What World War II Army truck was almost as numerous and came in almost as many body styles as the GMC CCKW? What World War II Army truck served in all theaters of the War and was the platform on which were built all of the overseas deployed Army Engineer fire trucks until almost the end of the war in the Pacific? What was this little known and unheralded vehicle? It was the Military Chevrolet 1-1/2 ton 4x4 known variously known as the G-4100 or G-7100 or G-506.
What follows is the story of four of these little known trucks in their function as CLASS 325 Army Engineer fire trucks with the soldiers who used them and their "Day on the Beach".
A DAY ON THE BEACH
CORPORAL JAMES G. DAVIS
1204TH ENGINEER FIRE FIGHTING PLATOON
WORLD WAR II
Sunrise, Wednesday August 15, 1944 when I, asleep in the bowels of the Liberty Ship USS John Cropper, am awakened by the roar of big guns seaward. It is “D Dayâ€Â
UPDATED: A Day on the Beach
-
- Staff Sergeant
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2006 1:10 am
- Location: Maui, Hawaii
- Contact:
UPDATED: A Day on the Beach
Ranger Jim
- admin
- SHAEF
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2006 1:10 am
- Location: Tilton, New Hampshire, USA
- Contact:
- admin
- SHAEF
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2006 1:10 am
- Location: Tilton, New Hampshire, USA
- Contact:
(continued)
Challenge # 4
By now it is late afternoon and we moved into the garage, unloaded our trucks and gear, got the trucks operational and found some dinner (Lunch was a K ration). It has been a long and wearing day and our blankets call. No more than in them than we get a fire call. Out of bed, into our clothes and onto the trucks headed for some large fenced grain fields North West of town. The fields possibly had been fired by our enemy’s sympathizers to provide a beacon for our enemy’s aircraft. We pulled up to the fire, rolled our hoses out, started our pumps and got ready to climb the fences to get to the fire fronts. On a fence we see a faded sign that says “Achtungâ€Â
Challenge # 4
By now it is late afternoon and we moved into the garage, unloaded our trucks and gear, got the trucks operational and found some dinner (Lunch was a K ration). It has been a long and wearing day and our blankets call. No more than in them than we get a fire call. Out of bed, into our clothes and onto the trucks headed for some large fenced grain fields North West of town. The fields possibly had been fired by our enemy’s sympathizers to provide a beacon for our enemy’s aircraft. We pulled up to the fire, rolled our hoses out, started our pumps and got ready to climb the fences to get to the fire fronts. On a fence we see a faded sign that says “Achtungâ€Â
-
- Brigadier General
- Posts: 2595
- Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2006 1:10 am
- Location: San Antonio, Texas
Wow, great story. Thanks.
52 M38 Willy's
Former owner and restorer of CCKW353 " Betty Boop"
proud father of a career Army officer/Blackhawk pilot/ War in Iraq veteran
Retired high school history teacher at Lt. Colonel Robert G. Cole CMH High School, Fort Sam Houston Texas
proud great grandson of four Confederate soldiers.
great great grandson of a War of 1812 veteran
great great great grandson of 2 American Revolutionary war veterans
Former owner and restorer of CCKW353 " Betty Boop"
proud father of a career Army officer/Blackhawk pilot/ War in Iraq veteran
Retired high school history teacher at Lt. Colonel Robert G. Cole CMH High School, Fort Sam Houston Texas
proud great grandson of four Confederate soldiers.
great great grandson of a War of 1812 veteran
great great great grandson of 2 American Revolutionary war veterans
-
- Staff Sergeant
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2006 1:10 am
- Location: Maui, Hawaii
- Contact:
-
- Captain
- Posts: 272
- Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2006 1:10 am
- Location: N.Wales