This is a 1942 WC 56 ¾ ton Command Car, don’t be fooled by the winch on the front – I welded that on myself. The chassis number is one of the very first production batch of WC 56 in 1942. It has a good number of really early features, such as lack of any provision for jerry cans or the carbine carrier, small fuel filler with no vent, and of course it has the symmetrical headlight grilles with no blackout light and just a two-terminal wiring block for the front LH headlight. Strictly speaking it is so early that it shouldn’t have a toolrack on the tailgate either, but that tailgate is from a slightly later truck. I replaced the early non-winch grille with a similar early winch type grille from Thomas Terrang when I added the winch. Bought it years ago in driving order, though it had been used as a garage breakdown and the back body had been hacked about. I bought an ex-French Army back body, tailgate, and NOS hoodframe from Alan Chapman near Kettering and grafted the body at the original joint in the rear passengers cut-out. Roy Elvis sold me a repaired original back seat, and John and Mary Worthing did the hood and seat covers, though I really should have got the original leather covers re-done rather than used the leather-effect vinyl. Got a full set of original side screens too, though I don’t remember where from. The markings are USAAF 8th Air Force 306th Bomb Group, believed original as the vehicle was sold not far from their Thurleigh base in 1947. I did take a little license by putting the 8th Air Force insignia on the hood though. Three colour stars are correct for the period the truck was made, though they were obsoleted right around the time it was produced in case anyone confused the red ‘meatball’ with the Japanese ‘Rising Sun’ Census number is original and was found on the engine cover side when stripped for re-paint. Generally a very good machine if a little bouncy over rough going. Under 41,000 miles since new. I’ve had continual trouble with gradual loss of fluid from the footbrake, despite replacing all the cylinders and hoses, and with no sign of any leakage from the lines. Probably the next job should be to replace the lot.

 

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