One of a kind: Ford Derham Body Weapons Carriers

[gwb123]

My brother sent me photos from a recent auto show in Pennsylvania, and I didn't believe what I was looking at when he showed me this one. 

[gwb123]

Apparently this is the sole survivor of six Ford Derham Body Weapons Carriers that were created as a special order for the Valley Forge Military Academy, in Malvern, PA.

 

The vehicles are #3, #4, and #5 in the column apparently towing light antitank weapons.

 

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1332320-1939-and-1940-ford-derham-body-weapons-carriers.html

 

[gwb123]

An explanation from the website:

 

[gwb123]

The Durham Body Company had a history of buidling customized high end vehicles.  They played a role in WWII as well:

 

"Rather than shutting down their operation during WWII, James and Enos Derham decided to keep their shops open and took on a number of contracts that would keep their skilled staff busy for its duration. Derham built a prototype multi-purpose utility body for a large New York City Dodge dealer that was ideally suited for Dodge’s half-ton VC military vehicle chassis. The Derham prototype would eventually become the model for Dodge’s VC-6 and WC-10 Carryalls. Unfortunately, Derham’s Lancaster Ave. shops were too small to produce the quantities required so the contract to build it was awarded to a much larger Detroit-based commercial body builder (McCabe-Powers?).

 

In the middle of 1942, they got a contract with the Navy to produce mobile canteens that were badly needed by Philadelphia’s busy naval shipyards. Material restrictions limited the use of metal to the canteen’s exterior walls and chassis so the bulk of the trailers were built of wood framed plywood panels, which made them extra tough to clean and maintain. Derham was subsequently awarded another contract to build floats for the Navy’s Stearman N3N3 bi-plane. According to Enos Derham, in the course of negotiations, the Navy questioned Derham's ability to perform work of a sufficient quality. He presented them with Derham’s current body design catalog and the matter was put to rest. Another contract was landed to produce bulkheads for the Vickers PBY, the PBN, and the PBY-SA aircraft. The three contracts kept the Derham shop busy for the duration of the war. Even during the war, Derham managed to find time to turn out a custom 1941 Crown Imperial wood-bodied station wagon built in 1943 for a prominent New Yorker named Allan J. McIntosh."

 

http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/d/derham/derham.htm

[gwb123]

Some detail photos of the vehicle.  The front plate appears to say "V-6".

[M24 Chaffee]

That’s very cool! I love seeing small vintage trucks. And this has such a rare history.

 

Frank

[manayunkman]

Thank you for posting this.

 

I especially like the Valley Forge connection, very high on the cool factor.