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From early 1941 through the end of World War II in 1945, Tullahoma and most of Coffee County were abuzz with U.S. Army activity. Camp Forrest was the center of it, what with its training facilities as well as the Tennessee Maneuvers. Army vehicles were a big part of the activities, of course, and those mostly purpose-built vehicles are an interesting part of the Camp Forrest legacy. Here are a few of those and the stories behind them.

One of the most unusual vehicles was the Ford GPA “Seep,” GPA meaning (Government ‘P’ Amphibious, where in military specification, ‘P’ stood for its 80-inch wheelbase), which was based on Ford’s version of the 1/4-ton 4-wheel drive Jeep. As many standard Jeep parts as possible were used, which proved to be a boon as far as spare parts interchangeability. However, the extra weight of the GPA amphibious body made the GPA slow and somewhat unwieldy. Jeeps weighed 2453 pounds; the GPA weighed 3200. It also made the vehicle most suitable for crossing very calm waters and not carrying much payload. Soldiers were not fans of the vehicle, but over 12,700 were built from 1942 to March 1943. About 4500 went to the Allies, mostly the Soviet Union and the UK.

Another distinctive vehicle was the M3A1 Scout Car, a ¾-ton 4-wheel drive, lightly armored personnel carrier. Those were open-topped trucks with space for a driver and commander in the cab and six more soldiers in the rear. A canvas top could be used in inclement weather. The M3A1 was developed and produced by the White Motor Company and was powered by a 110 HP six-cylinder engine. They were usually outfitted with a Browning M2 .50-caliber machine gun and one or two Browning M1919 .30 caliber machine guns. The Diebold Lock and Safe Company provided the bodies. Armor was about a half-inch thick and there was shuttered armor to protect the radiator. About 21,000 were built between 1939 and 1944.

There were many more types of Army trucks for different purposes. Some were ¾-ton capacity, some were 2-1/2-ton capacity (the famous “deuce-and-a-half”). All were built to U.S. Army military specifications.

Some administrative and engineering types of personnel used regular civilian-type vehicles in carrying out their daily duties. Those naturally had the military look, with olive drab paint, painted bumpers and grilles, and property numbers and insignias. Repair and maintenance of so many vehicles was also a big chore. William Northern Field alone had two Motor Repair Shops. Camp Forrest proper had even more.

Vehicle details courtesy of Wikipedia. All images are U.S. Army photographs, courtesy of Williamson Aviation.

Do you have sharp pictures and interesting stories from Tullahoma’s or Coffee County’s past? If so, reach out to me at alanmayes@lighttube.net.