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Accounts of valor of Soldiers in WWII halftrack (ETO)


fordmustanggt_350
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fordmustanggt_350

I am trying to write up a description of a halftrack and am looking for any accounts of Soldiers using a half track during WWII in the ETO that stand out from the others.  I am working on a display board for a M16A1 Halftrack and trying to relate it to First Army.  Can any one help me out?  MAJOR BONUS POINTS if the account relates to First Army.  thank you in advance for any help!

IMG_20210802_140948767_HDR.jpg

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Rakkasan187

Interesting that the half-track you are showing was at the 1st Armored Division Museum until last year when it was being loaded for transport to the Rock Island Arsenal Museum. I am the curator of the 1AD Musuem and oversaw the movement and loadout of this piece as well as an M36 Tank Destroyer that was transferred on the same day. I think I may have taken this picture as well. 

 

This particular halftrack was possibly converted to an M16 AAA version, but the quad 50 mount was removed from the back, and with other M16 AAA quad 50 versions you will notice that this half-track does not have the hinged drop-down armor plates on the sides, however the circular turret ring was very obvious in the rear compartment and the turret itself is still sitting in our warehouse at Ft Bliss in about 100 pieces. We believe this may have been a "Frankentrack" as there was no specific provenance to this vehicle, and it looks like some of the equipment boxes were either added at a later date or they remained on this version and the Quad 50 turret was added. If I recall it did have some French data plates and other information on the track. The .50 caliber MG mount that you see was added later and it sits in the center of where the M16 Quad 50 turret would have sat.  I can't recall if this particular vehicle was made by the White Car Company. This halftrack was excess that was not transferred to the Air Defense Artillery Musuem at Fort Sill, Oklahoma when the ADA Musuem moved to Sill. We transferred this particular half-track to RIA in order to make room for another half-track that we have that will be restored and brought into the museum in the future along with the Bradley that is in the background, a Flak 88 German AA Gun, a T-34 Tank and some other pieces. 

 

Leigh 

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