Willys Jeep

Discussion in 'Weapons, Technology & Equipment' started by Kieron Hill, Feb 3, 2009.

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  1. Kieron Hill

    Kieron Hill Senior Member

    I have got to say that this is the vehicle
    that must appear in the majority of WW2 films
    and one that I am very fond of, if I was to
    win the lottery I think I'd buy myself one.
    Eisenhower had apparently said that the
    Willys Jeep was one of the things that had
    contributed to winning WW2. It was used by
    every branch of the armed services and I
    have read somewhere that the Russians
    had them from the Americans on lend lease,
    they were even used years after the war
    and I am sure that they were made under
    licence by someone.

    Some pictures of the Willys in North Africa,
    Italy and Northern Europe...enjoy!
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Old Hickory Recon

    My father had two when I was a young boy. They were early fifities models and were built like a tank. I loved riding in them, they would go anywhere. He let a man in town talk him into selling them and he has regretted ever since.
     
  3. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  4. vista52

    vista52 Member

    They were made by Willys and Ford during the war. Later, Hotchkiss of France made a copy.

    Here's a site you may like. Tells you everything you would ever want to know about the Military Jeep.

    G503.com Message Forums :: Index
     
  5. Kieron Hill

    Kieron Hill Senior Member

    That looks nice Drew...very tempting I think
    I'd have to sell the wife and kids first...any
    takers?? :D
     
  6. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    There are companies out there that can build you an entire 'new' wartime jeep with original NOS parts of the period, the prices aren't that far from buying an original jeep either; quite tempting over 60 years of potential abuse in a 'real' one if you intended using it on a day-to-day basis, particularly as genuine wartime vehicles get more and more expensive.
    Seem to recall Jeeparts or another company usually has a few on display at Beltring and they look very good.
     
  7. vista52

    vista52 Member

    Here's a nice photo of a Ford-made Jeep
     

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  8. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Ah..... the Jeep

    My favourite vehicle bar none.

    I went to my diaries, keyed in "Jeep" and immediately found the following entries:

    Tuesday 15th. August 1944
    RHQ runner in morning, in afternoon was told to pack my small
    gear on to jeep. I'm to drive Major Mouland about while he is in transit with Div.advance party. Out at night.

    Wednesday 16th. August 1944
    My 21st Birthday. To & from camp in the morning collecting mail
    for advance party. Trouble with jeep. At 7.30 pm drove Major
    Mouland & Mr.Bark to Alexandria. Went to the Jewish Club for supper.
    Drove back at 10pm.

    Thursday 17th. August 1944
    Quite a bit of running about in the jeep. Took Mouland to the firing
    point & from there back to camp for dinner. In evening took a jeep
    load of boys to flicks at Camels Head at Amiryah.

    Friday 18th. August 1944
    Advance party left at midday & I brought back the jeep. All dressed
    & ready for afternoon in Alexandria but it was cancelled for a
    wireless scheme. 'Show' in evening.

    To amplify .

    We had been taken out of the line in Italy and the Div was packed off to Egypt for a month to re-form, re-equip and have a much needed rest.

    As we were out of the line, I was able to get off the wireless for a whole month, but instead found myself roped in as a jeep driver to the C.O., one Major Mouland. This was fun, and I was able to dash about the desert between Alexandria and Cairo at speeds of over a hundred miles per hour with the windscreen down to get the maximum cooling effect.
     
  9. Kieron Hill

    Kieron Hill Senior Member

    Ron I am glad to have rekindled some
    fond memories and thanks for sharing
    your wartime experiences.
     
  10. Jakob Kjaersgaard

    Jakob Kjaersgaard Senior Member

    That is one fine piece of machinery indeed! After visiting Normandy I was set on buying one when returning home. Reality however got in the way! But someday... :)

    Jakob
     
  11. Kieron Hill

    Kieron Hill Senior Member

    Well I won the lottery! and I said I'd buy one and
    buy one I have and I even have change...£9.00 ;)

    Corgi Willys Jeep

    [​IMG]
     
  12. Jakob Kjaersgaard

    Jakob Kjaersgaard Senior Member

    Nice one you've purchased there! Shouldn't be that expensive in spare parts either! :D

    Jakob
     
  13. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    We have exactly the same marque & model!
    Though I'm now concerned some counterfieting's going on as mine has the same number too, curse these dodgy vehicle salesmen.
     
  14. Kieron Hill

    Kieron Hill Senior Member

    Von there is something really strange going on I am
    sure :D. He was a good saleman because he also
    stung me for buy one get one free :D. Please dont
    tell me you have the same one and its the same reg
    also?

    Corgi Kubelwagen

    [​IMG]
     
  15. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Kieron,

    Not much of a salesman to sell you vehicles caked in grime! :D

    Nice models all the same.

    Regards
    Tom
     
  16. Passchendaele_Baby

    Passchendaele_Baby Grandads Little Girl

    Good luck with the lottery, wife and kids!
    hm, might get dad into one...
    think it'll be helpful in the mine?
     
  17. MyOldDad

    MyOldDad Senior Member

    von Poop likes this.
  18. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    ARMY JEEP IN A CRATE FOR $50
    That one'll run & run Tom, hope springs eternal!

    Love that shot of the stacked up Jeeps and Seeps on there, don't think it was present last time I looked... model that!
     
  19. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    I've written before about my brief love affair with the Willys Jeep but another strong memory comes to mind about the Jeep's value to various Armies, during and after WW2.

    My last year overseas was spent at Opicina near Trieste and right on the Jugoslav border.

    In the evenings, if we didn’t want to go into Trieste itself ,we would use one of the local bars which had a mixed clientele of civilians and British servicemen.

    One night I was in the bar with a few friends and got drawn into a conversation between them and two civilians who were sharing our table, during which it became fairly obvious we were being propositioned as to our willingness to sell any Army goods.

    To my annoyance, someone revealed to the civvies that I was a Tech Corporal of a Tank Squadron and, as such, was involved in the control of vehicles and spares.

    The attention of the civvies immediately switched to me and I was bluntly asked if I could supply any vehicle parts and particularly Jeep parts.

    I was happy to point out that I was a devout coward who valued my Army position far too much to be involved in any such shenanigans and, even more importantly for me, was just about to go home after nearly four years overseas service.

    I was, however, sufficiently intrigued to want to know who these gentlemen were and in minutes they openly admitted that they were with the Jugoslav Forces and were desperately looking for Jeep parts, as the British had stopped supplying them.

    When one of them said they were in the market for an actual working Jeep I openly laughed and said "Even if someone was prepared to sell you a Jeep you would never be able to get it over the border because of all the road blocks"

    He laughed back at me and said " The Jeep would be driven just round the corner, stripped down to its smallest parts and literally carried over the hill to the other side where it would be re-assembled and driven away!"

    I believed him then and I believe him now and this was confirmed to me a few years back, when on TV I saw something to do with a military tattoo during which competing teams raced to break down Jeeps in record times.

    Did anyone else see this video ?

    Ron
     
  20. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Just watching the Ice Hockey from Vancouver & decided to Google Zamboni as I wondered how it worked.
    Interestingly the first Zamboni used a Jeep to base his invention on..
    The Zamboni® Story-diagram on here
    The Zamboni® Story-photo on here

    more pics here.
    Jeeps on Ice on The CJ3B Page

    http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:3Z7v0OK1JZT0bM:http://www.film.queensu.ca/CJ3b/Photos/Finds/Zamboni/ZamboniModelC1952.JPG

    http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:hNX1RKNRNwnkyM:http://www.film.queensu.ca/CJ3b/Photos/Finds/Zamboni/ZamboniHoliday.jpg
     

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