The GMC CCKW

We have all heard and read that in WWII when it came to issue the 2 1/2 ton 6X6 trucks, the US Army got most of the GMC's and the Marines and US Navy got the Internationals and the Studebakers went to Russia and some to Australia.

We recently picked up a WWII Navy photo album with lots of pictures of Trucks and Bulldozers (how could I resist) And looking at the dump trucks, it made me scratch my head? This was from the 78th Naval Construction Battalion.

The photos clearly show the rare closed cab SWB model CCKW dump truck working side by side with LWB Open Cab dump trucks. And some SWB Open Cab models. Looks like they had every model CCKW dump truck all in the same unit.

The photos were taken in 1945 rebuilding the air field on Okinawa. The closed cab trucks have a unique "Seabee" logo on the doors. The logo was a special Walt Disney creation for the 78th.

Interesting. Anyone else know of any CCKW's in Navy service?







Cat Man

Thanks Cat Man, great photos. Notice the lack of a winch on the short wheel base tippers both open and closed cab. Interesting as tippers generally have the winch. unless that is only to be found on the long wheel base trucks ?

Hi Cat Man,
Do you have any pictures of USN Seabee trucks from WWII in Alaska? If not this specific then I'd like to see any pictures of Seabee trucks from WWII. Someone is building a scale model and wants to build accuracy in insignia.

Thanks for any help

My father served in the 57th CBs in New Hebrides and the Admiralty Islands. In his Navy cruise book, SOPAC SAGA 57th CBs, the photos show some closed cab and a lot of open cab CCKWs. I have 2 snapshots of him standing in the driver's door of an International Harvester CCKW. In all the photos, the only markings on the trucks are ''57th'' just in front of either door and on the front edge of the hood and a truck number, like ''D-10.''

Thanks for posting the picture, seabee_son.

This is very helpful.