The GMC CCKW

I was just wondering if anyone has any information on when the last CCKW's arrived in the ETO during WW2 in time to actually get issued to units? I'm asking because many restored CCKW's in the UK and Europe were sent over post war as aid to European countries and it would be interesting to know when the last WW2 deliveries to US Forces in the ETO actually took place.

I know it could be said that any truck built prior to May 8th 1945 could have seen service in the ETO but considering the time to actually ship trucks from the US and get them to units in the field I would guess that few,if any,of the trucks built in April or May of 45 were actually issued prior to the end of the war in Europe.

If it were possible to match hood and chassis number ranges I guess it would be possible to date a truck in a photograph more accurately than just by style of cargo body etc.

Any info would be great!

Matt.

Hi Matt,
My CCKW # 353-480502-B2 was built in 4/45 it is a Norway return.
There is a plate fastened to the dash with a rebuild date 5/53 by United Auto Parts Kansas City I always doubted that Uncle Sam would have brought many CCKW's back from ETO , especially to rebuild them here , but I certainly don't know for sure. However this is my reason for believing this truck never saw "action'.
My truck is a split frame converted along with others in preperation for the invasion of Japan . We all know what happened there!!!
I suspect that this CCKW entered "NATO" service sometime after 5/53 and eventually ended up in Norway.
I hope the build date of 4/45 can shed some lite on your question ,and any info you can share about any history of #480502 would be most welcomed.
Hope this helps
John

Hi John
It is my understanding that most trucks that were rebuilt in the states, had never left the states and were probably used be stateside US Army units and most likely saw service with guard units as well, before being rebuilt and transfered overseas.Most of the trucks that saw service during ww11 were rebuilt over there, My truck was built Jan 42 and rebuilt in England 5/53 before being turned over to Norway.It would not be cost effective to ship the trucks to the US for rebuild and then back to Europe when they had several rebuild facilites already over there to help get the economy going again.Does any one no how many different countries had rebuild factories going after the war I can think of a few England, France, Germany how many others are there I know a Navy Veteran that told me his ship was sent to the pacific during Korea to some of the Islands that had abandoned vehicles,they spent weeks hauling and draging these trucks ,jeeps, bulldozers out of the jungle and loading them in the cargo hold for shipment to Japan there for rebuiding to replace loses in Korea.He said they had a jeep generator set up to power a large pressure pump that they would hose all the vehicles down with before loading them into the cargo hold ,to get rid of any unwanted travelers, he hated snakes

Matt,
My CCKW 353 541774 was built in June of 1945 and was rebuilt by Rootes of London on April 1955 and then was transfured to Norway as part of the Mutual Defence Assistance Pact. So it made it across the pond and was more than likely used for the post war operations. But being such a high production number I cant think too many more were sent to the ETO. I cant say that my truck was the last shipped but I bet she was pretty close.

Matt,

I will chime in here.

My 353 Air-portable 353 529014-A2 was built in 6/45. Was rebuilt by United Auto parts in Kansas City in 12/52 and became part of the MDAP program.

Lots of Norweigen rebuilt tags on the major components including engine. The speedometer is in miles and says 22429...it is unknown if it is original.

I have no other history on the truck.

Bill

HELLO MATT.ITS ODD THAT MOST OF THE REPLIES TO YOUR POST FEATURE EX NORWEDGIAN TRUCKS! MY 353H1 401215/ U.S.A.4733956 MANF NOV 1944(thanks again 42CCKW for that information)SO SHE MUST HAVE BEEN LATE GETTING TO THE BALL BUT MADE IT SHE MUST"A IF ONLY FOR THE PRESENTATION OF THE MEDALS AND THE PHOTOCALL(didnt know they did trucks with staff rank but they must have) I HAVE NO E.T.O. HISTORY(SO ANY FROM ANY ONE WOULD BE VERY GRATEFULLY RECIEVED)PRIOR TO OCTOBER 1952 WHEN SHE WAS RECONDITIONED AT THE U.S.ARMY ORDNANCE CENTRE AT WAIBLIGEN STUTTGART AS JOB No K8806.AGAIN NO MORE KNOWN HISTORY UNTIL SHE LEFT NORWEDGIAN ARMY SERVICE FOR THE U.K. IN JUNE 1996 IN COMPLETE BUT WITH ALL HER MAJOR BITS & PIECES INTACT NORWEGIAN DATA PLATES , "VIKING" TYRES AND A RECORDED MILAGE OF 15860.THE ENGINE AS BEEN REPLACED,PRESUMABLY AT HER 1952 RECONDITION AS THE ONE IN HER NOW IS A REBUILD FROM THE" RED RIVER ARSENAL" TEXARKANA TEXAS THE ENGINES DATE OF REBUILD BEING 1.24.1952

THE ORIGINAL PLATE ON THE ENGINE IS FROM THE YELLOW TRUCK &COACH .BLOCK No270183291. I WONDER HOW MUCH OUT OF YEAR SEQUENCE THE ENGINE/CHASSIS COMBINATION IS THE RECONDITION STATES THAT THE BORE IS .40 OVERSIZE THE MAINS .10 UNDERSIZE AND THE RODS .20 UNDERSIZE NORMALL WEAR RATES OR JUST THATS WHAT THEY ALL GOT HOPE SOME OF IT HELPS YOU AND IT MAY JUST START ANOTHER QUESTION REGARDS ERB72