This photo was published in the November 21, 1942, issue of the Los Angeles Times. It shows the convoy of a Russian antitank outfit.
Features Research Archives
QSL Cards on eBay
I haven’t listed these QSL cards in a while. Here’s a couple ones I hadn’t seen.
- Jeepster Kid’s KBN-2655 Card on eBay:
“Vintage QSL Radio Card, JEEP Sanford Florida.KBN-2655, The JEEPSTER KID!!NS Stamped.”
2. This QSL Card is from Earl Clark, Jr:
“Vintage QSL Radio Card.
“KBN-7286 Earl Clark Jr”.
Inkster, Michigan.
Vintage Jeep and camping scene.”
First Time Using a CJ-5 Trencher
Steve shared this video of MuddOxRacing using a trencher for the first time. There are some good closeups of how the machine works.
1944 Article on Former Decorator’s Japanese Prisoners
This is a fun article about a former decorator turned jeep jockey named Pvt. Hurshal (Peewee) Wilson in New Guinea ‘captured’ 17 prisoners. It appeared in the Medford Mail Tribune (Medford,Oregon). His jeep was named “Helen” after his girlfriend.
Hurshal would survive WWII and leave the Army a Tech 5, but his relationship to Helen did not. Instead, he married Deedra R (Harman) Wilson. He passed away in 1991, his wife passing later in 2006, with both buried at Riverside National Cemetery. There is no evidence they had children.
After finding the article, a search on eBay led to this photo of Hurshal:
Here’s the article:
1958 Service Bulletin For Wagon Side-Panel Heater
Mike shared an interesting document. This January 5, 1958, Service Bulletin discusses a wagon side-panel heater installation.
March 1958 Parkway Conversion Documents
Mike shared these Parkway Conversion documents from March of 1958. This first sheet contains text and an image that is separated and shown below:
Sheet 2:
1950 CJ-3A Tune Up/Wiring Diagram on eBay
This is supposed to be an original document.
View all the information on ebay
“1950 Original Willys Four Universal CJ-3A Tune Up chart by AEA, (Not a Reproduction). Both sides are shown in the photographs. The photos are of the exact item you will receive Measures 8.5 x 11 inches, two-sided single sheet.”
Wrecked Jeep Photos (2 With Wood Bodies)
These photos appeared on Facebook, though some have made the rounds over the years. The pics that really caught my eye were the wooden test body pics. Kaiser Willys has some history and more pics on these wood-bodied test jeeps: https://blog.kaiserwillys.com/the-wooden-willys-jeep-test.
The remainder of the wrecked jeeps:
1945 Photo Dozer Pulling Jeeps in Luzon on eBay
Note the jeep in the front. It looks like the front clip is sitting sideways. Maybe these were pulled because they didn’t work? Contrary to what the caption indicates, the water doesn’t look too deep for the jeeps.
View all the information on on ebay
This photo appeared in the January 31, 1945, issue of the Evening Sun out of Baltimore, Maryland. It was accompanied by a jeep-train photo also.
Photo of “Taking Kathie Home” Jeep on eBay
I am wondering if this was originally named “Kathie”, but then the solider got permission to bring the jeep home? The photo is dated 11/21/1945, so it is post-war.
View all the information on eBay
“This photo belonged to Lt. Robert J. Dobuski – Serial #33052063. He was with the 3482nd Ordnance MAM Company. WWII US GI Photo – Street View Of 3482nd Ordnance Jeep “Taking Kathie Home” – The photograph measures Roughly 3 1/4″ x 4 1/2″.
Canadian Jeep Ads or Ads w/Jeeps on eBay
1950? Comic: The Story of the Universal Jeep on eBay
Bidding starts at $15. This is listed as a 1950 creation, but I would think it was published earlier than that. Given it includes a truck, but no CJ-3A, I’d say more like 1948? I’ll have to verify with my copy.
View all the information on eBay
“THE STORY OF THE UNIVERSAL JEEP – PROMOTIONAL COMIC
PUBLISHED BY WILLYS – OVERLAND, CREATOR OF THE JEEP
JEEP UNIVERSAL WAS A NAME USED BY WILLYS FOR ITS 1/4 TON CJ UTILITY VEHICLES
BACK COVER HAS AN AD FOR THE UNIVERSAL JEEP AND JEEP TRUCKS
16 PAGES, FULL COLOR, STANDARD COMIC SIZE”
1957 Photo of M-38A1; Merry Christmas!
This old Christmas photo featuring a decorated M-38A1 and trailer is for sale on eBay. It’s a pretty faded photo, but just seemed perfect for this year’ s pandemic Christmas … things are just a bit off this year!
View all the information on ebay
“Vintage 1957 Christmas Photograph Santa Merry Christmas Jeep Reindeer Funny.”
Jeeps For Georgie
Bill shared this story about a 1000 jeeps and drivers in Martinsburg, West Virginia, giving a young cancer patient home for Christmas a parade to remember. The event was called “Jeeps for Georgie”. Read more here:
Neil Young & His 1951 Jeepster
UPDATE: Mark found this photo which seems like it could have been taken at the same time the video was shot: https://www.morrisonhotelgallery.com/photographs/T9XmZX/Neil-Young-Broken-Arrow-Ranch-1971
Mike spotted this video of Neil Young driving his 1951 Jeepster. Unfortunately, I cannot embed the video, so a screenshot will have to make do. You can see the video snippet of the Jeepster at the start of a video with Neil Young playing “Old Man”. It appears the old man rancher that inspired the song can also be seen.
I believe this is the same Jeepster that Vernon (and his aliases) have mentioned over the years. Neil’s Jeepster has the Lightning (inline 6) engine. It also has the JEEP brass tag and a 673 has the emblem, plug Vernon’s overdrive solenoid.
Per Vernon, “noted rock star NEIL YOUNG opted for the 51 — in 69 he drove it from LA to his new ranch in LA HONDA , guitars in the back , gold records , the TURTLES drummer JOHNNY BARBATA rode shotgun — he had to get out of LA and hide in the wilderness , people were picking him apart”
… and …
“NEIL YOUNG wont drive his fossil fueled classic cars anymore — he’s went utterly , completely GREEN ( listen to his GREENDALE album ) — his 1951 WILLYS OVERLAND JEEPSTER PHAETON is now a ” museum piece ” gathering dust”.
Willys MA Photo on eBay
Here’s a photo of a Willys MA in action.
“Offered is an original WWII time period photograph. It belonged Lt. Salvador Joseph Cuttitta who was enlisted with the 6th Armored Infantry and trained with 1st Armored Division. He was then transferred to serve with the 5th Armored Division. There is some tape on the corners as seen. Picture measures approximately 3 1/4″ x 4 1/2″ inches.”
Customized WWII Jeep
This photo is part of a collection of photos of the 333rd Engineers. No date is given. It looks like this jeep was nicely updated until a wreck or something else caused damage.
1946 Ralph McGill Column: Jeep Jockey in Germany
I’d be very interested to know if the driver’s kidney issues improved once he his jeep driving days in the military were over. This article appeared in the February 21, 1946, issue of the Atlanta Constitution.
1942 Santa w/ Kids in a jeep
This 1944 newspaper photo of Santa in a jeep shows a military jeep with a taller-than-normal windshield, almost 2A like. This was published in the December 28, 1942, in the Bull Horn out of Norman, Oklahoma.
1947 Press Photo of Japanese Kids in Toy Jeeps on eBay
This press photo was taken March 30, 1947, at a Japanese department story where kids got to test out riding jeeps from a Japanese manufacturer who added “Kiroy was Here” to the dash. I don’t think these models of riding jeeps have been documented.
View all the information on ebay
“1947 Press Photo Children playing with toy jeeps at a department store in Japan. This is an original press photo. Japan (General). Japanese children, visiting a Tokyo department store, try out toy jeeps bearing the slogan “Kilroy was here,” placed on them by the Japanese manufacturer.Photo measures 7 x 8.75inches. Photo is dated 3-30-1947. ”
I was able to locate a corresponding photo in a newspaper. This one appeared in the March 31, 1947, issue of the Des Moines Tribune out of Iowa:
November 1946 Carl’s Motor Co. Dealer Ad
This looks like it may have been a full-page ad for Carl’s Motor company, despite the news stories sprinkled within. Note the photo of Bob Hope in a CJ-2A that seems to be promoting Carl’s Motors (I wonder if Bob Hope knew it).
1946 Photo of Jeep Supplying Rural WV Schools
As of December 1946, Wyoming County Schools in West Virginia still had 52 one-room schools attended by 1200 students. To serve and maintain those schools throughout the year, the county purchased a CJ-2A.
More details about the rural schools in this article from the December 27, 1946, issue of the Beckley Post Herald out of West Virginia.
DJ-3A Gala in Ride the Wild Surf
Roger Martin pointed me to a Facebook photo from the 1964 movie Ride the Wild Surf. Pictured is Shelley Fabares (who had a higher billing than her female co-star) and Barbara Eden. The beach party movie also starred Fabian and a DJ-3A Gala.
This is a video clip from the beach scene:
Here’s another short video clip of a Gala in the movie:
Philadelphia’s Road Patrol Service
This article in the June 28, 1948, issue of Newsweek covers how the Keystone Automobile Club’s three jeeps were transformed into mobile video units for the 1948 Republican and Democratic Conventions that were being held in Philadelphia.
Six months earlier in January, the same jeeps had been setup with radios to help manage road patrol issues (multiple news articles mentioned this), so adding television service expanded, albeit temporarily, the capabilities of the jeeps.
Last year we saw a different pic of one of the jeeps that is housed in Philadlephia’s free library:
1972 The Salzburg Connection Jeep Scene
Bill spotted a scene with a jeep in the 1972 movie The Salzburg Connection (it might appear other places, as I didn’t have a chance to watch it). You can see the jeep scene between 41:45 and 42:35. It looks to be an MB.
By the end of the scene, the driver is deliriously (Psychotically?) happy. Maybe he was just really happy to be driving a jeep?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7RyQw1g8fU
Here’s a photo that was posted to the IMCDB site: