Dodge WC52 / GMC CCKW 353
The Dodge and the GMC together on the SRS field day
The Dodge and the GMC together on the SRS field day
Kees his GMC
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Welcome! This page is about the Dodge WC52 owned by Andre Vet PB0AJN and the GMC CCKW 353 owned by Kees Stravers PB0AIA. Both trucks have been restored back to the condition they were in during World War II. Since we are ham radio amateurs, Andre has created a beautiful signal corps exhibition to go with the Dodge, consisting of fully restored receivers and transmitters from the war (BC191 / BC312, BC652 / BC653) and other communications equipment.
Signal corps display 1
Signal corps display 2
On this page are lots of photos of events, mostly in in The Netherlands, that we visited with the Dodge and/or the GMC. Further down the page are photos from the maintenance that often needs to be done. Enjoy!
Besides being members of the amateur radio club VRZA (Oost-Brabant department) we are also members of Club Wheels a club of collectors of classic army vehicles, mostly based in the south of The Netherlands. Most events on this page were organized by Wheels or visited together with Wheels club members. Recently the 40-45 department of Wheels got its own website Lucky Seventh.
Most of the photos on these pages are made by Kees PB0AIA.
At some events we also shot some video. See a T34, Hellcat en Sherman tank, een M5 high speed tractor and a GMC DUKW here.
The green season 2009 has started again. With this we of course mean the second world war remembrance events. We went with the Signal Corps displays to several events. The GMC went to Noorbeek and Nijmegen, and the Dodge went to Eerde, among others. Noorbeek was the first town to be liberated in The Netherlands. Nijmegen was the last city to be freed by Market Garden before it stalled. A few photos are here en here.
Saturday september 27th 2008 was the ceremony of the dedication of a new monument for the U.S. Seventh armored division, remembering the many lives that were lost during the part it took in the liberation of Overloon and the surrounding villages in the attack starting september 27th 1944. This attack went into history as the fiercest tank battle to be fought on Dutch soil. At the end, not one building of the village of Overloon was left standing.
The monument was needed, because while the US 7th armored division started the battle, they did not finish it, because they were replaced by a British attack force, that finished the battle and did the actual liberating. Because of this, the role of the 7th AD was mostly forgotten, and a monument was sorely needed. A committie of citizens of Overloon managed to get it done. The monument has been built on the town square directly in front of Liberty Park, the well known Overloon war museum.
The ceremony was very impressive. Many dignitaries were present, among them the US military attache colonel Stimson and the Mayor of Boxmeer, the city that Overloon now is a part of. The monument was unveiled by two Dutch veterans who actually fought with the 7th AD. There even was a fly-over by four F-16 jets, which flew in missing man formation to honour the 7th AD.
Of course the GMC and the Dodge were present at the event. The photo's are here. As usual, there are a lot of them.
On Saturday, September 29, 2007 at the Baraque de Fraiture, Belgium crossroads there was a dedication ceremony unveiling a new Memorial Monument honoring the men and their units of the 7th Armored Division who helped defend this critical crossroads during the first week of the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. The new Memorial Monument honors the efforts of Troop D/87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron Mechanized and Battery D/203rd AAA of the 7th Armored Division, and Company F/325th Glider Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. The GMC was present at the event. Photos here.
The Santa Fe club held their yearly Santa Fe Event at Roermond this june 13-15. Dodge and GMC were there. Photo's here.
Of course Dodge and GMC were at the traditional liberation celebration to remember the liberation of Eindhoven on 18 september 1944. Photos here.
In the weekend of 15-16 september a big event was held in the park of rhe museum Wings of liberation to remember the liberation of the east of Brabant in september 1944. Dodge and GMC both had their own Signal Corps display. There even was a telex connection between the two. Kids loved to chat via the telex line like it was done in the war. Photos here.
We haven't visited the war museum Overloon in a long time. Now it has merged with the Marshall museum it was a good reason to go again. In between the massive collection of world war II vehicles we actually saw a BC611, BC1306 and a WS52. Photo's here.
Dodge en GMC were at the veteran day in Eindhoven on june 29 with the signal corps display. Photo's here
Dodge en GMC visited the Santa Fe event at Roermond july 15 to 17. The signal corps display was built up and QSO's were made. Photo's here
The GMC went to the whitsun meeting of the Patton Drivers of Ulbeek (Belgium). This event always is one big celebration. Photo's here
This year we did the signal corps display at Operation Pheasant, the may fifth remembrance weekend at Waalwijk. The Dodge and GMC were present at the event. The photos are here.
In Venray, one of the places where the American 7th armoured division fought a heavy battle with the occupying forces in 1944, the Lest we forget (site in Dutch) event was held again this year. It was a big living history event to show how everything was done in those days. The GMC and Dodge with the signal corps display of course were present at the event. The photos are here
While most members of Club Wheels were off in the mud driving the Hazenpadrit event, and Andre was doing his part with the Dodge at the JOTA scouting event, a delegation of Wheels went to the war museum De Bewogen Jaren in the small town of Hooge Mierde. It exists since 2004, but sometimes it has special event days to attract some extra attention. The GMC went with Wheels to visit the museum. The photos are here
On 18 september 1944 Eindhoven was liberated. We took part in the traditional liberation celebration with the GMC and the Dodge. Photos here
In the weekend of june 24th the Dodge and the Signal Corps display were present at the big Santa Fe event in Roermond. Photos are here
On june 17th the PAK cannon of Zandoerle was returned to its spot after an extensive restauration. The GMC joined in the event. Photos are here.
The GMC was present at the Surplus Radio Society summer field days 8-11 june 2006. Photos are here
The GMC went with Club Wheels to the Whitsun 2006 meeting of Club Patton Drivers in Ulbeek, Belgium. This club of military vehicle collectors celebrated their 20th anniversary. Photos are here
The Dodge went to the Bussum Bridgehead event, The Netherlands largest World War II reenactment event. Our friend Guido also went there with his Dodge WC64 and put four series of photos online.
Series 1 Series 2 Series 3 Series 4
The Dodge went to the Hemmen 2006 remembrance event. We did not take any pictures ourselves but found three series on the net. Hemmen photos on legervoertuigen.nl Hemmen photos on mijnalbum.nl Hemmen photos on d-daykleding.nl
The GMC went to the liberation celebrations at Wageningen. Wageningen has an important place in the history of our country, since the German capitulation was signed there. This year it was for the first time that classic vehicles were part of the celebrations.
We became a member of Lucky Seventh, the department of Club Wheels that is meant for 40-45 vehicles. The GMC went to the first Lucky Seventh event, a trip through De Peel. Photos here en at the Wheels site
The Dodge went to the Larotrophy 2006 of the scoutinggroup Larostam at Landsart. Photos at the Larotrophy site
With the GMC the SRS summer field day 24 september 2005 was visited.
The Dodge joined the SRS mid winter rendez vouz.
The Dodge was present at Dropzone Eerde 2005.
The theme of the may fair in Geldrop at 29 may 2005 was the liberation. Dodge and GMC were present at the event. Photos are here
On 050505 the Dodge with the signal corps display and the GMC went to the celebration of 60 years of liberation of the city of IJsselstein. Harry PA0TLM, Louis PA0LCE and Guido went with us to assist in the demonstrations. Photos here
On 050501 we were asked to visit the Bevrijdingsmuseum Groesbeek
Groesbeek Liberation museum photos here
Once every five years in the village of Erp there is the Klank- en lichtspel, the "sound and vision play", a fantastic evening filled with music, dancing, singing and theatre. One of the themes was war and freedom. We went there with the Dodge on 050429. Photos here
On 050416 the Dodge with the signal corps display went to the celebration of 60 years of liberation of the city of Ede. Photos here en here.
On 040907 was the annual "Hazenpadrit" ("path of the rabbit"), a drive through the beautiful country roads of Brabant and Belgium, organized by Club Wheels. It was a sunny day, but in the week before it had rained a lot and this gave us some spectacular roads, as you can see on the images!
In 2004 it was 60 years ago that the southern part of The Netherlands was freed of the German occupation. Many events celebrated this, we went to a number of them.
The GMC at 60 years Venray liberated
The Dodge at the opening of the exhibition 60 years Geldrop liberated
De GMC at the Club Wheels liberation camp on september 14th
School children shown around at the liberation camp (september 16)
The Son en Breugel paratroopers jump re-enacted! (september 17)
Wheels liberation camp 18 september, the big open day! (We did the signal corps demonstration)
Liberation event Eindhoven 18 september
PB0AJN en PB0AIA went with the Dodge WC52 in june 2004 to Normandy to visit the remembrance events of 60 years of D-Day. Photos here
Meise Mert 2004 Presentation of the VRZA and the green hobby at the annual fair in Geldrop
Queens day 2004 Dodge en GMC at the Stadhuisplein in Eindhoven
SRS Midwintercontest december 2003 with the Dodge in a field on a cold winter day, to test the radios in harsh conditions
Wheels Eindhoven 18 september 2003 liberation event photo series 1
Wheels Eindhoven 18 september 2003 series 2
In 2003 students of the SPB Bayeux project joined the event
18 september 2002 Eindhoven liberation event series 1
Day 1. Getting the Dodge from its previous owner
Photos of the radios to be installed in the Dodge (BC191 / BC312, BC652 / BC653)
The "Ben Hur" trailer aquired
Trouble Rear drive shaft problems
More trouble Fixing a broken differential shaft
Radio test for the Normandy trip The BC191 at work
Redoing the electrical wiring of the Dodge
GMC exhaust manifold gasket replacement
Andre's latest project is restoring a Dodge WC43 telephone line repair vehicle from 1942. It is rare that the original WC43 body still is with the vehicle.
Photos here
A lot of close up photos of a Canadian Wireless set No 19 (WS19) MkIII set here and a British WS19 MkII set here. And here photos of two accessory boxes that go with them, the Wireless set No. 19 case spare valves, and the Case spare parts No. 5C, with in it the Key and plug assembly No. 9 CDN Westclox.