a friend responded to my inquiry:
"The Platform that the CLASS 1000 and Class 1020 Trailer Mounted Fire Fighting Pumpers (TMFFP) of WW II were built on was what is shown in the attachment entitled Trailer, 1-Ton, 2W, Cargo. They were built in, the unknown to me, thousands, originally all steel and later in the war with wood bodies. Note that John Deere was not one of the builders. These trailers were used in a variety of ways other than cargo. The basic trailer chassis carried thousands of 250 gallon potable water tanks as well as an unknown number of Hale 500 GPM fire fighting units.
There were two configurations of the CLASS 1000 TMFFP.
1. The trailer wheels and tires were civilian. The drawbar mounted a combination Lunette Eye/Ball Hitch trailer hitch. This unit was built by the thousands, according to some sources, and deployed around US cities and war plants to fight enemy caused fires from aerial attack. These units did not deploy overseas.
2. The trailer wheels and tires were combat configuration. The drawbar had only the Lunette Eye trailer hitch. Each EFFP had 3 CLASS 1000s and each EAFFP had 1. Assuming 250 of these units that I believe to low by at least 50 we talk 300 of these units. Estimating spares and units for Stateside training we may be talking 1000.
Attached are illustrations of both the civilian and overseas versions of the CLASS 1000.
The CLASS 1020, again on the 1- ton 2W trailer, is a mystery in that no one in WW II that I can locate ever heard of, saw or used one. Did find a fellow who used one, did not like it, in Korea. An attachment displays it. Who built the TMFFP portion is unknown as is the make of pump."
James G. Davis, Member and Historian
1204th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon
World War II
World War II Army Engineer Fire Truck Identification Homepage
another site also:
Vehicles of Victory, LLC » Fire Trucks of WWII
Several pic's enclosed also..
Mike W
Wow!!.. I wonder who owns that one? Are you a member of that site? Can we put a post on there?
