Overvalwagens!
Ford Jeeps
The Dutch government officials in the USA were well aware of the latest military developments and were among the first foreigners to
acquire Jeeps. By August 41 300 Ford GP's (also known as reconnaissance cars or Blitzbuggies) were on hand in the Dutch East
Indies, while an order had been placed for a further 400 (with total needs set for 1000 jeeps - US Mission Report). The K.N.I.L. cars
were used by the Cavalry squadrons, replacing motorcycle combinations, and other units. According to an overview of most wanted
equipment by K.N.I.L. from December 1941 K.N.I.L. operated at that moment a grand total of 700 Ford GP's (with a "great stack of
spares")! Delivery of a further 300 cars had been approved by the US government, but this had not taken place yet. The Dutch
authorities meanwhile sought to acquire a further 600, preferably produced by Ford again. In a later stage of the war the Dutch
government received 136 Jeeps through the Lend-lease program. These cars, we assume, were all Ford GPW's as these were
abundant in the West Indies by the end of WW2. Six amphibious Ford GPA's were also delivered.
This picture from Jeep Genesis/The Rifkind Report shows two Ford GP's with the US
Cavalry exercising in the desert. Similar units operated Bantam's and Willys MA's. The
first 4x4 1/4 ton jeep type car was produced by Bantam in 1940. When the US Army
indicated they wanted huge numbers of this type of vehicle, competition surged and
Bantam, Willys and Ford each were ordered to produce 1500 cars for further testing.
Ford meanwhile was able to produce several batches of their model (Ford GP) for
export, including China, Great Britain and the Dutch East Indies. The competition was of
course won by Willys, who produced the best model. Ford became co-producer of the
Willys jeep (known as Ford GPW) by early 1942.
This picture shows a K.N.I.L. Cavalry Squadron ready to roll, late 1941 (from Stabelan
Magazine). By now the Cavalry Squadron seems well equipped with plenty of jeeps (two
platoons of 11 Ford GP's, plus additional vehicles). Note the armoured car platoon on the
right, counting three Alvis-Straussler AC3D armoured cars, one light car (Staff and/or radio
car) and just four White Scout Cars (organically a Cavalry Squadron was supposed to have
six Whites by then).
Another view of a K.N.I.L. Cavalry
squadron's reconnaissance platoons,
during manouvres in late 1941.
Most Ford GP's carry 3 men.
Windscreens always seem to be down
and the troopers have goggles.
K.N.I.L. cavalry was equipped with a
special cavalry version of the Dutch
Hembrug carbine.
In 1941 K.N.I.L. handed over a batch of
Ford GP jeeps to the Dutch Navy. Here a
number of the jeeps can be seen at
Soerabaja Naval Base in Eastern Java.
Most jeeps probably ended up serving with
the Navy Battalion, a composite Dutch
Marines and local European conscripts
battalion (picture from Mariniersmuseum
publication).
A close up of some of the Navy's jeeps.
Note hinged windscreen on second
vehicle (Hoogendoorn, De Jeep in
Nederland) The drivers are wearing the
typical Dutch navy's tropical sun hats,
brims up. According to A.R. Schmitz the
Dutch added some extra's to the GP's,
like electirc windscreen wipers and
indicators (on the mudguards).
A surviving Ford GP seen here on patrol with
Dutch forces on Java during the Indonesian
Independence War (1945-49). Reportedly,
several vehicles survived the Japanese
occupation on Java and Borneo. Although there
is no explicit information, there are several
indications that the Japanese Army transferred
a number of the K.N.I.L. Ford GP's to other
theaters of war in the Pacific during WW2
(picture Mr Westerhof).
The picture shown was recently
posted on the Overvalwagen Forum
by Hans Heesakkers.
It's a Ford GP jeep as found by the
Dutch Army on Java in 1946.
It was pressed into served as a Red
Cross or Medic vehicle.
This Ford GP is also a survivor from
the deliveries to K.N.I.L. in 1941.
Ford GP's on Curacao, Dutch West
Indies, during WW2 (picture Dutch
Beeldbank). The first jeep seems to be
fitted with a water cooled medium
machine gun on a high mount, the
second one seems to be towing a
limbered K.N.I.L. 37mm Anti-tank gun.
According to Dutch government
documents 10 Ford GP's had been
ordered for shipment to Aruba and
Curacao, mid 1941.
This great picture was
provided by John Bom and
shows a similar Ford GP
armed with a Vickers
machine gun on Curacao
during WW2. The picture
can be found in the booklet
De Schutters van Habaai.
Note one of the troops is
equipped with a Johnson
semi-automatic rifle.
Tony Smith from
Australia send me
these pictures he
took in New Zeeland
of a nicely restored
ex-K.N.I.L. Ford GP.
The jeep is owned by
mr Geesink of
Christchurch, New
Zeeland.
After the fall of the Dutch East Indies in
March 1942 the arming of the Dutch
forces in the West Indies continued.
Initially, during 1942, they could just pick
what they needed from the huge
surpluses of equipment ordered for the
East Indies. But after 1942 new orders
had to be applied for through
lend-lease. A large number Ford GPW's
appeared in Surinam, this one carrying
a mortar team (picture from Dutch
Beeldbank)
A number of Ford
GPW's at Surinam's
main barracks in the
capital, Paramaribo
(picture: Beeldbank).
The Ford GPW was
nothing more than the
Willy's MB, produced by
Ford. There were detail
differences.