Advice on Candians in Jeeps WWII

[Junkie]

Me again.

I'd like to build a small diorama for my brother and need some information.

My grandfather served in WWII. I think he was a Ranger. Stationed in Labrador (Canada) and then went on to fight in Europe. He rarely spoke of the war but we did hear the odd story...PG13'd for us young kids.

He told us that one day they were advancing up a hill...and heard a loud sound coming up the opposite side of the hill...they thought it was the enemy but when they reached the top it was a herd of horses.

Mac, that was his name, died several years ago but we were told he fired a big gun in the back of a Jeep. I'd like to try a dio of a jeep with a big gun, some horses etc.... and give it to my brother. Sentimental and all that.

So....short story turned long: Canadians....what Jeep? What gun? I can only expect to be as accurate as the story. LOL.

Thanks guys.

 

[Junkie]

Found this:


Could this be it? What about a figure kit to go with it? And Canadian markings?

 

[ScaleModelMadman]

No that wasn't in WWII. That's like Korea...

There are other options though but I'd need to know a bit more like maybe front and year.

 

[spud]

yould be looking for a Willys jeep ild recon. also this might be helpfull, inky

 

[ScaleModelMadman]

Well more specifically he's looking for one that mounted a big gun.

It could easily be Dodge WC55 M6, as to many that looks like "a jeep"

Like I mentioned, I'd need more info to try and narrow it down.

 

[spud]

looks more like a beep than a jeep. ???

 

[ScaleModelMadman]

Maybe to you, but to an 80 year old vet recounting a 60 year old story... :

 

[Junkie]

I'm thinking France somewhere...we really didn't get much info.

I think he was in Holland too????? He didn't talk about it much at all.

He told us he never shot anyone...and I choose to believe him. He was a good guy. Real good guy.

 

[ScaleModelMadman]

Well I've been looking around the Maple Leaf Up forum and much of what I read only reinforces what I said, it' was more than likely a Dodge WC55 M6 if it had a 'big gun'. Unless he was refering to a .50 Cal machine gun, it probably wasn't a Willys. They didn't mount 'big guns' on those very often.

Soldiers didn't call often their tanks Shermans, it wasn't hollywood, they were usually M4's etc. and most things with tires and four wheel drive were 'jeeps' and I have more than one WWII half track photo were the soldiers handwriting on the back says they are posing with their 'truck'.

Most of the names we use are post war...

 

[Junkie]

U DA MAN. Thanks. I can accept that as the truth.

So....what about a kit in 1/35 with figures? Any ideas? I just did a quick eBay and came up with nothing in that scale.

 

[schweinhund227]

Scott! Talk to your Familly and try to find out if any have old records or discharge certificates from the Army in their possession? Left overs from the Estate? Some brothers or sisters do keep stuff like that in their attic !

Maybe the military service records "archives" could prove useful ?

Finding out more about his home unit and the characteristics of it could lead you to find more info about
The equipment they were sporting! Truck, half-tracks, jeeps, Bleeps WC55 and so forth!

Since it is connected to a real person.... You can't just slap some letters and numbers on it!
It has to match somehow? At least with his Old unit while OverSeas!


tamiya Willys keep or AFV Club WC weapon carrier?

Best of Luck with the project! Very noble of you!

 

[ScaleModelMadman]

So....what about a kit in 1/35 with figures? Any ideas? I just did a quick eBay and came up with nothing in that scale.

Figures could be made from British/Commonwealth figures with a little work I'd assume as they should be similar enough...

for the kit, the AFV reboxing of the Skybow kit (or the Skybow kit itself if you find one) would be the base kit in plastic but the gun is only available in resin, then you'd have to scratch the mount and shield from styrene.

That all depends if it is in fact a WC55 M6, which would be odd in France/Holland as they were found to be pretty wimpy in Africa/Italy etc. but that's your only option for that vehicle. I would try and find out a few things before diving into such a project...

*or maybe just build a jeep with a .50 cal in Canadian markings because that's a pretty 'big gun'




[attachment deleted by admin]

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

If you can find the kit, this is what you are looking for

Kit is long out of production, and is just a reboxing of the Italeri kit, which in itself was a reboxing of the Peerless/Max kit

None in production, but I am sure enough from any of the companies can be found on Ebay.

The M6 was basically a Dodge WC55 with the Anti-tank 37mm mounted on the back.

 

[panzerace007]

On a different note .... I've seen these horses over @ Colorado Miniatures there are some that are totally bare & some , from Douglas Miniatures, that only have th bridal & would be an easy fix to remove. The totally bare ones are from Pegasso & such, towards th bottom.

http://www.coloradominiatures.com/search.aspx?find=Horses

http://www.coloradominiatures.com/DO-35A06.aspx

http://www.coloradominiatures.com/PM-NH75001.aspx

I saw this set from Zvedzda , I'm not sure how much of the bridle & Tac is molded on ??

- http://www.importhobby.com/sku85341_zvezda_3579_1_35_soviet_cossacks_wwii_4_soldiers_w

I do agree in saying , try to find out as much as you can, Unit etc. Some one may have a few pix from th Theatre & you may just find one of Him posing in front of his "Jeep" & see exactly what "Big Gun" He is referring to. Once you find out th Unit , th rest will take care of it's self !!

just My $.02(USD)

I'm lookin' forward to th concept !

 

[Beobachtungsbereich]

Big gun could have also been a Bren gun. Even Canadian Armour had them mounted.

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/faces/001048-119.01-e.php?&mikan_nbr=3599666&&PHPSESSID=msou56mrh93qoviqqavs023t31

Not too many Canadian units had large guns on the back of them, such as anti tank guns, IIRC.

Scott, if you knew what unit he was with you could really do some research.

Actually, you can apply to get a copy of his service files if you were interested.

Regards

 

[Junkie]

OK, a bit more info came to the surface...but not tons. I just talked to my Dad and my brother....Mom was out but I expect to get more info from her..it's her father.

So. He was 17, lied about his age. Was part of the NB Rangers. Travelled to Holland, late war, on the Queen Mary. My brother remembers nothing about "a hill and horses' but does recall 'Bren Gun' and stories about Buzz Bombs. There was a story that schrapnel hit a book in this chest pocket. That sounds really cliché but that's what Mac told him.

I hope to get more info soon.

 

[ScaleModelMadman]

Cool, he probably road in a jeep with a mounted Bren, do some digging on the NB Rangers in the ETO. ;D

We need to keep in mind that he was a 17 year old kid, probably away from home for the first time, eating crappy food from cardboard boxes, sleeping in his clothes, wearing his boots for days on end, traveling in a foreign country where people were trying to kill him.

I highly doubt any 17 year old kid in that situation would be too concerned as to what the technical name of his vehicle was, let alone recall it sixty years after the fact.

 

[Junkie]

Why would I find anything about the Rangers in the Energy Trust of Oregon?

 

[ScaleModelMadman]

Don't be silly, I clearly meant Extended Trochanteric Osteotomy.

 

[Junkie]

LOL. Now I'm totally confused.

Really, what is ETO?