I think this is the first photo of the GPA production line that I’ve seen.
“1943 Press Photo Sea Jeep production fro the Army in Dearborn Michigan”
I think this is the first photo of the GPA production line that I’ve seen.
“1943 Press Photo Sea Jeep production fro the Army in Dearborn Michigan”
UPDATE: I just picked this one up for $12.95 on eBay tonight. This is part of a series of “Back The Attack” Envelopes with different images. I’m still trying to determine what Goff’s full name was.
During WWII there were 8 different Public War Loan Drives. For the third War Loan Drive, or War Bond Drive, the Treasury department selected the theme “Back the Attack — Buy War Bonds.” The goal of the bond drive was to raise fifteen billion dollars.
This sold on eBay in January 2014 for $50.
Why do they load the jeep with people in it?
“1948 Press Photo Canadian jeep being loaded at Pearl Harbor”
Ed Wilson wanted to share some unusual jeeps photos from Egypt. They were taken in 1962 by his father Captain Harry Wilson during his United Nations duties in Egypt, while serving with the Canadian Army.
Ed notes that a few years ago his father searched for a tiny place called Sharm el-Sheikh where Harry and a fellow officer served during 1962. Their job was to look after a desalination plant. Instead of locating the hut where the two of them and a local family that cooked for them had lived, Harry was blown away to discover a billion dollar resort. No doubt the hut and the family are long gone.
The “MIL-GOVT” painted on the front of this jeep’s windshield was interesting. This is the American First Army near the Roer River.jpg
I’d think this was a movie, except that the identifying numbers on this GPW are taped over on the hood and windshield.
You might remember that Ann and I visited the Shelburne Museum in June of 2013. According to this brochure, they used to have a jeep-train (which they called the museum barge). I’ll do some searches for more photos.
One here: Shelburne Museum Map on eBay
A second map here: Shelburne Museum Map on eBay
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay
This early 1950s postcard from Pensacola, Florida, shows a CJ-2A or CJ-3A turning onto Palafox Street, which was a main drag (still is?). I’ve not been to Pensacola . . . yet. Ann would like to do a drive down to the Florida Keys and back. We are probably a year or two away from that trip.
“THIS IS A NICE EARLY POSTCARD SHOWING DOWNTOWN PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, ON PALAFOX STREET FROM A LONG TIME AGO. I SEE THE RHODES BUILDING AND THEATER ON THE RIGHT, AND I CAN ALMOST MAKE OUT THE MARQUEE, BUT PARTS OF IT ARE NOT THERE. I SEE A HUGE BUILDING ON THE LEFT, WHICH OBVIOUSLY WAS A HOTEL,”
UPDATE: A 1964 article in the Spokesman-Review highlights their speaking tour following the Indonesian trip.
In 1954, Helen and Frank Schreider drove a Ford GPA (amphibious jeep) named Tortuga from the Arctic Circle to the southern most town in South America, Ushuaia, Argentina. They published a book about their adventure called 20,000 Miles South: A Pan-American Adventure in a Seagoing Jeep from the Arctic Circle. It was a book I enjoyed.
In 1960, Helen and Frank began a new adventure in India. For unknown reasons, Tortuga was replaced by the Tortuga II (Amphibious Vehicle website has a great comparison information between Tortuga I and Tortuga II). Perhaps the original Tortuga was too damaged to undertake another long trek. The goal of their Indian adventure was to explore the Ganges river plain and write an article for National Geographic (which appeared in the October 1960 issue). I have the article, but have yet to read it.
In 1961, following their India adventure, the pair undertook an even longer expedition. They wanted to explore Indonesia’s Lesser Sundas, a chain of islands stretching 3000 miles from Bali to Timor. Their adventure filled two large articles for National Geographic (Indonesia: Young and Troubled Nation in the May 1961 issue and East from Bali by Seagoing Jeep in the August 1962 issue). They also published a book in 1963 called the Drums of Tonkin: An Adventure in Indonesia.
Both the National Geographic articles about Indonesia and their Drums of Tonkin book are dense with cultural references and photographs. Unfortunately, both the articles and the book over-burdened me with local references to such a degree that for me the story was less compelling than their 20,000 Miles book. This likely reflects a larger emphasis on anthropology, geography, and biology, a result of their funding by National Geographic.
Despite the compelling prose, there were plenty of photographs to enjoy. Here’s just a few. This first one is pretty self-explanatory.
According to the New York Times obituary for Frank, who died in 1994 in Crete, the couple joined National Geographic in 1967 and continued to have additional adventures by vehicle, foot and boat. However, there is no record that they ever traveled by GPA.
Bob forwarded these photos of a Monster Willys Truck and Camper. These photos were part of a 2010 post at: http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-51159.html. The vehicle was spotted at Government Camp, Oregon.
UPDATE: This photo of Dorothy Soderlund was purchased on eBay last May. Her niece, Nancy, discovered the photo on eWillys and wondered if an eWillys reader purchased the photo? As you can read in the comments, Nancy thought a great deal of her aunt Dorothy. If you purchased the photo, either comment below or contact me directly d @ evillys.com to learn more about Dorothy from Nancy.
Isn’t this an unusual photo? Based on the folded caption on the back of the photo, Dorothy Soderlund was a State Department Employee who is holding a trophy made from a bomb casing and a baseball signed by Eisenhower (possibly Dwight).
This photo captures an upcoming adventure by two University of Colorado students who plan to leave Denver and travel south into Central and South America in a CJ-5 they called “Columbus II”. I’ve located the email for Rolf Kjolseth (one of the two travelers) and emailed him to see if we can learn more about their trip. Also, check out Rolf’s amazing documentary street photography here: http://iconicimprints.com
Here’s an unusual ad that must be pretty rare.
“This ad is from a collection where the collector apparently had the ads in a scrapbook and kept them attached with double sided white sticky tape on the reverse (see photo #2 for the worst case scenario example—this ad might be much better–ASK if it’s important to you! ). In some cases, I was able to trim the blank borders and get rid of some or all of the white tape. In the cases where I was not, I covered the white tape with a piece of clear tape to cover the “stickiness”.
These ads look GREAT from the front.
Some are extremely colorful with great graphics. They also may have one or more of the following– edge tears, a small repair with archival tape on the reverse and/or some degree of uneven cutting when removed from newspaper originally.”
View all the information on eBay
The eBay title for this reads “Army Photographers Document Arctic Smurf UFO Crash”. However, no description was provided to explain that odd title.
This is a postcard that has not been mailed.
“Offered is one DB PC entitled: “Bath House and Dance Pavilion, Palacias, [Palacios] Texas”.
PC is in Good condition; edge and corner wear; Cancellation stamp ink on face of card; mailed 1908
I am selling many PC’s and books I have collected over the years and looking for a good home for these old friends with another like-minded collector.
Will combine shipments to reduce postage.”
It’s a cute card.
“THIS FUN VINTAGE VALENTINE CARD HAS A WWII ARMY SOLDIER GIVING HIS GIRLFRIEND A RIDE IN HIS JEEP.
THIS IS PRINTED ON THE FRONT: “JEEPERS BUT I’D LIKE YOU FOR MY VALENTINE”.
THE CARD MEASURES 5″ HIGH AND 7-1/2″ WIDE. IT IS DATED 1944 ON THE BACK.
IT IS SIGNED IN PENCIL ON THE BACK. THERE IS NO TAPE OR SCRAPBOOK RESIDUE ON THE BACK OF THE CARD.”
It’s not a large graphic, but this ad includes a Ford GP illustration.
“A wonderful original magazine ad from 1943 for Armour and Company No soldier in the world gets better care than a man in the U.S. Army”
Here’s a neat postcard.
“B&W UNIVERSAL JEEP WITH SNOW PLOW,WILLYS-OVERLAND SALES & SERVICE ***-UNUSED,AND IN CONDITION AS SHOWN.”
UPDATE: Was $31,000. Status Unknown.
(11/17/2014) Looks like they were having some fun in the photo. Numbers aren’t matching.
“1942 GPW Ford Jeep restored in 2010 as a British SAS Vehicle, battling the Axis power in North Africa in early 1940s. Always stored indoors.
Rebuilt Ford Engine (does not match with frame serial #), original restored frame, original restored seats, removed back seat to add rear machine gun. Includes .50 cal M2 AA machine gun on the passenger side, Acetylene/Oxygen actuated (includes small battery and the two gas tanks) – a $5,000 @ cost. Dual Resin/Metal Vickers K Machine gun on pedestal, and single Vickers K Machine gun on driver side. Please note that the twin Vickers K have been relocated (from photos) on a central back pedestal. Water condensing unit located on front bumper. x8 Gas Jerry Can on rear fenders, and x4 Water Jerry Cans on hood (most marked between 1945-1955). Six combat wheels since two wheels are spares.
Included Reproduction and RARE Bagnold Sun Compass in working condition – $1,000 value.
Included Reproduction Thomspon machine gun on hood, British water bottles, British back packs, British misc equipment filling the back.
Included SAS full uniform with shorts, KD shirt, belt, hand gun in holster (reproduction, not functioning), scarf, SAS patch
Doug found this February 1946 Map of Tokyo at a military show last weekend. He thought the map looked interesting, but the illustrated jeep on the cover really sold it.
UPDATE: Michael McGill from the Airforce 462 Weapons Load Crew page on Facebook reports it is not a bomb nor a rocket. It’s a missile (as Bob correctly noted as well), a French Antac MGM-32 Anti-Tank Missile. The US Army used this before the TOW Missile became available.
As I told Charles, I don’t want those rockets/bombs/missiles fired from a jeep while I’m sitting next to the launcher! This is an old photo of from the Belgium Army.
Dummy Entac rocket/bomb/missile
Belgium transmissions group.
Glenn Woudenberg wrote me a note saying this pedal jeep was spotted at a Bazaar in Mumbai, India. That seems to me to be a good excuse to go to India. It kind of has a ‘high hood’ feel to it. The wheels look similar to a Tri-ang.