The GMC CCKW

What World War II Army truck was almost as numerous and came in almost as many body styles as the GMC CCKW? What World War II Army truck served in all theaters of the War and was the platform on which were built all of the overseas deployed Army Engineer fire trucks until almost the end of the war in the Pacific? What was this little known and unheralded vehicle? It was the Military Chevrolet 1-1/2 ton 4x4 known variously known as the G-4100 or G-7100 or G-506.

What follows is the story of four of these little known trucks in their function as CLASS 325 Army Engineer fire trucks with the soldiers who used them and their "Day on the Beach".

A DAY ON THE BEACH

CORPORAL JAMES G. DAVIS
1204TH ENGINEER FIRE FIGHTING PLATOON
WORLD WAR II

Sunrise, Wednesday August 15, 1944 when I, asleep in the bowels of the Liberty Ship USS John Cropper, am awakened by the roar of big guns seaward. It is “D Dayâ€Â

(this is the rest of Jim's story...there is a display limit on the amount of text allow per post.)

Challenge # 2

If you are a Veteran and have made a landing through the surf, you know what “water proofingâ€Â

(continued)

Challenge # 4

By now it is late afternoon and we moved into the garage, unloaded our trucks and gear, got the trucks operational and found some dinner (Lunch was a K ration). It has been a long and wearing day and our blankets call. No more than in them than we get a fire call. Out of bed, into our clothes and onto the trucks headed for some large fenced grain fields North West of town. The fields possibly had been fired by our enemy’s sympathizers to provide a beacon for our enemy’s aircraft. We pulled up to the fire, rolled our hoses out, started our pumps and got ready to climb the fences to get to the fire fronts. On a fence we see a faded sign that says “Achtungâ€Â

Wow, great story. Thanks.

Glad you enjoyed it. Questions on these tiny units and their (forgive the dirty word here) Chevrolet fire trucks are always welcome.

Aloha
Jim

Great to read an 'I was there' story especially from one of the small unheralded units. Thank you.


Regards
Degsy