Kick the Bucket?

From: John Brian Seeling (JBSeeling@cox-internet.com)
Date: Mon Jun 21 2004 - 09:50:29 PDT


I've got an M16 half-track with the quad-mount in the back. Took it to the
D-Day Museum in New Orleans to display for the 60th Anniversary weekend.
Photos from the trip can be seen at the following link. The album is
private, so if you can't click on the link, copy and paste the url into your
browser's address line. One more thing, I don't know if my rig for hauling
the half-track and trailer is legal and since I've already made it there and
back, I'll save that question for a future post.

Here are the pics: <http://Seeling.smugmug.com/gallery/141849/1/4564308>

I got this vehicle from a used car lot in Texarkana, TX, after its previous
owner, Keith White, was killed in a plane crash. If anyone recognizes this
vehicle and can help me on its history, please reply off-list.

In the photos, you can see that there's a bucket on the back of the
half-track, on the left-hand side. I've been told that the boxes next to
the bucket on the back of the vehicle are "ration boxes" and assume that
these hold food. However, what is the purpose of the bucket?

I believe that this is the most common question I was asked by the younger
generation of WWII enthusiasts, and I never thought to ask any of the vets
while I was there.

I do have a good TM, and Hunnicut's book on american half-tracks, but in my
review of both looking for the answer, it didn't jump out at me. Hunnicut's
book shows the bucket (or the stop-sign looking bracket) on the anti-tank
(forward-firing howitzer) half-tracks, starting with the 57mm Gun Motor
Carriage, T48, (photos dated 3 Aug 42) on page 107. Almost all of the
anti-aircraft half-tracks have them (the M15A1 being the exception). So,
what's the bucket's purpose?

- John Brian Seeling
  Alexandria, LA



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