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GPW 23456
This Ford jeep spent its military life on a base somewhere in California (possibly at Camp Cooke, a training facility, just north of Los Angeles), up to 1952 and within that time its original body, was replaced by a composite A.C.M Type 1 Body.
With the first date sold as 00/00/52, the jeep was registered as MB525872, probably due to the engine being replaced, with a 1950’s ‘F head’ overhead valve engine found in the M38A1/ CJ-5. Its civilian California license plate number was 253 NBP.
The jeep stayed in the California area, being used as a hunting vehicle, with various modifications being made, such as a hole cut out of the hood for the air filter, a side filler pipe added to the gas tank, the steering column replaced with one from a sedan, and a number of colour changes form green, to yellow, to red, to blue.
It was bought by an English guy in the 1980’s living in Los Angeles who used it to go to work and as a beach buggy, adding roll bars, and all terrain wheels and tyres.
In 1991 he divorced his wife and returned to England bringing a number of vehicles back with him, including the jeep, subsequently putting them up for sale.
I had been seriously been looking for a jeep for 5 years and when I saw this one in the Thames Valley Trader, I went to have a look.
I bought the jeep in November 1991 and with 7 months of complete restoration, and rebuild, together with a re-spray and a new UK registration JVS 250, and marking of the 9th Armored Division, she was ready to rumble.
In June 1994, I took the jeep over to Normandy for the 50th anniversary of the D-Day landings, and drove her onto Omaha, Utah and Gold beaches, and paid my respects at the various memorials and cemeteries.
I have subsequently changed the markings, to the 2nd Infantry Division (Indian Head),
9th Infantry Regiment, Headquarters Company, Vehicle 11.
In June 2004, I took the jeep over to Normandy, again, for the 60th anniversary of D-Day.
I have been over to Normandy in the jeep for the 65th and 66th, and the main trip now will be the 70th anniversary of D-Day in June 2014.
| Model & Serial Number |
GPW 23456 |
| Registrant's Name |
Dave Quevillart |
| City, State/Region, Country |
Woodley, Berkshire, England |
| Date of Acquisition |
1991-11-26 |
| Date this SNdb Record Created |
2002-10-23 05:53:04 |
| Date This SNdb Record Last Updated |
2013-02-26 13:41:48 |
