Ex WW2 Blitz wagon on firefighting duties on the Blue Mountains emergency November 1968.
Picture added on 18 January 2010 at 16:17
Comments:
I think it was after WW2 the Australian military had a massive surplus of these vehicles so they donated them to bush fire brigades around Australia. They were the ants pants of fire engines for the time.
Added by Martyn Schafer on 19 January 2010.
Terrific shot of a CMP 4x4 (Canadian Military Pattern truck) in action; and the ferocity of the Bush-Fire....
Yep, over 400,000 of these babies were built - it was a British War Office design, for a Medium Truck - compact and efficient, for shipping all over the world - and for a variety of roles.
The majority were built in Canada, utilizing 'post-Great Depression' capacity of General Motors Canadian Chevrolet and Ford Motor Company of Canada's plants. Yes, with the RHD, in a LHD country....
They were also built and assembled in India, South Africa, Egypt, Britain,New Zealand and Australia, In the last country by Ruskin Motors Pty Ltd, Ford Motor Company of Australia, General Motors Holden....
This one has the Type 13 Cab, with the forward-tilted wind-shields, to avoid reflecting glare into the sky, and, thus, detection by hostile air-craft.
Wedging a larger North American engine, into that cramped 2-man cab-forward made for tight quarters; as quite a few 'Mates' can testify!
As a kid, I saw a few of these homely rigs, as Tow-Trucks and Snow-Plows; since then, mostly rusting away in back-fields. So, good to see a CMP in service - a great truck.
Added by Martyn Schafer on 19 January 2010.