Photos of Burma Dodges found at National Archives in College Park, MD and from truck service manual. The color photos were taken by Keith Webb at the Tank Museum in Melborne Australia before the recent auction. See his web site for more pictures and auction results at http://www.oldcmp.net/mtm_06_1.html
The black and white photos of the Burma Dodge trucks in India and on the Ledo Road where found at the National Archives in College Park, MD I just stumbled on them and the only way to make copies I had was to Xerox them and later digitalize them. This would account for the poor quality. I hope to go back some day and scan them into a computer.
According to Don Bunn in his book DODGE TRUCKS page 111 the trucks were built for the Chinese Army by Dodge. The contract was for 15000 trucks and production started in Oct 44 ran into early 46. They were built extra heavy duty and were right hand drive. GVW rating of 20000lb. Had a Clark 5 speed transmission, 9.00/20 tires, ten-stud Budd disc wheels, 331 ci 128 hp L-head six cyclinder engine, 13in clutch, 170in wheelbase and a maximun payload capacity of 11,200 lbs. The front clip most likely inspired the design of the post war Dodge 4x4 power wagons. Another article makes mention that a ship carrying Burma Dodges was sinking off Australia during WWII. Some of the trucks were off loaded to Australia which explains why the Tank Museum had a Burma Dodge truck and a couple wrecks. The article had mention that a large dairy in Australia had used these trucks at one time.
The spammer are leaving tons of spam as guest comments so will have to delete that option. Below are few valid comments:
Sign the Guestbook. Displaying 4 of 4 entries. My father was wounded on the Burma Road while passing a convoy of these trucks. The Japs strafed the convoy and a lot of the Chinese drivers jumped from their trucks. My father was on an Army Harley passing by at the time.He was a S/Sgt and a member of the Flying Tigers in the Army Air Force. He was in the Assam Dragons. He ended up in a hospital in India for several weeks, but never received a Purple Heart. Another sergeant wrote his letters for him to Mom while he was injured. He would not talk about the war much, but he was in China, India, and Burma for three years and three months. Anyone that might happen to have any photos of him or his group, I would appreciate a digital file of them very much. - Harry E. Moran II, Sun, 3 Jul 2011 10:29AM
My Father was on the Burma Road driving one of the trucks and cooking for the troops. When the Air Force split off after the war he joined th Air Force and became a mechanic on the Jet aircraft.
I will look in some of his albums and see if he has any pictures on the Burma road. If so I will pass them on.
You have a very good web site. - Andy J. Barfield III, Sat, 4 Apr 2009 8:16AM
My dad, 89, has a picture of himself sitting on the fender of a Dodge truck as he was trying to start the China exit home after the war. He was glad that it was a new truck. It had just arrived. It broke down when the brakes locked up during the first few miles. They had a mechanic but all he had was a knife to work with. He freed up the brakes. They then get hit over a dozen times trying to get down the mountain. No injuries till he boarded a plane over the Hump. He ruptured his ears and is still fighting with the VA for help. They finally got him a high powered aid and he can hear a little. He still laughs about that truck, more now than then. - Harry Branch, Fri, 30 Jan 2009 7:39AM
my father worked on and assembled those trucks in Inda and Burma during the war. He is 86 now and I am trying to get as much information for him as I can. I have a real interest in what he did as he traveled the entire world during the war and warked at the base of the burma road at Ledo. Any information you can give me would be appreciated. - Tom Purvis, Tue, 28 Nov 2006 7:14PM
Date(s): MAY 22, 2006. Album by VC40WC41. 1 - 117 of 117 Total. 40991 Visits.
1 BURMA DODGE TRUCK ARTICLE 1 This an article on the Burma Dodge. I am not sure of the source. There is a "Classic Trucks" at the bottom of the page. I think this was provided by someone orginally from Australia but not sure. If anyone is familar with this publication please add info in comment section. The article is hard to read in this format. I will have to see if there is another way I can do this.
2 BURMA DODGE TRUCK ARTICLE 2
3 BURMA DODGE TRUCK ARTICLE 3
4 BURMA DODGE TRUCK ARTICLE 4
5 BURMA DODGE MAINTENANCE MANUAL
6 T-234 MAINTENANCE MANUAL
7 BURMA DODGE PARTS LIST This is the Chinese version of the parts list.
8 T-234 PARTS LIST
9 BURMA DODGE Image from T-234 manual
Any idea what that thing is hanging on the pillar between the windshield and side door "That object on the A pillar is a siren. Probably used..." View Comments...
10 BURMA DODGE TRUCK REAR
11 BURMA DODGE DASH The truck was right hand drive. I suspect this was because the truck was design to haul on the Ledo and Burma Road. Since the British controlled India and Burma at the time of WWII most likely the roads where designated right hand drive. Burma is now left hand drive as is China. Not sure about India but will find out.
12 BURMA DODGE ENGINE The Burma Dodge used a 331ci flathead 6 cyclinder engine. This was the largest gasoline engine Dodge built at that time WWII
I have an engine rebuilt for the restoration of the BD truck. The engine is post war so has a different intake/exhaust manifold. If anyone knows of a manifold as shown in this photo for the 331ci engine please email me at vc40wc41@yahoo.com
13 BURMA DODGE FRAME Wheel base was 170 inches.
14 BURMA DODGE TRUCK STOP INDIA ASSAM JULY 45 This appears to be a truck park in Assam India taken in July 1945. The trucks appear to be loaded for a trip to China. I suspect they only made a one way trip as the war ended the next month.
15 MAG BURMA DODGE TRUCK PARK
16 ASSAM STATE Assam state is in NE India is where the Ledo road started. The Burma Dodge could of came in country at Calcutta but a lot of men and material came thru Bombay and had to be transported by rail and barge all the way across India to Assam.
17 INDIAN WORKERS NOT BURMA TRUCK BUT WORKERS WOULD OF HELPED LOAD THE TRUCKS "This is the place dad spent a lot of time. He ran a w..." View Comments...
18 BURMA DODGE ON RAIL CARS
19 BURMA TRUCK ON FLATCAR
20 MAG BURMA DODGE ON FLATCAR
21 BURMA TRUCKS ON RAIL CARS
22 BURMA DODGE DRIVER SIDE I have been puzzled by what that item was on the front door pillar was. A viewer pointed out the cab picture shows something on the inside door pillar. I went back to the manual and noticed this was labelled horn. Not sure how it works.Added: this is a Klaxon type horn. "This is a motor-driven siren, or could be an A-OOGA h..." View Comments...
23 BURMA DODGES ON RIVER FERRY
24 BURMA DODGE COMING OF BARGE
25 BURMA TRUCK OFF FERRY
26 BURMA TRUCK AT GAS STATION
27 BURMA DODGES ON ROAD STOP
28 BURMA DODGES AT ROAD PIT STOP Even to this day a gasoline supply along the Ledo road is just a guy with a few cans of gasoline to sell. Since much of the traffic is motorbike now it seems to work.
29 TYPICAL BURMA GAS STATION 2006
30 FILLER UP
31 BURMA DODGES CROSS SMALL BRIDGE
32 BURMA DODGE AND COE
33 BURMA DODGE LEDO ROAD COOLIES This is probably along the Ledo Road but not sure if in India or Burma. It could also be along the Burma road but doubt. It is hard to tell who the natives are but does show how the road was built and maintained.
34 BURMA DODGE ON LEDO ROAD
35 LEDO ROAD REPAIR Chinese workers repairing Ledo Road in Burma in 2006
36 AUS BURMA DODGE Photo provided by Bob Moseley from Australia.
37 AUS BURMA DODGE SIDE Photos of a Burma Dodge at Tank Museum in Melborne Australia taken by Keith Webb. I later bought this truck at auction and had it shipped to the USA. As far as I know it is the only one in the USA. Added 2/28/2015 I am now if the final stages of restoring this truck.
38 BURMA DODGE CAB
39 REAR CAB BURMA DODGE The gas tank on the right side is not original. It is two tanks welded together. Probably need large tanks in Australia as gas stations are probably far apart.
40 BURMA DODGE REAR WHEELS
41 BURMA DODGE ENGINE COMPARTMENT
42 BURMA DODGE REAR END This rearend I think is unique to the BD trucks.
43 BURMA DODGE 1.pdf
44 BURMA DODGE 2.pdf
45 BURMA DODGE 3.pdf
46 Burma Dodge in ad See details next photo but this was a 3 ton truck not 3/4 ton
48 BurmaDodgeTrkdrivers(2) This is a photo of Chinese truck drivers and a Burma Dodge truck. This would have to been taken 1944 or later probably in Yunnan China. The drivers are from Singapore. The overseas Chinese collected money to help fight the Japanese starting in 1939 or before. They also provided trucks and also arranged for a number of groups of truck drivers and mechanics from that area to go China to drive trucks on the Burma Road. The TB YB on the front bumper probably stands for Transportation Bureau Yunnan Burma. The symbol on the radiator cover is unknown
49 BurmaDodgeTrkpostWW2 This photo most likely was taken after the war with the drivers organizing to go home. The photo is probably taken in Yunnan China. The drivers where paid very little and not well treated by the mainland Chinese. The Overseas Chinese in Singapore had to make arrangements to get the drivers/mechanics home. Those that stayed in China were really badly treated during the Cultural Revolution. These two photos came from the Singapore National Archives
50 Picture 2 1.png
51 Picture 3.png Note the manual windshield wipers. Some of the hills/mountains along the Burma road are very long and steep. Vacuum wipers probably would not have worked very well.
52 Picture 4.png This photo and the ones that follow came from the Chrysler Foundation Archives but I had copied them from another gentleman's website which I have misplaced the address so I could link to it. I will posted it when I find it to give him credit for finding these photos.
53 Picture 5.png Note the tire tread. I was told by a gentlemen who had been in the tire business for years that these were Goodyear tires? that were used on firetrucks. If anyone is aware of a modern tire with similar treads please email me at vc40wc41@yahoo.com
54 Picture 6.png Note the Klaxon horn on the driver's door pillar and see the photo of one below.
55 Picture 7.png
56 Picture 10.png
57 Klaxon manual horn I think this is the type of horn mounted out side on the front pillar on the right.
58 Picture 8.png
59 Picture 9.png
60 BRBDConvoy.png
61 Burma Dodge convoy
62 BRBDtrkon road.png
63 Famous sign on the Ledo road 1
64 Burma Dodge Truck and soldiers
65 Bed for the night
66 MAX AND BD This is Max P. from Australia with the Burma Dodge truck he restored. He restored it to a civilian mode which it had been most of its useful life.
67 AUS1
68 AUS2
69 AUS3
70 AUS4
71 AUS5
72 AUS6
73 AUS7
74 AUS8
75 AUS9
76 AUS10
77 AUS13
78 AUS11 These are photos of Max's Burma Dodge truck before restoration
79 AUS12
80 BD1 This and the following B/W photo are from India and Burma during WW2
81 BDA.png
82 BD3
83 BDB.png
84 BD5
85 BD7
86 BDC.png
87 BD9
88 BD X.png
89 BD11
90 four trucks rt front view.png This and following color photos came from a movie made in China in 2008(9?) called Children of H*u*a*n*g S*h*i (Escape from H S in Asia) Although they have Burma Dodge sheet metal some if not all of the trucks have been modified.
91 fourtrucks.png
92 Dodge truck side.png
93 four trucks and mounds A.png
94 front of truck.png
95 close up cab.png
96 One truck lead.png
97 parked truck.png Cab does does not look like a Dodge cab, also right hand drive.
98 hand on wiper linkage.png Note mechanical wipers with girl holding on to connection between wiper handles. Also note left hand drive. BD trucks were RH drive.
99 BurmaDodgeK.png This photo is from a posting on the Mapleleaf website. The front clip is from a BD truck, the rest?
100 CIMG0802 I found at a PLA film studio in Beijing (August !st film studio) what I think are the four trucks in the above posted movie images. Unfortunately all the trucks were old Chinese military trucks where they had grafted the front clip from a BD truck on to. This truck was the only one with the original cab and must of been the one used to film the two actors riding in the truck.
101 CIMG0804 This is one of the trucks just with the front clip from a BD truck. You can tell but the little bars above the windshield.
102 CIMG0806 The truck with the orginal cab still had the mechanical windshield wiper so I was able to take photo it. see next two photos also. I think they had mechanical wipers as I suspect vaccuum wipers would not work well in mountain and high altitudes.
103 CIMG0808
104 CIMG0812
105 CIMG0989 I came acros this photo BD trucks in the Military Museum in Beijing. It would of been after WW2.I thought that it was showing the Red Army with captured equipment but the Chinese writing in the lower right corner make reference to a Nationalist general and the location in northern China according to a Chinese friend.
106 CIMG0991
107 Screen shot 2011-10-16 at 10.39.45 PM copy.png When I was in the Military Museum they were playing a DVD of previous military parades in Tiananmen Square. I thought I had seen some BD trucks so I bought the DVD. The parades in 1949 and 1950 in B&W had clips of BD trucks in the parade. I have here some screen capture images.
108 Screen shot 2011-10-16 at 10.43.15 PM copy.png
109 Screen shot 2011-10-16 at 10.44.18 PM copy.png It looks like the BD trucks were 4 across and 4 and possible 5 rows, = 16 to 20 trucks. Captured from the Nationalist no doubt.
110 CIMG2395 The BD truck I got out of Australia. It didn't have an engine or a bed. I found two 331 cu engine and ended up with one rebuilt from the two. The bed is stake bed like used on the BD trucks but this is from the 50s but not quite the same but can be modified.
