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Seeps: These Sea Jeeps Get Ready to Serve

January 19, 2010 • CATEGORIES: Features, GPA (SEEP), Library Collections, War Images, Women & Jeeps • TAGS: . This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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Paul (of stainless M-38 friend) told me a couple days ago that he has a friend (whom he calls Crazy Ralphie) who has been restoring a GPA.  He’s promised to provide us with some pics once the Alaska winter subsides a bit.  In the meantime, here are some SEEP images I found at the Library of Congress.  I have seen a few of these in books, but none as crisp as below.

Ice is no barrier to this prototype Ford-built amphibian car. According to Mark Askew in his book Rare WW2 Photo Archive 1940 – 1945 which shows this image and other prototypes of the SEEP, this photo was taken in February 1941 near the Ford Plant in Dearborn, Mi.   Library of Congress

After breaking through the shore ice, the Ford-built amphibian car makes its way through ice floes and water at a good speed.  Library of Congress

The Ford-built amphibian car can handle itself on rough ground. This picture shows a test driver putting one of them through its paces.  Mark also features this image in his book.  Library of Congress

Here’s a photo of tests on the Rogue River near the Ford Plant.  Library of Congress

Here’s another shot from the Rogue River. Library of Congress

Below is a production SEEP.   Note the ribs on the side. I believe this photo is from maneuvers held in the Detroit area, when soldiers from Fort Wayne in full combat dress manned the machines Library of Congress

The picture below shows maneuvers held in the Detroit area, when soldiers from Fort Wayne in full combat dress manned the machines. Library of Congress

The two photos below were taken by Arthur Siegel.  During WWII he worked for the Office of War Information (OWI).  These two were taken in April of 1943.  Library of Congress

Library of Congress

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Artist and Army Captain Ed Reep

January 18, 2010 • CATEGORIES: Artists/Drawings, Features, War Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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Another artist featured in the PBS series They Drew Fire, Combat Artists of World War II, Ed Reep, captured this scene.  While he tries to paint the image colorfully, there’s no doubt, based on his description, that his subject had an unimaginably colorful character.  After ending the war as an Army Captain, Ed would go on to teach at the Art Center College at East Carolina University and the California Institute of the Arts.

Ed writes, “There was a fellow who hauled a bathtub out of Notuno, and filled it with water, and then he punched a hole in the gas tank and lit it. The painting was nutty. That’s all there was to it. How in the world could this man be smiling on a beach-head where shell fire would come all the time, constantly?”  You can see this painting on PBS’s Website. This painting is currently located at the U.S. Army Center for Military History in Washington, D.C.

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Newspaper Articles from 1945 introducing the Jeep

January 18, 2010 • CATEGORIES: Features, Old News Articles This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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UPDATE: The links to the PDFs are fixed.

Among the digitized items Bruce has sent me comes these articles.  In this one, from the Hammond Times, July 23, 1945, Willys Overland introduces the new Post-War Jeep.  What’s interesting is that it’s neither an “ad” nor is it really an article.  You can view the entire PDF here.

Even more interesting was the pricing decision.  These new Willys would cost $1000, a price not set by Willys Overland, but instead by the Office of Price Administration (OPA).  This information comes from a July 31, 1945 article, in the Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Indiana. Here’s the full PDF and an excerpt below.

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Food, Jeeps, GIs and Photos

January 17, 2010 • CATEGORIES: Features, Library Collections, War Images • TAGS: . This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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UPDATE: Here is an updated link to Denver’s collection of Bingham’s pics.

Photographer Roy O. Bingham followed the 10th Mountain Division through at least part of Italy during World War II.  I searched for some information on Bingham and though I found photos, I haven’t found any biography information yet.

During World War II, the 10th Mountain Division trained in Colorado in anticipation of fighting in the Italian Alps.

The following photo was snapped by Bingham and the 2nd is of Bingham himself.

Roy O Bingham.  Library of Congress

This photo was taken by Richard A. Rocker, who was also a photographer with the 10th Mountain Division.   You can see a variety of his pics at the Denver Library’s online collection of Western History and Genealogy,

The soldiers in this photo were likely parked amongst the rubble of a shelled town called Pietra Colora.  According to the photographer, they are listening to the sound of German artillery falling nearby and preparing to take cover if the rounds start falling closer.

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Some Drawings by Howard Brodie

January 16, 2010 • CATEGORIES: Artists/Drawings, Features, War Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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Thanks to Robert for providing me a good link into the Library of Congress for these and many other pics to be displayed later.

By all accounts a life long artist, Howard Brodie has captured sports figures, war events, legal battles and more with his drawing talents.  He sketched his way through several wars, from World War II in Guadacanal, the Battle of the Bulge and more, to Korea, French Indochina, and Vietnam.  As best I can tell, he is still alive and, hopefully, drawing at his home in San Miguel, California.  He is currently being featured by PBS as part of a series called They Drew Fire, Combat Artists of World War II.

In this sketch, American soldiers in a jeep travel down the road to Kokumbona on Guadalcanal island, past abandoned Japanese field pieces during the World War II Battle of Guadalcanal.  Library of Congress.

In this sketch, soldiers are taking a “K.I.A.” down a jeep trail from Mt. Aestin Guadalcanal. Library of Congress

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Roberto Flores, Illustrator Extraordinaire

January 15, 2010 • CATEGORIES: Artists/Drawings, Comics, Features • TAGS: . This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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If you are a regular reader of the CJ-3B page, you have likely seen Roberto’s drawings and maybe saw his CJ-3B, too.  At CJ-3A.com you’ll see his work at the top left.  If you haven’t, I’ve add a few images of his drawings and his jeeps below for your enjoyment.  You can find Roberto in a variety of places on the internet, including his own website, his blog, another blog and online store.  He lives in Spain, but I think is recognized, at least by old school Willys lovers, world-wide.  Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work!

Here’s some pics of Roberto’s CJ-3B and I believe that’s his CJ-3A (I didn’t get any info on that)?

Here are some of Roberto’s drawings.

The first is a comic for “4×4 Story Magazine Spécial Jeep” issue 26, Mai-Juin 2009.  It is a French bimonthly magazine, based on the adventures of collectors and restorers of jeeps. Original size, 21 cms. x 14,8 cms.

This is a commissioned drawing ordered cartoon for a French customer, over cardboard. The characters which appear on this are the customer, driving his Willys jeep “Follow Me”, from WW2. He´s accompanied by his wife and son.  Acrylics over carboard. Dimmenssions: 42 x 29.7 cms.

This is a logo drawn for a page on jeep Willys MB/Ford GPW of World War II. Pencil and computer on paper.

Here’s a full list of links:

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Rusting Jeeps in Okinawa, Japan, and Puson, Korea

January 13, 2010 • CATEGORIES: Features, GPW (Ford MB), MB, Old Images, Website This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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UPDATE: I added this post in January of last year with just the single image (the first one below).  Today, David pointed me to the Tahiti-pacifique.com website that has a few more images, which follow the first image.  You can learn more about these pics at that site.

(01/31/09) Robert pointed me to a collection of Life Magazine photos of old jeeps hosted at Google.  Click on the photo and then click on it again to see all kinds of details.

jeeps_rusting_okinawa_japan

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Argosy

January 13, 2010 • CATEGORIES: Features, Magazine This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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Published in the U.S. for 96 years, under a few different names, Argosy was a sometimes weekly, sometimes monthly Men’s literary magazine with topics and purposes that varied over its existence.  Always literary, sometimes totally fiction and sometimes part fiction, part fact and, near the end, soft porn.  I’ve never personally read the magazine, but Bob found the issue with the cover below and  forwarded me the link to the image shown below.  Wikipedia notes that at one point, Argosy was associated with “the men’s adventure pulp genre of “true” stories of conflict with wild animals or wartime combat”.  In the case of the issue below, I think it managed to combine ‘wartime’, ‘conflict’ and ‘wild animals’.

 

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Images from the Mid East?

January 12, 2010 • CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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I think at least some of these images are from Israel?  If not, I believe they are from that general area.

The first one might be the newest.  I’m not sure if the grilles and fenders are armored or not, but most certainly appear heavy duty.

Note how thin and tall the tires are on this jeep.

Now, that seat below can’t be comfortable for long drives!

In the two pics below, the people look like they are from ‘Rat Patrol, The Reality Series’.  I think either the jeep in this first pic is a 1948 or the image was taken in 1948?

 

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Chris’ DJ-3A

January 12, 2010 • CATEGORIES: Builds, DJ-3A, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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Searching for something else, I discovered Chris Kelley’s blog and his new Willys: a 1956 DJ-3A with 4wd.  I’ve seen enough DJ-3As with 4wd that I asked Bruce if he knew whether any DJ-3As came with a 4wd package, but to the best of his knowledge (which is the best I know of) he said there was no 4wd option of which he was aware.

Chris writes on his website about new purchase (sept 7 09) “Yep, you’re looking at a 1956 (sort of) CJ3a (sort of) Willy’s Overland Jeep (completely!).  Its sort of a 56 since that’s what the tub plate says.  Its also only sort of a CJ3A since the tub plate also says its a DJ3a, which was a 2 wheel drive version made for the postal service and other delivery trucks.  However, my best guess is that someone replaced the original tub with the one it has now, since this does have 4WD.”

It’s a good looking jeep, though there’s a small ding in the passenger rear, and here some pics from his site:

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