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Brendan’s This-old-jeep.com

• CATEGORIES: Features, Website This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

In 2009 Brendan launched this-old-jeep.com.  His goal is to capture old jeeps pics, stories or both so that they don’t get lost.  He was spurred on by a post on G503.  In the post someone mentioned what a shame it was that a lot of photo albums were being torn apart and the photos were then separated, identities lost and a piece of history was erased.

Brendan decided he wanted to change that.  He decided to start placing photos he would purchase on ebay online. He feels it is a small drop in the ocean, but if he can gather enough, he’d like to think that he could put together some of th0se histories.

He’s still organizing and gathering information, so stop by and check out what he’s doing.

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Jeeps in Production

• CATEGORIES: Features, Library Collections, War Images • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Here are 3 images taken by Alfred Palmer in December of 1941.  These three photographs were taken at the Toledo Willys Plant. There are other images that show the machines used to manufacture parts, but I didn’t really find them very interesting.

Library of Congress Link for the below photo

Library of Congress link for the below photo


Library of Congress link for the below photo

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Australian Troops in New Guinea

• CATEGORIES: Features, Library Collections, War Images • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Here some pics of Australian Troops during WWII from the Library of Congress.

Taken in March, 1943, In New Guinea.  This Willys serves as an ambulance for Australian troops in New Guinea. Library of Congress

Here’s some troops navigating through some muck. This convoy is carrying military chiefs and cabinet ministers on a visit to battle areas in New Guinea. Air Vice-Marshall G. Jones is shown in the leading vehicle during the tour of the convoy.  Library of Congress

This image might not be Australian Troops, but it is supposed to be taken in October of 1942 in Australia.  Library of Congress.

Soldiers, wounded in the fighting in New Guniea, are carried to a base.  Library of Congress.

This was taken in March of 1943.  Australian troops and supplies go to the front line at Buna.  Library of Congress.

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Reason #63 for a trip to Italy

• CATEGORIES: Features, Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles, Museums, Old Images, Website This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Some of the folks over at the ww2talk.com website had a discussion regarding the Museo Storico Piana delle Orme – Latina (Italy).    The museum describes itself as a “historical theme park designed to accommodate one of the largest and most diverse collections in the world: planes, tanks, locomotives, wagons, radio, weapons and hundreds of military vehicles, agricultural tractors, threshers, trams and coaches, tools and thousands of objects of all types and sizes. Dedicated to the twentieth century, the Museum is a journey through 50 years of Italian history. 14 themed to tell the traditions and culture of the peasant, the great works of improvement, the Second World War but also to show the vehicles and means at the dawn of industrialization and great toys with which children entertained themselves.

For the purposes of ewillys, the highlight of the trip might just be the opportunity to check out these two modified flatties a little closer (ok, hopefully we could find many more highlights as well!)

In the foreground, we have a MB that has been converted into a tow truck.  Behind, and to the left, is a jeep with a water tank(?) on the back of it.  Maybe a water transporter?  This photo was taken by “Captain Bill”.

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Anyone know anything about these trucks?

• CATEGORIES: CJ-2A, Features, Old Images, Willys Trucks • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Doing some research on Warn hubs this morning, I ran across this image on Warn’s corporate website.  This may very well be  the original Warn Motor’s Service station in Seattle, Washington, where Arthur Warn developed his early ‘Summer Hubs’ as Mike refers to them.  Note the signs atop the roof, “Jeeps”  and “Warn Motors”.

If there were just one of these trucks, i would call it a custom one-off project.  However, two of these suggest to me this was a kit of some kind?  It kind of looks like the prototype for the Willys we have named a Tender.

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Robison’s Typewriter and Cash Register Repair

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images, Willys Wagons This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I wish I had found a complete picture of this truck from Camden, NJ, but it appears we’ll have to make due with a partial image.  I think that’s supposed to be a wooden typewriter on top. Here’s the original link.

“Sitting on the wall are Mr. Robison’s nephews and niece, Tony, Annamarie and Joe Di Paola Jr.  
In the background, parked on the Haddon Avenue side of 964 Pine Street is the Willys truck belonging to Robison’s Typewriter and Cash Register Repair.”

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Coast Guard Anti-Saboteur Patrol

• CATEGORIES: Features, Library Collections, War Images • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I haven’t seen too many Coast Guard Willys Pics.  According to the Library of Congress, here’s one from April 1943.

The Library of Congress’ caption to this photo is:  Coast Guard anti-saboteur patrol. Vital cargoes of war supplies for America’s far-flung battle lines must also be protected on the docks and piers from enemy attempts at sabotage. The Coast Guard now uses jeeps with armed Coast Guardsmen maintaining vigilant waterfront patrols.

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The MB Chapel

• CATEGORIES: Features, Library Collections, MB, Old Images, War Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I’ve seen a few pics that show the jeep as a temporary place for worship.  This is another image from Roy O. Bingham.  The Library of Congress reports that in this pic, “Members of the Tenth Mountain Division, 605th Artillery Battalion, attend a Protestant Easter religious service at Rocca Pitigliano, Italy, conducted by Chaplain William H. Bell. In the foreground, four men bow their heads together. Corporal Ralph Squires sits at a portable organ and two soldiers face the Chaplain who stands in front of his jeep draped with a white cloth in use as an altar for a small crucifix.”

Library of Congress

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