The GMC CCKW

Whilst rubbing down the front bumper/fender to the base paint I,ve come across the original markings.These were several layers down and last to be uncovered.I think it's a 101st AB, could this be possible???.Can I find out from the original Hood numbers to confirm or dissprove my findings???

So, how many coats of paint are there UNDERNEATH the markings?

After you rub the white 101?b numbers off you get to green paint then the undercoat then steel. The 101 ?B letters were several layers down so quite old. It looks like the 101AB was used several time looking at the amount of lettering on the Bumper.

This is the Bumper before I rubbed it down

Veryn well could be a 101st truck. There is a photo of a 101st AB truck in Beckers book used by an engineer unit and the markings appear very similair.

Any chance of seeing the picture in the book as I don't have it. If anyone would be so kind as to scan the picture or tell me were I can obtain a copy of the book!!

cheers

Steve

The photo is located on page 47 of Emile Breckers book. The truck is a 352 sith a set seven in the rear and a gin pole arrangement on the front bumper. 101AB on the left front bumper looking at the front of the truck. I don't have a scanner but maybe someone does and will post the photo. Good luck.

I now that picture and I would like that I could say that there were original 352 set 7 gmc's even with the airborne.
Only the modern caravan on the left side of the picture dues make it a problem.

On page 301 ( upper Picture ) you see a complete other conversion of a set 7 with a closed buildup I like .

The latest from the rear:

.............and a fine picture of a cut hinge rod thats under discussion on another thread.

I know the picture of the Becker 352 lot 7, but I regret its almost certainly a post war refit.

Karoshi wrote:.............and a fine picture of a cut hinge rod thats under discussion on another thread.

I know the picture of the Becker 352 lot 7, but I regret its almost certainly a post war refit.

So what your saying is the picture in the book is almost certainly a refit.

Why are you so sure?. I'd love to take a look myself, if only I had the picture.



Anyway What do you reckon on my 352 being 101A/B??.

I'll go and take a look at the cut hindge thread

Its a hard one Chappers, In this game you never say never, but for all the material published I have yet to see an authenticated period photo or an official document with reference to a Lot 7 352. Immediately post war and Korea yes, but a pre '45 reference has yet to surface.

Now thats not to say it didn't happen, but as yet there is no hard evidence that I've seen.

As for yours being a 101 AB original well, I just dont know, there must be some about somewhere and I guess a base coat marking is a pretty good indicator, but a lot can happen in 60 odd years.

We had a post recently by a guy who found sand during the course of his restoration, he wanted to know if that meant if it took part in the Omaha landings !! What can you say!

Sand now there's a story, whilst I was pressure washing the chassis, there were two hollow slots in the part that holds the rear springs to the chassis, both were full of silver type sand as found on a beach .
I spent 9 hours solid and 5 gallons of diesel cleaning every inch of the truck chassis.
I brought the Truck without a No7 set in although there are some holes in the floor of the rear cargo deck to suggest something was bolted in.
I've just purchased the No 7 set to make it different from the 353 I have already.
I'm at the moment trying to sort out a website to put over 100 photos of the strip down and reassembly of the 352 so far. I've documented most of the recent work so might help someone else who fancy's a refurb.


What I need is a photo with the bonnet numbers on, coming off a Landing Craft on one of the beaches to be sure

It looks good to me Chappers. Forget the naysayers and those that love to throw water on your excitement. There is no proof that the picture in Beckers book is a post war photo nor that your truck was not used by the 101st. I went through this with another poster about my CCKW that was still in AF flight line yellow and the original hood numbers still visible. He said that there was no proof that my truck was ever used by the Army Air Force and he is right, but what I want is what is important. Sometimes some people get bogged down in minute details and over look the real role we play in the restoration of these old trucks. My truck sports Army Air Force markings from Kelly Field, Texas where she was sold into surplus.
Remember, post war Europe is tied to war time Europe. It is not a total seperate event. So even if that photo was post war, it is still tied to war time Europe.
You are doing a great job and keep up the faith and work.

I've found this under the rear tail gate D Day star. This is the last layer of paint before the primer,What I've noticed is the Numbers are different from the hood numbers. So I'ts had a new cab at some time in the past, I'm pretty sure the rear is original as, when I removed it the paint was still original under the timber supports.

While it is certainly possible that your truck had the hood replaced (thereby having a different number, the fact that your tailgate hinge rod has been cut, and made into two shorter rods with cotte pins would seem to suggest that perhaps it had the tail gate replaced...

Anyone else think this is plausible??

I understand the motivation of trying to tie our trucks to a particular unit or date or anything historical other than just being a period truck. We must take into consideration that as trucks were re-built in theater or stateside, original parts fom that truck did not necessarily go back to that truck.In a large motor pool , often hoods were taken off and placed out of the way for engine rebuild or replacement. The truck may not have gotten original hood back, as the truck would probably be repainted before leaving the maintance facility. Same with tailgates and other parts. Also if those parts had been damaged from action, parts were salvaged off of parts trucks to keep them rolling. As units were phased out in theater and new units moved in those trucks were re-assigned and new unit markings were applied. Just because your truck has different markings at different levels of paint on the bumper does not diminish the usage of that truck by that unit. Example I know that my truck was used by the Air Force. It could have been used by an Army unit during WWII and then post war transfeered to the Air Force. I reserve the option of saying my truck was used by the Army Air Force during the war, because in sanding down the bumper I could not find anything but Air Force markings.
Post war European use truck are going to have been used by many units. When units were transferred home, their equipment passed onto someone else that need that particular type of truck.
Chappers, as far as I am concerned your truck had 101st Airborne usage and you can be proud of that hertiage, regardless of war time or post war usage. Some may disagree with me and that is OK, after all we are more than 60 years after the fact and a lot of supposition has to go into our hobby. Restore your truck, re-do the Screaming Eagle markings and go uot and recruit you a bunch of paratroopers.

The reason for my post is to establish the trucks history as much as possible. I'm 100% sure after the work rubbing the bumpers down and coming across several 101 AB signatures that this was a 101 Truck,as for the period it was used by the 101 well thats the question. I will restore it as a 101 AB truck and I've already got a bunch of lunatic friends who call themselves paratroopers ready to sit in the back. They are more like the Dirty Dozen but very popular with the public.


Thanks for all the support as I've already mentioned I'm setting up a website with all the pictures of the restoration.

Hi Clappers.

The sand could be from sand blasting in the past?!

Your right Jack ,It's very possibilly Blasting sand,but I doubt it, Looking at the chassis and having had a lot of gear blasted it doesn't appear to have been blasted in the past. There are loads of places it could have been to get sand in the chassis members. I only mentioned it because of what Karoshi had posted. The thing is we will never know it's true history,all we can do is speculate as to the places and sights the truck has seen and been.
I'll paint the jimmy up as 101 AB and use the last set of numbers I've found, at least then it will retain some of it's history.

Shame the US didn't keep records of truck numbers as this would have made everyone's job a lot easier at determining unit and place of deployment.

Thanks everyone for your comments


regards Steve

Just got a hold of the Emile Becker book, What a class book shame it's in french though. I've seen the picture of the 101AB truck you mentioned and I'm going to paint my 352 up as the one in the book apart from the MT number ,I take it that MT means Maintenance Truck??Would it be O.k to use TRK instead??