Morris Commercial C8 General Service (GS) 1944


My Morris at Arromanche, France - June2004
(Image courtesy Tom Ford) 

The Morris C8 General Service (GS) was produced in 1944 and was based on the C8 4x4 chassis as used on the Field Artillery Tractor (FAT) or Quad. Initially designated as a 15cwt it was reclassed as a 1 tonner serving post war in Korea. Post war National Serviceman were trained on these and recalled the notorious Morris wheel wobble at 32mph!

    

Morris C8 GS in Korea (Photos courtesy of Keith Brooker)

Background

 I have owned my Morris since 2002 and have attended rallies in the UK and enjoyed trips to Normandy in 2004 and 2009. We also took part in the Jersey Liberation events in 2015. On each occasion we drove the Morris from Southport to Portsmouth - a round trip of over 520 miles. 

                               

                                   




Markings

My Morris is marked to represent a vehicle from the 43rd Wessex Division in north west Europe  (1944-5). My interest in the 43rd Wessex division stems from a relative who served with them during the campaign.

Further information on the 43rd Wessex Division and my uncle can be found in the side bar link.

The 43rd Wessex Infantry Division Wessex Wyvern.

My Morris is also marked to represent a vehicle from the Royal Artillery.

Vehicle history

Manufacturer Morris Commercial Cars (MCC) Ltd., Adderley Park, Birmingham
Declared date of manufacture 1944
Date of registration 1st July 1976
 Registration number 571 FUF
 4 former owners prior to March 2002 (My ownership)

Owner 4 Philip Winterburn (Oldham, Lancashire) to March 2002

571 FUF in Phil Winterburn's yard


Owner 3 Clive Sarjantson (Tunbridge Wells, Kent) 1978

















London to Brighton run 4th May 1980. 

Entry K211 " Demobbed in 1958, it was found abandoned in 1973, so its past is a mystery"


Owner 2 George Henry (Cranleigh, Surrey)

This photo indicates J. Huffer as owner. Photo was labeled 'Oldham 1991'. The caption is inaccurate - registration & title (C3) is incorrect. Probably not owner 1.

I was informed that the 571 FUF came from a military museum in Sussex/Surrey. I had thought it was possibly Joe Lyndhurst's Warnham war museum but a brochure for the museum does not list it. Is this owner 1?

Vehicle service history

Information provided by the Royal Logistic Corps Museum indicates that my Morris (Chassis/frame number 2283444) had a post 1949 identity of 33 YS 72 with a wartime identity of Z5810173 from contract S. 6450. The key card indicates it was struck off at Ruddington, Nottingham on 23rd October 1956.


Engine number EHB48778. The engine has a small brass plant containing information about an engine overhaul in 1955 by the army. This ties in with the Ruddington information.

The contract Morris Commercial C8 GS is an early production vehicle indicated by the contract S6450 for 4,000 trucks WD nos. Z5809758-13757 making it the 415th Morris C8 GS produced. There is further evidence to support this

  • GS body is wooden - although the 'Wheels and Tracks' article suggests early production vehicles had wooden bodies and composite wood and metal cabs.
  • Track rods are located at the front of the front axle. They were moved to the rear after the first 500 vehicles (Wheels and Tracks)

NB. Wheels and Tracks states that the radiator surround was plain. My Morris C8 has the Morris Commercial Badge.

Specifications

Length 15ft Width 6ft 10 in Height 7ft 2in
4 cylinder 3519cc side valve petrol engine 24.8 hp
Governed to 2800rpm
5 speed gear box
1st gear – 4mph, 2nd gear 7 mph, 3rd gear 14mph, 4th gear 25mph, 5th gear 43mph
12 miles per gallon petrol consumption
Tyre size 9.00 x 16

Production history

1913 First production Morris Oxford leaves Temple Cowley, outside Oxford
1924 Morris Cowley 8cwt van
1924 February Morris Commercial Cars Ltd formed in February
1924 May First Morris Commercial produced T-Type one tonner
1929 Morris Commercial Cars moves from Foundry Lane, Soho, Birmingham to Adderley Park
1930 First Heavy Morris Commercial P-Type leader - Morris Commercial cars becomes the largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles in Europe.
1939 C8 4*4 enters quantity production
1940 C8/MG - Mobile gun introduced. Not produced in quantity
C8/AT (anti tank) with 2 pdr gun produced
1943 C8 AT converted to tow 17pdr AT gun
C8/P predictor carried Kerrison predictor apparatus for Bofors gun
C9/B SP(self propelled) Bofors vehicle with elongated chassis introduced
1944 C8 GS (General Service) prototype produced

 

Production history (Morris C8 GS)

1944 prototype produced Contract S3361: WD No. Z5359961

C8 GS production contracts
S6450 for 4,000 trucks WD nos. Z5809758-13757
S8421 for 1,000 trucks WD nos. Z6172310-3309
S8629 for 2,500 trucks WD nos. Z6185999-8498

Variants
131 C8/AC Compressor (S7109; Z5872837-964 and Z6168855-857)
400 FFW (Fitted for Wireless) (S7447; Z5870926)
233 C8/GA Compressor 'T' (S9414; Z6233521-753)
500 C8/GB House/type Wireless/Light Warning vans

Experimental types
A 200 gallon water bowser prototype (S8757 Z6191557 1945)

 

Sources

Maintenance Manual and Instruction book
Morris Commercial Trucks, 15cwt, 4x4
Book No. 101/ML5

Drivers Handbook
Morris Commercial Trucks, 15cwt, 4x4
Book No. 100/ML5
 
Questionnaire
Morris Truck 15cwt, 4x4 GS
Army Mechanical Transport School Bordon 1947

Wheels and tracks Number 30 - Morris Quad derivatives. It contains good photographic references. Available from After the Battle.

For background information (but nothing about wartime Morris Commercials)

Morris Commercial Vehicles by Harry Edwards. Good photographic references for pre and postwar Morris Commercials.

Morris Commercial C9/B Bofors Quad by John Box - Article in Windscreen (Spring 2002) Magazine of the Military Vehicle Trust.

This in turn is based on an article by Peter Seymour in

Morris Commercial Recalling (winter 2000) - the quarterly newsletter of the Morris-Commercial Club

 




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