Hi Guys
I am building the Tamiya GMC 2 1/2 ton truck and am doin it in the markings of the '1st Army 3549th Transportation Corps Truck Company No. 37, July 1944 Normandy' Therefore I was wondering if anyone had any pictures or info on what these trucks were used for at Normandy, troop carrying, supplies etc. Also does anyone know whether the 'Caution Left Hand Drive' and 'Max speed 30mph' would have been left on for the duration of the war as this would open my options up a lot. Thanks for your help. Nick

Hi Nick

IIRC, this unit was part of the Red Ball Express, so doing a related search should give you many pics such as those below :






HTH
Frenchy

Hi Frenchy
Thanks for your help. Nick

Man, I dumped a bunch of weapons in my truck a few year ago, but I can't imagine putting all those Jerry cans in the back. That'd be insane!

Jeff

Agreed, Jeff--insane, and with gas at, what, six pounds per gallon I don't want to think about how overloaded those trucks were. Keep a spare county around to stop one in! Must have accelerated like slugs, stopped like a locomotive on sheet ice, and been impossible to turn at anything above a walking pace. But it goes to show you what you can get away with when there's no enemy air force around to turn you into flaming wreckage.
Greg

The left hand drive warning was applied by units that were staged in England so the poor locals would know there was an unaware Yank behind the wheel. If the unit you are asking about was in England, then there would have been trucks marked with the warning. Shortly after the landings an assembly line was set up that assembled partly knocked down trucks in very large numbers. These trucks would not have the warnings painted on like the trucks from England as it was no longer needed. Many were repainted as well.

I agree, google up Red Ball Express will show a number of good sites. There is a Red Ball museum and some good articles worth reading. A large number of Red Ball drivers were African Americans. I have been lucky enough to meet a Red Ball driver as well as a Canadian that drove trucks in a similar Commonwealth version.

Hi Guys
@Jeff and Greg, I know what you mean, that is a crazy amount of cans, apparently they also took the regulators off the engines meaning they actually drove pretty fast, hence a lot of crashes!!!
@randall, thanks very much for the info, so the trucks that went to Normandy from good old England would have had the warning sign painted over??
Cheers. Nick

Yep and goes to show the difference between loading up for peace time driving and war time (get it to the front at all costs) loading.

The capabilities of both truck and drivers tested to the very limit and beyond. I drove the DROPS with simple push and go automatic gear box, power stearing and lovely hook loader to get things on and off, big spacious and heated cab . Used to complain bitterly if the BV was not turned on to get a lovely cuppa on route.

Had to hand ball fuel loads of the old Foden eight wheel rigids to fuel up our trucks. Only had to do that once in nine years. I really pity those guys with that handball job!!!!!!!

Nige
Don't have a fly fag while reading this blog

Nick, it is more like could have had the warnings painted over.

I did a little digging, and in my book on the GMC 6 X trucks it says that there were 5,400 trucks, mostly GMC,s in the initial phase of the Red Ball. The caption of the picture with the trucks with all the cans suggests these are empties brought in for refilling.

Hi guys
Nige, interesting to hear you drove teh DROPS. Randall, thanks for the help. Nick

Hi Nick

I miss it loads. Getting paid to play about in big tonka trucks. Very capable beasts. Only trucks I drove without power stearing was the Bedfords MK and TM. No wonder those trucks had such big stearing wheels. My first time out with the Bedfords I nearly over ran a roundabout cause it didn't turn like the wee DAF commercial rigid at driving school.

My brother drove for a living and couped a load of barrels with fabric dye while negotiating a roundabout. Those were only 20 litre barrels and stacked two barrels high in a curtain sider. The roundabout was like a rainbow for ages.

It would be interesting to know how high they stacked the full gerry cans in the backs of those ww2 trucks during war time conditions! Anyone know? The Foden was stacked two cans high if I remember right and they had a very long load bed.

All the best

Nige