Fire Engines Photos

See photo 18440 for a description of how hundreds - perhaps even thousands - of these GMC "deuce and a half" Jimmys were repurposed by French fire services after WWII and spent up to 40 years on the front line fighting forest fires. Not unlike the Austin ATVs left behind in the Netherlands, they are nevertheless a unique bit of fire fighting history!

Next to this example is parked a Dodge Power Wagon - also ex US army and used quite extensively by both French and Dutch fire services.

Added by Rob Johnson on 03 March 2021.

I recently did a bit more research on these GMC conversions in France. They were converted with water tanks of 2000, 3000 or 3500 litres. As well as self permanent 500 or 1000 LPM portable pumps, some had front mounted 1000 LPM pumps. Cabs were open no doors, closed two door, custom four door, canvas tilt and some had forward or rear seating for crew members behind the cab - with or without a steel canopy or canvas tilt. Most were used as brush trucks, but some were adapted for urban fire fighting, with the smaller tank and more space for hoses and ladders.

Others were converted into command units, wreckers, hose layers and a few were not really modified much except they were painted red and used to transport firefighters and/or miscellaneous equipment. One unit was modified as a general purpose pump for a village which had up til then managed to get by with only a manual hand drawn fire pump!

Added by Rob Johnson on 07 March 2021.

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