The GMC 6x6 was built for the US Army as part of a standardization program begun in 1939, which allowed for only two of each type of vehicle to be considered, and emphasized commonality of parts and accessories wherever possible. Known as 'Jimmies', the vehicles were supplied to Britain under the Lend Lease scheme before America's entry into World War II, and the trucks served with distinction in all theatres, including in the Soviet Union, which also received significant numbers through the ports of Murmansk and Archangel. The 'Jimmy' made an enormous contribution to the Allied victory after the D-Day landings by ensuring a reliable method of transport for supplies to units at the front, all of which had to be trucked across France until ports nearer Germany could be captured and rehabilitated. By war's end, over 800,000 2-1/2 ton trucks were produced by US industry (with over 560,000 produced by GMC alone), many of which saw service again in the Korean Conflict.

Pictured here is a 1:43 scale command truck which contained signals equipment, maps and other pertinent material useful for command and control purposes. Now in stock!

Dimensions:
Length: 6-inches
Width: 2-inches

Release Date: December 2024

Historical Account: "Gimme Shelter" - During World War II, the US Army discovered that making purpose-built truck bodies for support functions had a number of serious drawbacks. First, they were expensive when compared to series-production vehicles. Second, they ran the risk of losing a necessary administrative or support function if the truck broke down, and could not easily be repaired. Third, a specialized vehicle had to be developed for each specific function that the Army needed to fill.

The Signal Corps had over 75 different items, which were used by them, and required either a dedicated vehicle or trailer to perform the function needed, and the Army Air Forces had more of their own as well.

The solution, which appeared at the end of World War II and was pioneered by the Signal Corps, was to create a simple drop-on body, referred to as a "shelter", for these functions.

A generic shelter could be created, fitted out as need be, and then dropped on any vehicle class for which it was designed. The first ones were lightweight steel or aluminum with plywood walls and windows, which could be sealed with "blackout" slides.