Army Ford

This photo appeared in the Wed.2.1.13 Melbourne 'Herald Sun' report of this year's bike race: a flashback to an earlier year. The caption is confusing: either 1975 or 1954, approaching the summit of Mt Hotham (Vic.).
The Army support vehicle gives a clue.
What model Ford is it (clearly not Fuso, or Fargo or Foden)?
It seems to be communications support: needed more in 1954 than in 1975?

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Rod,

Certainly 1954 and the truck looks pretty new.

The army had lots of these (and same style Inters as well). They are CL (Clean Load) general purpose vehicles usually not permitted to go off-road. 99% off the shelf civilian truck with a few army add-ons such as tow hooks, trays and brush guards.

Here is an Inter that would have been in the fleet at the same time as the Ford.



Lang

Roderick Smith, the truck is a 1952 Ford F series, probably an F5 or F6. 1951 and 1952 Ford trucks shared the same sheetmetal, the 1951 models had a V8 badge above the grille, and the 1952 trucks had the letters spelling out F O R D above the grille. 1953 was Ford's Golden Anniversary Year and the first year of the 100 series trucks, their truck models were renumbered-ie F1 became F100, F6 became F600 etc. The truck in the photo would have the 239 cubic inch 8RT type flathead V8. In the USA 1953 was the last year for the flathead V8s, for 1954 Ford cars and trucks got the new o.h.v. Y-Block V8s. I'm not sure about Australia, but in N.Z., Canadian sourced 1954 Ford cars still had the flathead V8. The 1955 models had the new Y-Block 272 V8.-Hamish Petrie.

Rod,

Just had a thought that one bloke with a mobile phone in his pocket on a Postie Bike could provide 100 times more communication now than that Signals set-up with trucks, trailers and a full team of blokes.

Lang

Wonderful responses. I have extracted a diluted version, suitable for non-specialist consumption, and sent it to HS's 'In black & white' column, with specific credit to Historic Commercial Vehicle Club.

I have also looked up the history of the Ford flathead V8s:
www.btc-bci.com/~billben/history.htm
In a different thread, I have put up a photo of the ~1937 Ford used by my scout troop. When the engine blew up, we borrowed one from a single-spinner Customline, and used it just to get the truck to the tip, then returned it to the owner. I was only a teenager at the time, but impressed by the versatility of the engine.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor