Jeeps at War

I love to read books about WW2 jeeps, don’t you?

Amazon.com: Jeeps at War: Robert A. Fletcher

This is a cute book written and illustrated by the Fletcher family.  In fact three generations of Fletchers collaborated to create the book.  The book is great for children or those casually interested in jeep facts.  The book claims that 350,000 jeeps were produced for the US and that 250,000 were built for use by our allies.  One of the many drawings shows what looks like a WW2 jeep with a postwar winter enclosure with doors.  Other facts are just as strained, “jeeps were droopped by parachutes or delivered by gliders.” Really? The only evidence I’ve ever seen is that jeeps were delivered by gliders.The book is in my collection and I won’t part with it.  It’s nearly perfect for children who won’t get caught up in the details but will enjoy the story line and the pictures.  You can find this book at Amazon.com – Jeeps at War.

 

Pinups and WW2

The jeep and pin-ups just seem to go together.  During WW2 pin-ups were a highly desired commodity by most GIs.

According to Amazon.com’s website, “A lavishly illustrated scrapbook of World War II pin-up memorabilia, For The Boys showcases the morale-boosting pin-up calendars, postcards, cartoons, matchbooks, and playing cards that sweethearts, wives, and relatives sent from the home front to their men in the armed forces.  ”

Check it out – For the Boys: The Racy Pin-Ups of World War II.

 

The Jeep in Every Possible Condition–A Very Useful Book

Take aim at this book!  I think you will like it. I know I did.

THE JEEP IN EVERY POSSIBLE CONDITION: Or, How to Restore Your Jeep

This book is written in French and English.  While it isn’t really a “how to” manual strictly speaking, it does offer enough interesting details to be well worth the price.   The book is a “step by step” outline on how to repair or restore your jeep.  Not everything is covered like indicating which year of jeep should have what specific detail.  But it did have a lot of pictures on engine assembly and things to look out for. Pictures covering the transmission, transfer case and axles, too.   The book stops being about repairing or rebuilding your jeep with page 81.  There are a few WW2 pictures that are interesting.

What is confusing about this book is that it includes some jeep oddities that frankly look like “Bubba” would be really interested in this book. The rest of the  book has pictures of a stretched jeep as well as documenting how one of the authors built a Willy MB 6×6 using some “found” Dodge parts.  It’s a part of my book collection and I encourage you to check this book out on Amazon.com.  You can find it easily by clicking the link  – THE JEEP IN EVERY POSSIBLE CONDITION: Or, How to Restore Your Jeep.

 

On the road between to Russia

These guys were on the way to Russia.  A tough trip to be sure!

Correspondents with a United States Army truck convoy which carried supplies for the aid of Russia somewhere in Iran.  Photo from the National Archives.

 

WW2 Jeep in Training

I look forward to those warm days of summer.  This picture from WW2 Fort Riley, Kansas evokes memories of warmth from a bygone era.

American Memory Digital Item Display – owi2001006472/PP

Fort Riley, Kansas. A platoon of a mechanized cavalry reconnaissance unit returning from a day in the field. In this photo we can see a Willys MB/Ford GPW complete with a canvas windshield cover.  This picture is from the Library of Congress collection.

 

The Ford GP on the production line

Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone but especially the GIs overseas.

American Memory Digital Item Display – oem2002000645/PP

The Ford GP body after being lowered, is securely fastened to the chassis and the headlights adjusted.  Ford River Rouge plant. The letters “GP” did not stand for “General Purpose”.  Those letters G stood  for government, and P for the jeep’s 80 inch-wheelbase.   There is evidence from the original WW2 Army Motors that the GP letters were pronounced as “GEEP.”  It only shows up twice in print to my knowledge….so it isn’t perfect proof but remains an interesting side-bar.

 

The WW2 jeep in training – Fort Riley, Kansas

American Memory Digital Item Display – owi2001006523

Fort Riley, Kansas. A jeep demonstration by men of the 92nd Mechanized Reconnaissance Squadron.

A WW2 jeep on the run near Fort Riley, Kansas.  The photo is dated April 1942.  The troops still have their pre-WW2 Helmets.  There are dozens of jeep and WW2 photos on line at the Library of Congress.

You might be interested in BANTAM, FORD AND WILLYS-1/4-TON RECONNAISSANCE CARS, This is a book filled with photo’s of the early vehicles that would soon become known world wide as the “jeep”.  There are a ton of close up photos so it may be of interest to modelers as well as to those restoring the old pre-standardized jeeps.

 

Valentines Day 1943? Surplus jeeps?

In the picture, we have a round nose BRC-60 in front of a later Bantam BRC-40.   Note the rear fuel tank cap on the passenger side.

Okay, sorry, this has nothing to do with Valentines Day 1943.  This is really about surplussing jeeps during WW2. The jeeps that were released were examples of the first 60 produced and also some pre-standardized jeeps like the Ford GP.

An article appeared in the St. Petersburg Times – Sep 24, 1943 dealing with the concerns over military supplies and the surplus expected when the war ended.  The Army was concerned with surplusing equipment at this stage of the war.  According to the Army to many people thought the war was just about over.  Various business concerns and farmers would be able to apply priority to purchase used equipment.

The January 3, 1944 issue of Life magazine had an article that covered surplus sales to Berg of Chicago.  He would go on to become the “king” of surplus jeep and parts after the war. What is interesting is that he obtained several of the early Bantam’s for sale.  Early as in the first order!  Check out the pictures  in What Became of the Bantam Round Nose BRCs?

 

Original Design of WW2 Jeep Credited to American Bantam

The jeep was first built by Bantam. Even the jeep like the Bantam pilot could get stuck! Or is it!!

A salute to Bantam for being first!

Auto Industry Debates Credit for “Jeep” Cars – Bantam President Now Is Hailed as Real Inventor.   From the The Evening Independent – Jun 27, 1941.  Poor Bantam often received little notice on their contribution to WW2 and American history–namely design of the jeep.   But at least as early as 1941 some people recognized that Bantam designed the jeep.  What is interesting is that the article…well more of a gossip column then anything, says that Mr. Fenn came up with the idea of the jeep in 1934!

Find out more about Bantam and the other early “jeeps” – Jeep – Its development and procurement under the Quartermaster Corps, 1940-1942.  It’s available at Amazon.com and other bookstores.

 

Fake Jeeps in the movies during WW2

Just about everybody loves the movies. A movie with a WW2 jeep makes it even better!

In the early days of WW2 there weren’t  enough jeeps for the Army so there sure weren’t any jeeps for the movie industry.  Hollywood had to build their own replicas.  An audience that had only recently learned about the jeep wasn’t likely to know they were seeing a replica.  It looked like a jeep….ran like a jeep…so it must have been a jeep.  Laurel and Hardy go thru their comic antics and during parts of the movie, “Great Guns!”, they use their jeep during manuevers.

See the December 5, 1941 review that appeared in the St. Petersburg Times.