
He was lucky in finding this special vehicle and did a very high standard restoration on it... An eyecatcher at any show!!!

The truck has its own facebook page where Corné relates the story of this peculiar vehicle ( https://www.facebook.com/opentoolset )

 

Our story about this open toolset with registration number 60110015-S.

We found this truck unrestored a couple years ago in the condition as it left the Belgian Army in the early eighties. It was reasonably complete but missing the smaller hand tools, like screwdrivers and wrenches. Of course it was used and not untouched.

Truck is fully matching numbers. Hoodnumber and chassisnummer are confirmed.

Workshop was built in december 1943 by The Schnabel Company in Pennsylvania and truck was delivered to the US Army in march 1944 with the workshop of course.

Under all layers of paint we found registrationnumbers, stars, gaspaint and remains of an engineer unit number on the back 1253E.

This unit was attached to the 9th Army with the task of building bridges over the Rhine near Wesel, Germany in March 1945.

Purpose for these trucks were repair and maintenance for all engineer equipment like air compressors , dump trucks, cranes, bulldozers, hand tools, etc, etc,

After the war the truck was shipped back to Sharpe General Depot in California not far from San Francisco. In the cab is a dataplate from Sharpe General Depot, this was formerly called Stockton General Depot during the war.

Later it came back to Europe where it saw service in the Belgian army, probably due to the MDAP - Mutual Defense Aid Program.

Here it was sold in the eighties complete with all the tools as we found it.

After the army quickly learned that the toolsets often where bought only for the tools or just the truck. They made separate lots for the trucks and tools to make more money. Belgian army had many open Toolsets.

Below is a photo of what the truck looked like when he acquired it (still with Belgian Army post-WW2 markings) and a photo of Corné at work in the truck...

 

.

Hi Johan, 

 

Thanks for all the additional detail on the workshop and for answering Kat's question about it.

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 18  2022.

 

...

 

[General Apathy]

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Hi Johan,

 

well as it's 43 degrees Celsius again I spent some time today looking for a pair of Universal joints to replace the ones in my front prop-shaft.  Whilst looking through the parts I always to try group the parts into categories and that was when I finally realised that I had a PAIR of Ford stamped anchor bolts for the door safety strap, they had been in separate tubs for many years . . . . . . . .

 

These are take-out parts from various Jeep wrecks we used to restore or break in the late 70's, not sure how or why but the threaded shank on one of the two is slightly bent, and one of them seems to have had the ' F ' double stamped slightly side by side.  

 

. 

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 18  2022.

 

...

 

[General Apathy]

.

Some more of the beasts of the 2022 Red-Ball Express convoy . . . . . . . .

 

many of these have already done several hundred miles to get to the start point,, I was told there was over a hundred vehicles on site and around thirty that applied too late to join.  This reconstruction was lilted to heavy type vehicles and only about four Jeeps were allowed for route reconnaissance and fetching in food supplies when needed. 

 

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 18  2022.

 

...

 

[mikie]

35 minutes ago, General Apathy said:

.

Some more of the beasts of the 2022 Red-Ball Express convoy . . . . . . . .

 

many of these have already done several hundred miles to get to the start point,, I was told there was over a hundred vehicles on site and around thirty that applied too late to join.  This reconstruction was lilted to heavy type vehicles and only about four Jeeps were allowed for route reconnaissance and fetching in food supplies when needed. 

 

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 18  2022.

 

...

 

Nice to see these vehicles get some rare but well deserved attention.  

Mikie

[Johan Willaert]

The side steps of the GMC Toolkit truck make for an excellent bed in the Normandy heat…

 

 

[pararaftanr2]

15 hours ago, cutiger83 said:

The guy in the second picture looks like he has on a bathing suit??

 

..Kat

Standard USN issue. Navy blue wool with a white cotton lining. Some had a draw-string waist, others actual belt loops. Most had a small pocket with button flap closure on the wearer's right side.

[Dogsbody]

11 hours ago, Johan Willaert said:

 

This very rare and complete GMC workshop truck belongs to a Dutch friend, Corné L, an avid collector and restorer of GMC and other WW2 US Army vehicles...
He was lucky in finding this special vehicle and did a very high standard restoration on it... An eyecatcher at any show!!!

The truck has its own facebook page where Corné relates the story of this peculiar vehicle ( https://www.facebook.com/opentoolset )

 

Our story about this open toolset with registration number 60110015-S.

We found this truck unrestored a couple years ago in the condition as it left the Belgian Army in the early eighties. It was reasonably complete but missing the smaller hand tools, like screwdrivers and wrenches. Of course it was used and not untouched.

Truck is fully matching numbers. Hoodnumber and chassisnummer are confirmed.

Workshop was built in december 1943 by The Schnabel Company in Pennsylvania and truck was delivered to the US Army in march 1944 with the workshop of course.

Under all layers of paint we found registrationnumbers, stars, gaspaint and remains of an engineer unit number on the back 1253E.

This unit was attached to the 9th Army with the task of building bridges over the Rhine near Wesel, Germany in March 1945.

Purpose for these trucks were repair and maintenance for all engineer equipment like air compressors , dump trucks, cranes, bulldozers, hand tools, etc, etc,

After the war the truck was shipped back to Sharpe General Depot in California not far from San Francisco. In the cab is a dataplate from Sharpe General Depot, this was formerly called Stockton General Depot during the war.

Later it came back to Europe where it saw service in the Belgian army, probably due to the MDAP - Mutual Defense Aid Program.

Here it was sold in the eighties complete with all the tools as we found it.

After the army quickly learned that the toolsets often where bought only for the tools or just the truck. They made separate lots for the trucks and tools to make more money. Belgian army had many open Toolsets.

Below is a photo of what the truck looked like when he acquired it (still with Belgian Army post-WW2 markings) and a photo of Corné at work in the truck...

 

 

These pictures date back to 2017. Maybe it's the same vehicle? There are some subtle differences (apart from the crane at the front).

 

 

 

 

[cutiger83]

4 hours ago, General Apathy said:

.

Some more of the beasts of the 2022 Red-Ball Express convoy . . . . . . . .

 

many of these have already done several hundred miles to get to the start point,, I was told there was over a hundred vehicles on site and around thirty that applied too late to join.  This reconstruction was lilted to heavy type vehicles and only about four Jeeps were allowed for route reconnaissance and fetching in food supplies when needed. 

 

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 18  2022.

 

...

 

These huge trucks are amazing. I imagine they are expensive to own and maintain. Are these owned by individuals?

 

...Kat