M2A1 Half Track Walkabout - 1941 White - Bertha  

The clicker was used by the paratroopers of the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions who jumped into Normandy on the night before D-Day to signal each other and identify friendly troops so they didn't shoot at each other. 1 click to challenge, 2 clicks to reply. Great video and great job restoring the half track. My father was a corporal during W.W. II and was the vehicle commander in an M-16 variant anti-aircraft half track with the quad .50 caliber machine guns in the back. He missed the D-Day landing but saw action with Patton's Third Army.

The best review and guided tour I have ever seen - Thank you for taking the time to post.

Sir, that is one of the most beautiful half tracks I have ever seen. Congratulations on an excellent job restoring that vehicle to the point that it looks better than new. Enjoy!

About the interchangeable headlights; the hooded ones were for blackout driving and the full clear lens was for driving in non combat areas, usually rear holding areas or supply bases. As many have noted the clicker was a signaling device for the airborne units, and sometimes the infantry units on night patrols, it sounded like a cricket at a distance to fool the enemy. The barrel magazine you spoke about are also called a 'drum' magazine. There were some of them used in the war, but generally they used a clip that was easy to switch out, hence the ammo bag for numerous spare clips. The Thompson could be fired in burst of three or four rounds, the timing for these was usually measured by pulling the trigger and holding long enough to say 'son of a bitch'. Bursts helped keep the barrel from over heating. Most of my basic training NCO's were WWII or Korean War vets and yes 'they were tough as nails and run us recruits into the ground every chance they got!!

Incredible work, thank you for the walkthrough. Always been a fan of the halftrack.

the "clicker" was originally a toy called a "cricket"and was adopted for use by the airborne forces to help identify each other at night and in thick vegetation

My father was with the 10th Armored division, 61st Armored Infantry Battalion, Company B. He was a Sergeant in charge of a 12 man squad that rode in a M3 halftrack. Your dad may of caught a ride from my dad!

Its a great looking vehicle and u did an incredible job restoring it well done..

Nice machine, I remember when there was no such thing as FM radio, we listened to WLS Chicago Great video thumbs up

Great job restoring your love of machines. Thanks for sharing.

Beautiful.

Thankyou so very much for sharing with us the fascinating history of the half-track

Man, that is a beautiful restoration! I know from working on old Chevy trucks, it's easier to tear it down than build it back up! This is on another level though sourcing parts. Great job! Just sounds like an old dump truck! 🤣

The clickers where for the paratroopers to regroup after jumps they where originally toys for kids. History Channel WW2 is a great series to watch. Love it wonderful reiteration, can you drive it on the road?

Beautiful job on the Restoration. One of My Uncles was a aerial gunnery instructor during WW2 . He was a many bases but said when He was in Arizona He and some other guys used a halftrack to go Deer Hunting.

Very well done restoration! Thank you for sharing!

Sweet,best ive ever seen…and im 77 yrs

Seeing your cartridge case reminds me of when I picked one up walking up the path from Omaha beach to the Cemetery on 50th anniversary.

Sir, may I say that is one of the most beautiful half-tracks I have ever seen! You did one hell of a great job restoring that rig. Congratulations!

Very well presented and Bertha is a beautiful old girl !

Absolutely awesome restoration. Thank you for the video. Very motivating, as Im restoring M2A1. Great job Keith 👍👍👍

great presentation.

Thanks a lot for this very interesting video! Really nice to see the old tech. Greetings from central Germany. 😏🙋

The mystery bracket on the right side was for the holding the fire extinguisher.

Imagine waiting to see where you would be posted after basic training. I would be happy if this track was my post

I'd like to own one of these one day, particularly an m3/a1

I would think that keeping the engine noise down when traveling through the frontlines would be a very important advantage especially when stealth was mandatory for survival. One thing I've read before from during the battle of the bulge is American troops could hear the difference from allied vs germans tanks because of the louder engine sounds from german tracked vehicles.

Awesome rig. We have a 1951 GMC 6x6 2 1/2 ton truck which has been turned into a skipjack logging rig. It has a GMC 302 cid. 6 cylinder with a multifuel Holley carb. with almost the same trans setup your halftrack has tho its an automatic with high/low range that has reverse in each. wench is now on the back to lift logs so they can be dragged outa the woods. You have done an amazing job on this Half track.Thanks for sharing.

You did an amazing job restoring this piece of equipment and this video is a very good overall presentation. Thank you!

Well done, many thanks for that brilliant insight to the half track

Great video Keith!! Very interesting and wow, what a great job you did restoring that machine.

Great vid, Keith, thank you.

Clicker was to determine friendly or enemy…one click answered with two clicks meant friendly

Thanks for the video. An excellent walk through. What a beautiful in a beastly sort of way, war machine.

Wow what a restoration success

Thank you Keith, great video!😊

Really enjoyed that Keith. Great work...

They gave their lives for democracy and an end to fascism . Jeeze that’s a beautiful restoration . Operation market garden , recognition signal . That is my favourite vehicle of ww2 .. beautifully reviewed , never seen such an in-depth , it’s always Sherman’s & Spitfires .

Great video cousin!

Brilliant ,thanks very interesting

Great job Keith!

Excellent 👍👍👍

GREAT video. Very well done. Restoration, too.👍 I noticed the many unpainted nuts, bolts, and screws. Were they unpainted from the factory or did you choose not to paint them? Either way, neat and clean, well done restoration.👍👍👏👏

Your M2A1 looks great thanks for this video :)

Excellent 👍🇺🇸🇨🇱✌️

I've also heard the clicker was to fool enemy on empty garand rifle. No clue if that's true. In combat do we bother with that ? There could be a situation where it may be practical. But how common ? Thanks for sending this again. Very impressed with how you started with a pile of parts and what you have now. Your wife is a great sport and support as I know what a huge job this was. And to think she thought you were crazy 😆

About the clicker,I think that it was used for Locating soldiers Position by using a code 🤔 in think that's what I remember my Dad told me. My Father really didn't like to talk a lot about his time while he was overseas in WW2 🇺🇸 . I Enjoy your Viedos.

Kool truck - one of my godbrothers bought a 1951 Army jeep cj5 - it was in rough shape but is boys ( 4 of us ) rebuilt back to military spec. except he put over size rims and all terrain tires on it and a roll cage - it had 4 seats - two were in the bed and could fold up out of the way - i think he still drives it - him and his twin brother are antique vehicles collectors - mostly pre 1970 only and rebuilt them to factory spec.

Very very cool

Smooth and quiet is the way not to get shot at. The US not only made their equipment simple, they also made spare parts that were shipped overseas with the equipment. The Germans made more complex equipment as fast as possible, and did not have time to make spares.

Very very impressive Keith 👏👏👌💪💪💪🐝🐝

That looks factory fresh. Looks great.

Very nice. I'd love me some Bertha.

It's so cool😮🔥🇮🇩

Superb restoration!

Amazing restoration. Looks factory fresh.

Did those really only get 3 mpg? How big is that gas tank? You did a beautiful Job on that vehicle. Thanks for making that video.

Cool

Bracket in Pass. floor well referred to in Technical Manual TM-9-710 as "apparatus, decontaminating 1.5 qt., m2 (spec 197-54-113). Right of right shutter handle fastened to plate"... - vehicle gas-decontamination kit?

Beutiful version, credit to fallen troops ❤ from Scotland

Wow beautiful vehicle , always loved the half tracks you did a job better than the government or special restoration shop would have done 👍🏻👍🏻 the only thing I would have liked was a 12 valve Cummings engine to replace that flathead 6 , but that’s me ! You made a great piece of history! Love it ! I would love to have this it would be better than any new car or truck !

Yes I know the clicker story . You did a good job fixing that machine up. I think the gov. should give you a big tax right off for doing all that work and saving history

Great vid and vehicle! Was it difficult to find tracks? Any idea how long a set of tracks would last?

The clicker was also used to make the germans think you fired your last round out of your m1 Garand because the clip would make a clicking noise when the last round was fired out of it.

Theres a White half track about a mile from my house. the guy owns a storage shed and has an outdoor museum . hes got some amazing stuff but, none of it is restored

My father rode one of those from Normandy to East Germany.

Ahhh the took the glass out of the windshield when armour was put down I wonder where they stored it? Is it possible that generally in combat areas they just left it out all together?

10:33 Hercules engine is a well-known brand of American engines

Nice . Looks like you did a thorough job. I have an m2 I'm working on also. Is the bed and armor original or reproduction. What did you do for fuel tanks.

What is the protrusion on the bottom of the trailer hitch? When I was in he Army, our trailer hitches didn't have this.

the clicker was used for comms

And America Soldier in Normandy was shot by a German soldier because as the German approached in the dark, the American gave one click to challenge, and heard two clicks back. When the Gi got up, he got shot, the two clicks he heard back was the German cocking his rifle, one click back, one click locking the breach.

grate vid i love halftracks and i love even more when the owners of military viechels actually dress up there vehicles with musetbaggs and tarps and stuff the clicker is for paratroopers on D-day to find echoer and regroup whale it being a nother way of them identifying friend and foe

are those 'screw heads' on the front aligned for visual inspection or to keep from accumulating water/rust?

i love it because its got my moms name

You would have felt pretty hard rolling around in this vic

Haven't you seen Band of Brothers? That clicker is for when you parachute drop from the plane into enemy territory you use the clicker to identify who you are to find your men and not yell out and give yourself away to the enemy.

Do you ever get called by directors for Ww2 movies or documentaries?

That took a while, lol over loaded that poor little pickup.

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cNyUxl0MXWQ.htmlsi=7z7lxrqALG7waUlH / Recreación Bélica DIA - D , en paya de Santander

Bracket should be for holding a rifle, but im not 100%.

Bocage clicker

Clicker was DDay GI recognition

Soviet BTR-152 copy M2 half truck

This vehicle would totally work in Ukraine