Vehicle Identity Requests: Allied & Neutral States

[iffig]

In use with the Jewish Settlement Police during the 30's

http://www.historama.com/online-resourc ... iform.html


Hope this can help.

[Alanmccoubrey]

Thank you all.

[Bill Murray]

This thread has been dormant for quite a while but I just came up with one.

I believe this is a Commer Raider of the mid to late 1930's in use by perhaps the Arab Legion or some other British force in Palestine in the time of the riots in 1936-1939.

Can anyone here verify this ID or provide the proper ID if I am wrong.

Bill

[Bill Murray]

Here is another, a Saurer for sure and I believe it is in military service.
A little early for this thread maybe but a lot of early/mid thirties vehicles soldiered on for some years.
Bill

[Alexander Taper-Bore]

Mr Murray, be welcome to check out some interesting Portuguese vehicles here: http://www.network54.com/Forum/330333/m ... nd+Chevies

[Bill Murray]

Hi Alexander........

Wow, just Wow!!!!

I cannot thank you enough for posting that link to Nuyt's Forum.

All photos were new to me and I had almost nothing on the vehicles of Portugal earlier. Now.... A Gold Mine!!!

Many Thanks......

Bill

[Sturm78]

Hi all,

Regarding the Ford and Chevrolet trucks and buses with military cabs, Were these vehicles manufactured ex professo for a Portuguese Army order in 1940-41 ??
I have not seen this cab model in the US Army vehicles on WW2....
Does anyone know when these pictures were taken?

Sturm78

[Bill Murray]

Hi Sturm:

I see you like these photos also!!!

To answer your question, I will answer in two parts.

1. Ford and Chevrolet offered on both their "home" market as well as their import markets commercial and often private passenger car vehicles in at least 4 different "choices".

A. Chassis and cowl without windscreen.
B. Chassis and cowl with windscreen.
C. Chassis and cab (drivers cabin).
D. Complete vehicle, both commercial and private passenger cars.

A fifth variant not often seen is a complete running chassis with no bodywork at all. These were usually used for busses and I remember when I worked for Volvo in Peru, we would arrange for wooden boxes to be placed on the chassis in order for the drivers from the bus assembly companies to drive them from our assembly plant to their bus body plant.

Regarding the Ford and Chevrolet vehicles in this group of photos, they are chassis and cowl without windscreens.

I have posted a photo below of a Ford advertisement of the period showing the A/B/C versions. Sorry for the small size.

2. For the moment, I do not know how these vehicles were sold to the Armed Forces of Portugal but I can assure you that the bodies were built in Portugal as they are quite unique. I think I remember reading that both Ford and General Motors had a Branch Office of their Overseas Operations in Portugal but if not, they certainly had a General Agent that may have operated independently. I am researching that now. Whatever organization existed then would have sold the chassis and cowl vehicles to the Government who would then have contracted for the different body work as needed.

I should also point out that the vehicle that Nuyt thought might be an International is a 1937 Diamond T and the Horch is more likely from 1938, not 1932 I think.

Bill

[Bill Murray]

Hi Sturm:

To continue the follow up on these vehicles, I found the following information.

1. Ford was represented by Ford Lusitana in Portugal in 1940 and that Company was a subsidiary of Ford Motor Iberica which was based in Spain.

2. General Motors was represented by General Motors Overseas Corporation Lisboa Branch.

I have done a lot of work on "Google" in the last hours but I have not come up with any information on Government Contracts in 1940 with these 2 companies and the Government of Portugal.

As you are a citizen of Spain and have much better language capabilities than I do in Spanish and Portuguese, you may be able to look around on the Internet and find some more sources on information on the building up of Portuguese Forces military vehicles in the 1940/1941 time period.

I do hope you can help all of us, especially me, as this is an entirely new part of the history of WWII soft skins for me.

Bill

[Sturm78]

Thank you very much for your answers, Bill

I will try to search more information about these portuguese vehicles in the net....

Regards Sturm78

[B Hellqvist]

Any idea what vehicle this might be? It appears to be a tank, but it doesn't look like the turret of a Lee or Grant tank. The lettering has "U.S.A." in it, so I guess it's a piece of lend-lease equipment.

[peeved]

I'd say British Mark VIB Indian Pattern or VIC light tank.

Markus

[B Hellqvist]

Seems like you are correct - it's most likely a Vickers Mk. VIc. I guess the photo might be from 1940 and the Western Front. The lettering is a bit blurred, so I guess I misread "U.S.A.". Kiitos for the ID!

[Nomis Rossignol]

Hello, I'm new and I'm looking for information about a Yugoslav armored car, I only know that some people call it a "SPA" and that it was in service in the Royal Yugoslav Army.

[img]http://i11.servimg.com/u/f11/11/11/87/36/samoho10.jpg

[ArmchairSamurai]

What variety of Jeep is this? The website I ripped this from indicates it is in French use, but I am not familiar with either front end. It looks almost English, especially the Jeep on the right with its left headlight covered by a plate, and its right headlight dimmed. Thoughts?