Hero of the Red Ball Express

The military truck is an unsung hero of the battlefield, says David Garden

I consider trucks to be the shaft of the military lance. The spear point consists of the armoured fighting vehicles but the trucks support this by bringing up ammunition, fuel, rations, spare parts and other necessities of the battlefield. One of the most successful in World War Two was the US CCKW series.

The CCKW saw extensive service mostly as cargo trucks in World War Two and later in Korea. The ‘Deuce and a Half’ (two-and-a-half ton) were one of the best performers in the famed ‘Red Ball Express’ that kept allied troops supplied in Normandy and the subsequent battles.

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