Closed-cab, CCKW 353's in Korea

[Pete57]

Hi,

 

I'm looking for pictures of closed-cab CCKW 353's during the Korean War.

 

Can someone help?

 

T.i.a.

 

Pete57

[John Tapsell]

Whilst I'm sure there were some there, the vast majority of GMCs in use by the 1950s were the later, open-cab versions. The closed cab GMC was the earlier production variant if I remember correctly. I've not come across any photos that I'd be confident were taken in Korea. The US Army were starting to replace the CCKW series with the M135/M211 in the early 1950s and you do come across photos of those later in the Korean war (typically with single rear wheels rather than duals) - but those were all soft-tops.

[Pete57]

One can be seen being towed by a closed-cab CCKW-352 at minute 2:50 of this youtube video.

 

Unfortunately, it's too blurred to read the registration and bumper codes...

Edited February 26, 2023 by Pete57

[John Tapsell]

9 hours ago, Pete57 said:

One can be seen being towed by a closed-cab CCKW-352 at minute 2:50 of this youtube video.

 

Unfortunately, it's too blurred to read the registration and bumper codes...

There's no obvious context to that brief clip that would place it in Korea. It might be but equally it could have been filmed somewhere else entirely and at a different time.

 

It is often the case that documentary makers use generic clips that are not related to the conflict they are describing. Before the clip you identify, the narrator talks about the M35 truck whilst the film footage shows M135/M211 trucks and just after the clip you highlight, she talks about WC54 trucks whilst the film footage is clearly showing a completely different type of bull-nosed truck. I go back to my original post - "I've not come across any photos that I'd be confident were taken in Korea."

[Pete57]

Hi John,

 

I agree with you.

 

I wanted to build the Academy 1/72 kit as a KW vehicle.

 

Guess I'll have to try to fit the Heller's cab into the Academy's frame.

 

Thanks anyway.

[sandsmodels]

i have just watched a y/tube video on the swiss panzers and there is a pic used showing a korean period cent with a closed cab swb gmc towing a 105mm gun, it looks to me like korea as the cent has a white star on it.

[Pete57]

Hi sandsmodels, do you have a link to the video?

[sandsmodels]

12 hours ago, Pete57 said:

Hi sandsmodels, do you have a link to the video?

found it, about 2.08 in

 

 

[Pete57]

Thank you, sir! Indeed the roadblock with a Centurion tank and the houses in the background suggest the Korean War

[modelldoc]

You are right.

You can find these picture in "Tank warfare in Korea by Steven Zaloga and George Balin, Concord Publishing Comapny 1994 on page 47. 

But there is a cut next to the left person in front of the tank, so there is no CCKW seen.

The description of the picture is:

Britain's largest tank unit, the 8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars, had barely arrived in Korea before the Chinese People's Volunteer Army bore down on the Eighth Army....on 3 December 1950.

 

modelldoc