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This Willys MB is ex-French Gendarmerie, released from service in the 1980s and privately owned in France before being imported to the UK by William Galliers for film work (Band of Brothers). It was probably US Army owned, left in France after WW2 and taken over by the French Army.
Having been in France a long time, and been rebuilt at the French Army ERGM engineering workshops of La Maltournee in 1965, it is a complete ‘jeep salad’ with a Willys MB Chassis, an early Hotchkiss M201 body (with floor starter for a 6v system), an early WOF engine with a Ford head, Ford gearbox and Spicer transmission.
It had been ‘Americanised’ before I bought it. I’ve spent the last 9 years adding original bits, and restoring it to 'motor pool' standard. It has a repro data plate (Robert de Ruyter’s) and hood number based on its chassis serial number.
In Jan 2005 the body was taken off for restoration as much of the floor was rotten. All the hat channels were replaced along with bits of floor. The chassis was in excellent condition and I found the ERGM 'MALT' plate welded to the frame near the rear RHS suspension mount.
In Sep 2005 I acquired a Willys MBT, ex Swiss Army trailer. It has been completely stripped, re-built and repainted. The Swiss drilled drainage holes in the floor at the front and back, which is why it hadn't rusted out. Its ACM chassis number is 78548, from which Chuck Lutz has estimated it to be Oct 1943, Willys s/n 41548. Under the post-war paint it still had its USA serial number – 0243523 and white star, which have been repainted in the same location. Jeep and trailer went back to France again in 2009 for the 65th anniversary of Operation Overlord.
