Otto Zachow and William Besserdich Patents
Four Wheel Drive Auto Company (FWD) During World War Two
Clintonville, WI
1909 - 1910 as the Badger Four Wheel Drive Auto Company
1910-1958 as the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company (FWD)
 1958 - ? as FWD
?- Current as Seagrave
1941-? Eagle Division - Appleton, WI
 May 1943 - August 1945 Stevens Point, WI

This page updated 1-13-2024.

This Four Wheel Drive Auto Company (FWD)-built USMC Model SU-COE is probably the only one of its type still in existence.  There were only 250 of this type of SU-COE built during World War Two.  This excellent restoration was done by the Marine Depot Maintenance Command at Albany, GA after being found in a scrap yard in San Diego, CA.  Photo courtesy of the Marine Depot Maintenance Command at Albany, GA.       

Somewhere in the Central or South Pacific a USMC SU-COE 5-6-ton 4x4 truck follows a Caterpillar D-7 tractor onto the beach.  It was common practice during landings in the Pacific for a tractor with a bulldozer blade to be the first vehicle out of the LSTs.  If needed, the tractor could build a sand road for the wheeled vehicles if the water was too deep.  Or, if there were obstructions on the beach, it could clear them out so trucks like the FWD SU-COE could proceed inland.  In this case, it appears the beach was just fine for the SU-COE to traverse across the beach.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

The SU-COE is piled high with sleeping bags.  The body had a second set of side rails installed so the truck could carry an extra-large load of personal belongings ashore.  It appears the SU-COE is pulling a 90mm anti-aircraft gun.  Experience had taught American invading forces in the Pacific that Japanese aircraft would contest island landings the same day or evening of the invasion.  Setting up anti-aircraft guns was one of the first objectives after securing the beachhead.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

The Four Wheel Drive Auto Company of Clintonville is a company whose World War Two contributions have been overlooked and forgotten in the United States.  There are several reasons for this.  Firstly, 93% of the 15,724 vehicles that FWD built during World War Two were for foreign use.  This was either through direct purchases by foreign countries or by Lend-Lease.  These vehicles were primarily used by Canada and Great Britain, with a small percentage going to the Soviet Union.  Secondly, and a result of the previous reason, there are no vehicles in the United States for collectors to obtain.  Thirdly, because the FWD vehicles were primarily not used by American forces, American military vehicle enthusiasts do not have an interest in obtaining such vehicles.

That being said, the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company made many vehicles that were welcomed by Canada, Great Britain, and Russia to provide needed transportation of supplies for their fighting forces.  The company was recognized by several organizations for its contribution to help win World War Two.

In the end, FWD had the last laugh as it still exists as Seagrave at the original factory location in Clintonville, WI.  Many of the original buildings are still used to make parts and the original office building is still in use.  That cannot be said for Diamond T or the White Motor Company that took business away from FWD during World War Two.  They are long gone while Clintonville, WI area residents still go to work at the original FWD factory site making fire trucks.

Firstly, we need to find out why the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company chose to build four wheel drive vehicles in Clintonville, WI.  Actually, it was an invention in the town that resulted in the formation of the company to produce four-wheel drive vehicles at this location.

One thing that is certain is where and how the initial idea that eventually developed into the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company got its start.  This is where the story begins.

This former machine shop in Clintonville, WI is where the concept of power to all four wheels, or four-wheel drive, was conceived in 1908.  This is also where the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company began, which was the first manufacturer of four-wheel drive vehicles.  Author's photo.

The information on the historical marker is accurate as far as it goes.  However, it does not mention that by 1912 Otto Zachow had cashed in his 350 shares for $9,000 and went back to his machine shop.  Then, in 1914, William Besserdich left the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company and then formed what became today's Oshkosh Corporation.  Previously,   The sign is in Clintonville, WI, home of FWD and the FWD Museum.  When this historical marker was erected in 1960, the two companies were competitors in a limited market.  FWD lost market share, eventfully purchased Seagrave and began making fire apparatus in Clintonville.  Oshkosh obtained several key military contracts and became a dominant manufacturer of all-wheel drive military vehicles.  Author's photo.

In 1908, the Badger Four Wheel Drive Auto Company, under the direction of Mr. Zachow and Mr. Besserdich, built its first ever four-wheel drive vehicle named the "Battleship" as stated on the historical marker.  Another ten cars were built but the market was not receptive to a four-wheel car at the time.  Therefore, the company moved into producing trucks, which was a path taken by several other car companies early in the history of the automobile.  The passengers in the "Battleship" include William Besserdich's granddaughter, great grandson, and great, great grandson.  Tom Cihowiak photo via Tim Wright.

Author's Note:  Many of the photos included in this webpage are from the Tim Wright Collection.  Mr. Wright has been collecting FWD memorabilia and photos for many years and is a well-known Four Wheel Drive Auto Company historian.  Mr. Wright has been gracious enough to allow me to use many of his photos in order for me to tell the full story of how the FWD Company helped win World War Two.  I want to thank Mr. Wright for allowing me to use his photographs in this website.  Mr. Wright is the person driving the FWD Battleship in the above photo. 

Today, the machine shop where four-wheel and all-wheel drive was invented is part of the FWD Seagrave Museum located in Clintonville.  Author's photo.

Today, four-wheel and all-wheel drive vehicles are commonplace.  Now four-wheel drive is pretty much standard equipment on pickup trucks, and many SUVs are equipped with all-wheel drive.  For this to have happened, Otto Zachow and William Besserdich designed the first really workable method of applying power to the front wheels needed to steer the vehicle.  That was done in this building.  For those of us who drive trucks with four-wheel drive and SUVs with all-wheel drive, we are indebted to Mr. Zachow and Mr. Besserdich.  Author's photo.

This is the first of two patents that Otto Zachow and William Besserdich were awarded.  Unlike previous attempts and patents relating to four-wheel drive vehicles, their patents evenly divided the power to front and rear wheels.  The U.S. Army was so impressed by this particular design that was used on the FWD Model B in World War One, that it purchased both patents from the company and gave the technology to other truck companies.

Both patents can be viewed in their entirety at the link at the top of this page.  

In 1908, Otto Zachow and William Besserdich had two patents but were short on cash to move forward.  Dr. W.H. Finney of Clintonville provided $1,800 in financing to assist the two men.  However, in 1910 Dr. Finney reversed his position and withdrew his support and money from the fledging enterprise.  At this point, a lawyer, Walter A. Olen, gave up his law practice to become the company's person in charge of sales and marketing.  Staging a large public competition among many auto makers in a Clintonville FWD company's sand pit, all of the other contestants had to be pulled out by the FWD competitor.  Mr. Olen used the enthusiasm generated at the event to persuade local residents to invest in their local vehicle manufacturer.  With this initial funding, the company built a small factory in Clintonville.

As noted above, both Mr. Zachow and Mr. Besserdich left the company they created.  Otto Zachow left in 1912 and returned to his machine shop. 

William Besserdich stayed another two years.  Differences of opinion with the company's president, Walter Owen, and an engineer, Mr. Battenberg, caused his departure.  In 1914 he sold his shares in the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company and moved on.  William Besserdich then teamed up with Bernhard Mosling, an established businessman in Clintonville.  The two formed the Wisconsin Duplex Auto Company in Clintonville and set up shop in Mr. Mosling's mercantile store.  However, the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company dominated the business atmosphere in Clintonville.  Therefore, the first vehicle built by the fledgling company in 1917 was a one-ton 4x4 built at Andrews Motor Manufacturing under the guidance of William Besserdich.  This four-wheel drive truck was named "Old Betsy."  The same year the operation moved to Oshkosh, WI and became the Oshkosh Motor Truck Company.

Early Military Vehicles:  In 1910, the one year old company sold its first military vehicle after U.S. Army Quartermaster officer Captain Alexander E. Williams noticed a newspaper ad for the new company's product.  In his current assignment he was investigating several vehicle companies and had purchased several trucks for testing.  Once Captain Williams read the ad on the new four-wheel drive truck, he took the train to Clintonville, WI to see the new vehicle for himself.  While at Clintonville, Mr. Zachow and Besserdich drove him all over the country side in the second automobile the company had made.  Impressed by what he saw during the test drive, Captain Williams purchased one of the original ten automobiles for $1,900.  The vehicle was modified with an army escort wagon box which turned it into a truck.  Besides being the first military sale for the fledging company, it may well have been the first sale of any type of four-wheel drive truck for the U.S. Army.  This was the first of many military truck sales for the small company.    

In 1912, Captain Williams organized a 1,509 mile endurance test for the trucks he had purchased.   On February 28, 1912, the test began at Washington, D.C.  Besides the FWD vehicle Captain Williams had purchased, trucks from Autocar, Sampson, and White were also in the test.  Each vehicle was loaded with one and a half tons of supplies plus another half ton of sand.  Captain Williams wanted to prove that motorized vehicles could perform the same function as the horse drawn supply wagon.  The course went south to Atlanta, GA over muddy roads and open fields.  Once in Atlanta, the vehicles turned north and proceeded to Fort Benjamin Harrison on the east side of Indianapolis, IN.  The Sampson had to drop out due to failure of the connecting rod bearings, but the other three trucks arrived at Fort Harrison on March 28, 1912.  After a second endurance run in Iowa and Wisconsin, Captain Williams chose FWD, Mack, and White for further use and testing. 

After World War One started in 1914, FWD received an order for two trucks from the British firm of Gaston, Williams, and Wigmore.  After evaluating the two vehicles, the British company ordered another 50 trucks, which were more vehicles than what FWD had previously built in its limited existence.  In 1915, the company shipped 400 trucks to Great Britain and expanded the size of its factory in Clintonville several times.  It became an international company with sales not only to Britain, but Argentina, Brazil, France, Portugal, Russia, and Spain. 

On March 9, 1916, Pancho Villa crossed the U.S.-Mexican border and attacked Columbus, NM.  This resulted in an order of 147 FWD 3-ton 4x4 trucks for General John Pershing's Mexican Expedition.  This was FWD's largest order to date for the U.S. Army. 

There are at least sixteen Model Bs ready to move into Mexico in search of Pancho Villa.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

This is another line of FWD Model B's in New Mexico.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

World War One:  The Four Wheel Drive Company-designed Model B was one of several types of 4x4 trucks supplied to the U.S. Army during World War One.  There was a total of 16,000 built.  It should be noted that FWD did not have the production capacity to build the 16,000 in the time required by the U.S. Army.  Therefore, four other companies, Kissel, Mitchell, Peerless, and Premier, were licensed to build the Model B during World War One.  FWD built approximately half of the Model Bs while the other companies built the rest.  FWD's first World War One Army contract was awarded in 1917 when the company received a $12,000,000 contract for 3,750 Model B 3-ton 4x4 trucks.  This was a unit price of $3,200.  The Model B was powered by a 56 hp engine and a three-speed transmission.  The transfer shaft was driven by a Morse five-inch silent chain to provide power to both the front and rear drive shafts.  Of special interest is the fact that the company used a vanadium steel in its ladder type chassis.  The Model B could carry its own weight in freight and had multiple uses in World War One.  Besides being used to move cargo and supplies, the Model B was also used to carry ammunition and had a special steel body mounted to the chassis for this function. 

FWD Model Bs were the largest group of American trucks to serve on the Western Front during World War One.  The large variety of trucks and the large number of various required spare parts was the reason for the creation of the Standard B truck with standardized parts.  But it was too little too late, and only a few were shipped to Europe.  However, the FWD Model Bs were there in quantity and helped win World War One.

The Four Wheel Drive Auto Company was recognized for its contribution to the winning of World War One by the War Department.  Photo from FWD World War Two newsletter in the Tim Wright Collection.

The FWD Seagrave Museum in Clintonville, WI has a working example of a Model B.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection. 

Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

This FWD Model B belonged to the Army Signal Corps Aviation Section and is truck number 1035.  Note that the cab has been weatherized by a clear plastic and rubber enclosure.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

This image from the FWD Handbook shows Model B-1917 equipped with a steel ammunition body.   The transfer case is a gear driven unit as described in Mr. Zachow's and Mr. Besserdich's Patent No. 907,940.  This 1908 patent was for a "Power Applying Mechanism."   In World War Two the company used chain driven transfer cases.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

This 1926 FWD Model BT is on display at the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum.  Note that the truck and the location of manufacture is well identified on the top of the radiator housing.  Author's photo added 1-13-2024.

The Model BT was a heavy duty work truck weighing 13,400 lbs. Author's photo added 1-13-2024.

Mounted on the rear of the truck is a boring machine that could bore holes up to eight feet deep.  Author's photo added 1-13-2024.

The boring machine could bore 25-30 holes per day compared to 8-10 men being able to bore only an average of eight per day.  During the 1920s and 1930s, the United States was undergoing an intense program of rural electrification.  The FWD Model BT with the boring machine was instrumental in boring holes for power poles throughout the United States.  Author's photo added 1-13-2024.

This former military M20 crane carrier has an FWD chassis and a Gar Wood crane.  It is part of the large and excellent collection at the Historical Construction Equipment Association at Bowling Green, OH.  Note that FWD departed from its normal 4x4 configuration and specifically designed and built the 6x6 chassis for this vehicle.  Author's photo added 1-13-2024.

Author's photo added 1-13-2024.

FWD began production of this unit in 1952 as the model MUC.  The MUC chassis during its service time had other cranes and shovels mounted on it.  However, the units with the Gar Wood crane were most prominent and eventually designated as M20s.  This particular one was purchased as military surplus by a construction company in Ohio and then donated to the Historical Construction Equipment Association in 2020.  Author's photo added 1-13-2024. 

World War Two:  After World War One, FWD sold its patent rights to the United States Army.  This allowed the American military to have other truck companies begin to use the patented four-wheel drive system on a variety of different models and sizes.  When the United States military began ordering trucks for its use in World War Two, it had a larger selection of companies from which to choose to provide all-wheel drive vehicles.  Also, in trucks larger than 2-1/2-tons, the U.S. Army preferred 6x6 vehicles.  Because the Four-Wheel Drive Auto Company specialized in 4x4 trucks, the company was not considered for major Army contracts.  Therefore, the company's 4-ton 4x4 HAR series trucks lost out to Diamond T's 4-ton 6x6 truck during World War Two.  FWD also had the SU-COE series 5-6-ton 4x4 trucks which did not fit into the standard size of trucks the U.S. Army had developed.  Also, FWD was located in a small town of only several thousand persons in northern Wisconsin which did not have the capacity or the estimated workforce to produce trucks in the quantities that the U.S. Army was going to need.

While the U.S. military, for the most part, was not interested in FWD's products during World War Two, Great Britain was.  The British military favored 4x4 trucks and took all of the FWD trucks it could get.  Canada and the USSR also received some, but Great Britain was the biggest user of the trucks built in Clintonville, WI.  As noted at the top of this page, the USMC used a small number of modified SU-COEs in the Pacific.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Navy also purchased small quantities of FWD trucks during World War Two.

Awards:  The Four Wheel Drive Auto Company, while not a big producer for the U.S. military, was still recognized for its contributions to the war effort by the number of awards it received. 

This 1942 Production Drive Award Pin appears to have been company generated.  As soon as the United States entered World War Two, the company began a newsletter as a motivator to increase production.  The Four Wheel Drive Auto Company awarded its employees with this pin in 1942 for their contribution to meeting schedules and getting trucks out the back door. 

The U.S. Ordnance Chicago District awarded the company its own flag.  This is the only one I have ever seen in my years of researching World War Two companies.  This may well have been an award that only the Chicago District did for companies with which it worked.  In the case of FWD, one of the main reasons given for the award was that it disassembled HAR-1 trucks after testing to be packed into crates so that they took up less shipping space on railcars and ships.  FWD was a leader in this type of operation.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

This document gives the FWD employees instruction for attending the Army Ordnance Award ceremony.  Apparently, FWD had just completed an expansion with a new final assembly building in which it held the presentation.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

This took place on second shift.  It remains to be seen whether the second shift workers were allowed to attend this dinner.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

Each employee received a certificate with his or her name on it.  This is very similar to the certificate that was awarded employees who won the Army-Navy "E" Award.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

The program that each employee received is very similar to the ones given out for the "E" Award.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

At the end of 1944, the FWD Clintonville operation had 303 salaried employees and 1,850 hourly workers.  Having had 265 or 12.4% of the company's employees enter the military no doubt resulted in a big push for replacements.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

This award shows that while the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company did not have the product line and capacity the U.S. Army needed in World War Two, the company was producing trucks for the Allies ahead of schedule and without labor strikes.  The company was awarded Army-Navy "E" flag by the U.S. Army four times during World War Two.  In other words, the company was doing all the right things to get trucks out the door to Great Britain, Canada, and the USSR.  This "E" flag is on display at the FWD Seagrave Museum in Clintonville, WI.  This is the third of four flags the company was awarded, as it has two stars on it.  The original flag had no stars, and a star was added each time the award was renewed every six months.  FWD was awarded its first "E" award on December 16, 1943.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

This flag was awarded for 100% FWD employees' participation in purchasing at least 10% of their wages in U.S. Savings Bonds.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

This image shows the U.S. Treasury's Bulls-eye Flag at the bottom.  The Treasury Department contracted with FWD five times during World War Two.  Photo from FWD World War Two newsletter in the Tim Wright Collection.

Four Wheel Drive Auto Company World War Two Products:  There are 13 tables on this page.  Eleven are in this section.

Table 1 is a listing of all of the trucks the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company built in World War Two.  For the casual reader, this may be all one needs.  FWD built an estimated 15,724 trucks during World War Two. 

Table 2 shows that the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company's main plant at Clintonville, WI plant had $92,488,000 in major contracts during World War Two. 

Table 3 shows that the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company's Steven's Point, WI plant had $3,122,000 in major contracts. 

Table 4 shows the FWD major product categories.  Trucks, truck chassis, and tractors comprised 92.1% of the contracts.  Spare parts was the next largest at 4.5%. 

Table 5 shows the FWD-produced vehicles accepted by Army Ordnance.  This was 12,140 vehicles.

Table 6 associates data from Tables 2 and 5 for the Clintonville plant.

Table 7 is data on British Commonwealth purchased HAR-01 and HAR-03 vehicles.  These were ordered before Lend-Lease was enacted and were direct purchases.

Table 8 is data on USMC type SU-COE trucks. 

Table 9 is data U.S. Army Corps of Engineers SU-COE Trucks.

Table 10 contains FWD SU-COE Serial Numbers.

Table 11 contains information on Four Wheel Drive Auto Company's Lend-Lease Transfers.

Table 12 associates data from Tables 2 and 5 for the Stevens Point plant.  This is in the Stevens Point section. 

Table 13 is in the SU-COE section.

There is a problem in Table 7 with trying to match up known contacts for the HAR-03.  Volumes and contract values do not make any sense as they range from $1,474 to $28,750 per unit cost.  I have also done an average cost.  These strange average cost values have no effect on the number of trucks produced. 

This image is from the Maintenance Manual for the HAR-03.  It provides contract and serial numbers. 

This is a HAR-03 with a Waukesha BZ 95 hp engine.

The Army Corps of Engineers purchased 28 FWD YUs under Contract Number 145-ENG-249.  This was a $248,000, contract indicating that each FWD YU cost an average of $8,857.  The YU was the U.S. Army's first attempt to build a bridging truck.  FWD developed the design shown above which included the detachable A-frame that was used as a crane.  This was used for maneuvering the bridge treadways into place as shown above.  The FWD YU also included an air compressor and air storage tanks for inflating pontoons. 

Fourteen FWD YU bridging trucks were evaluated during the Carolina Maneuvers.  It was found that the biggest drawback to the YU was that it took fifteen minutes to set up and assemble the A-frame.  This was considered too long for a combat situation.  Therefore, the Army Corps of Engineers suggested to use two parallel swinging arms mounted to the truck body that could start placing treadways in 90 seconds.  This concept was generated by FWD and it proposed another bridging truck with this design.  Concurrently, the Army Corps of Engineers was investigating other similar methods proposed by other companies.  In the end, it decided on the Daybrook Hydraulic Corporation's design to be mounted on Brockway 6-ton 6x6 trucks as its bridging truck. 

The FWD YU shown here is being used by Army Engineers to build a pontoon bridge at Fort Knox, KY on September 24, 1942.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection. 

The photo above and the one below are the only known photographic evidence that the Army Corps of Engineers purchased a number of trucks from FWD.    

 This truck has USA registration number W-609046.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection. 

Both of the contracts below are assumed to be for the purchase of trucks with added bridging equipment.  Sometimes the contracts are not completely clear on what is being ordered.  The estimated number of trucks estimated below is 71.  While the exact cost is unknown, it can be assumed that the Corps of Engineers purchased no more than 100 trucks.

Table 10 shows the FWD serial numbers associated with the production of the SU-COE for Army Ordnance.  This is for reference only and is not required for the calculation of the number of SU-COEs FWD made.

 
This HAR-1 specification sheet has been added 1-13-2024 courtesy of Tim Wright. 

The majority of the trucks were provided to the United Kingdom for its use.  Note the fuel tank on the vehicle.  In the photos below, it has been removed for cleaning and repainting.  Photo courtesy of Jeff Lakaszcyck.  

In the photos below, the cab, hood, engine cowling, fenders, bumper, and winch have all been removed for bead blasting and repainting.  The FWD HAR-1 has the classic lines of an American World War Two truck.  It is a very nice looking vehicle.  Photo courtesy of Jeff Lakaszcyck. 

In the photos below, the interior of the truck has also been removed.  Photo courtesy of Jeff Lakaszcyck.

FWD made several of the components for the FWD including the axles and frame.  However, like other truck manufacturers, it relied on outside suppliers to furnish many of the components for the FWD.  Below is the supplier listing for this vehicle. 

Many of the same companies on this list were suppliers for the other American truck manufacturers of World War Two.  Some of the companies are still in existence today, while many have gone by the wayside over the past 80 years.  Some of the component manufacturers will be identified in the photos below. 

  The walk around will begin at the driver's side front corner.  This allows us to start by viewing first hand Otto Zachow's and William Besserdich's original patent that made four-wheel -drive a useful technology.  Author's photo. 

This article is from the volume 2, issue 2 of the FWD's World War Two employee newsletter.  It explains the importance of the concept for the existence of the company.  What it does not say is that after World War One, the company sold the patents to the U.S. Army which allowed its competitors to have the same technology.   Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.   

  At the intersection of the driveshaft and the front wheel is the ball and socket noted in the above article.  Author's photo.

Within the ball and socket is the double Y joint that Otto Zachow and William Besserdich invented.  The complete text of the patent is on the Otto Zachow and William Besserdich Patents page.   Author's photo.

This view is a close-up photo of the ball and socket assembly.  Author's photo.

The upside down "FWD" can be seen on the front axle.  At the right of the photo is the ball-and-socket assembly.  On the left is the front differential noted in the newsletter above.  Author's photo

The chassis still had blue masking tape on it after returning from the bead blaster.  The radiator was supplied by Perfex Corporation of Milwaukee, WI.  Author's photo.

Note that even the wood body was bead blasted to remove the sand-colored paint.  Author's photo.

Budd Wheel Company of Detroit, MI, furnished the wheels for this and most of the heavy duty trucks built during World War Two.  Author's photo.

The power plant for the 7,000 HAR-1s was the Waukesha Motor Company's Model 6BZ 6-cylinder gasoline engine that produced 95 HP at 2800 rpms.  Waukesha Motor Company was located in Waukesha, WI.  Author's photo.

The engine came equipped with a carburetor from the Zenith Carburetor Division of Bendix Aviation.  The generator, starter, regulator, distributor, and coil were all furnished by Auto-Lite of Toledo, OH.  Author's photo.

Fuller Manufacturing of Kalamazoo, MI was the supplier of the 5B-33-SP five-speed transmission and the hand brake system.  This includes the brake lever, brake release spoon, connecting rod, and the hand brake assembly.  Author's photo.

The Fuller transmission is shown in this close-up photo along with the hand brake lever pivot mechanism.  Author's photo.

The drum and brake lining are shown in this image.  The two studs are for securing the cab of the truck.  Author's photo.

 Author's photo.

This FWD-made bracket was used to mount and secure the cab to the frame.  Author's photo.

Behind the hand brake is the transfer case.  The front wheel drive propeller shaft is in the lower left of the photo.  This appears to have been built by FWD.  Author's photo.  

This side view of the transfer case shows both the front and rear propeller shafts.  Otto Zachow and William Besserdich had a second patent, Patent No. 907,940 for a "Power Applying Mechanism."  This was for their version of the transfer case which applied power to both the front and rear axles.  The Otto Zachow and William Besserdich transfer case was a gear driven unit.  The transfer case shown here is a chain driven unit, indicating that FWD had moved on to a more advanced and common technology for the transfer of power to both front and rear axles.  Also, there was no mention of the transfer case in the newsletter article above.  The complete text of the patent is on the Otto Zachow and William Besserdich Patents page.  Author's photo.

Author's photo.

The front differential on this truck has its roots in the origin of the company and the original 1908 Patent No. 882,986 by Otto Zachow and William Besserdich.  Author's photo. 

The information on the universal joint says it was made by the Blood Brothers Machine Company of Allegan, MI, which is a company name I had not seen before.  At the turn of the 20th Century, the Blood Brothers began making bicycles in Kalamazoo, MI.  In 1914, the brothers purchased a factory in Allegan, MI, and began making race cars with their own unique chain drive.  The Cornelian race car was driven by Louis Chevrolet in the 1915 Indianapolis 500.  Mr. Chevrolet had to drop out due to engine valve failure but did place 20th in the event.  Further investigation indicates the Blood Brothers supplied universal joints for about half of the different truck models used in World War Two.  But I digress.  All of the universal joints on the HAR-1 were provided by the Blood Brothers.  Author's photo.

The wood portions of the bed appear to have been made by FWD as there is no other supplier given.  However, all of the steel parts on the bed were supplied by the Edward G. Budd Manufacturing Company of Philadelphia, PA.  Author's photo.  

There is a steel step on the tailgate to assist soldiers in getting into the bed of the vehicle.  Author's photo.

The Holland Hitch Company of Holland, MI provided the pintle hook.  The bumperettes and the mud flaps appear to have been manufactured by FWD.  Author's photo.  

The rear axle was built by FWD.  Author's photo.

Author's photo.

The rear axle, differential, and springs were all manufactured by FWD.  The rear and front brakes were supplied by the Wagner Electric Company of St. Louis, MO.  The drums and hubs were provided by the Kickhaefer Manufacturing Company of Milwaukee, WI.  Author's photo.

This image shows some of the construction of the bottom of the body and how it was mounted to the frame.  The Maremount Automotive Products Company of Chicago, IL supplied the muffler for the FWD HAR-1.  The two brackets are used for mounting the fuel tank.  Author's photo.

The 40 gallon fuel tank was out of the truck for cleaning and painting.  The cap was supplied by Stant Manufacturing of Connersville, IN.  Author's photo.

This brings us around to the front of the vehicle.  The front axle, differential, and driveshaft were all produced by FWD.  The steering wheel, tube, and steering gear components came from Ross Gear in Lafayette, IN.  Author's photo.


The manufacturer of the shock absorber that is mounted to the frame and the middle of the front spring assembly is a mystery.  It has a manufacturer's code of HH in the parts manual.  As can be seen in the list of manufacturers at the top of this section, there is no HH code.  The steering drag links and tie rods were furnished by the Thompson Products Corporation of Cleveland, OH.   Author's photo.

The steering assembly was manufactured by Ross Gear.  It includes the steering wheel, tube, and the steering gear.  Author's photo.  

The name "Ross" can be seen on the steering gear.  Author's photo.

This photo was taken in mid-July 1944.  Production stopped at 7,000, which fulfilled U.S. Army Ordnance contract number 171-2675.  These units are sitting outside of the Clintonville, WI plant waiting on missing parts before being shipped.  One of the obvious absences is the body.  It is unknown whether these were installed at Clintonville or by a sub-contractor at another location.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

With the completion of the HAR-1 contract, FWD could focus on the production of 960 SU-COE cargo trucks and 2,700 SU-COE prime movers for Lend-Lease.

Other Surviving FWD HAR-1 Trucks:

The FWD HAR-1 shown above is the proud possession of Mr. Hein Klop of the Netherlands.  Mr. Klop has been able to fully restore the truck to its original configuration.  Image courtesy of Mr. Klop added 1-13-2024.

Image courtesy of Mr. Klop added 1-13-2024.

Image courtesy of Mr. Klop added 1-13-2024.

Mr. Klop also has this HAR-1 in his collection.  Mr. Klop is currently searching for the missing parts of this vehicle to also make it a complete restoration.  Image courtesy of Mr. Klop added 1-13-2024. 
 

U.S. Navy Trucks:

These six trucks are destined for the U.S. Navy.  The information with the photo indicates these were for the U.S. Navy Seabee Construction Battalions of World War Two.  If so, the manufacture of these would have been after March 5, 1942, when the Seabees were created.  The trucks appear to be FWD commercial trucks furnished to the Navy.  Table 1 indicates that there were no major contracts for these trucks.  However, if the order was only for the six units shown here, the value of the contract would have been less than $50,000 and therefore not recorded in Table 1.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

This appears to have been a one-time order.  During World War Two, the U.S. Navy Seabees used GMC CCKW cargo dump trucks in its construction of facilities.

SU-COE Trucks:  The SU-COE was produced in two basic different versions during World War Two.  The first version of 250 went to the USMC and were built in both Clintonville and Stevens Point, WI.  After these were completed at Stevens Point and production HAR-1 production ended in Clintonville, the company began producing a right-hand drive version under U.S. Army contracts for British Lend-Lease.  In 1944 and 1945, the company produced 1,460 SU-COE cargo versions and 2,700 prime movers.

The SU-COE also had a number of limited production and experimental designs.  It was the truck chassis that FWD used to promote other military uses during World War Two.

This extended cab truck is described as being an FWD line unit with earth borer for the U.S. Engineers.  This appears to be a prototype of what might have been a very small production run for the Army engineers early in the war.  The engine has been moved forward from that of an SU-COE, which seems to be more of a cab forward design than a COE.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection. 

This photo is described as a snow removal unit, which has been mounted to an SU-COE chassis.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.  

This image shows an Army engineer SU-COE being tested in the FWD proving ground mud hole.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection. 

How cool is this?  There are at least 73 FWD-built SU-COE cargo trucks awaiting shipment.  All still need to have the cargo body installed.  There are five trucks with identifiable USA registration numbers.  They are 533681, 533689, 533690, 533691, and 533695.  The vehicles are destined for the United Kingdom as they are right-hand drive.   Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection. 

This photo is of a USMC SU-COE undergoing a test demonstration drive.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

This appears to be a slushy spring day at the Clintonville plant during shift change.  Of interest is that the company had at least six SU-COE cabs outside along the driveway.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection. 

This and the next photo may or may not be the same SU-COE, as they were taken at different times of the year.  Both appear to be the right hand drive Lend-Lease version.  This one is described as a cargo transport tractor. Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

This one is described as a medium artillery tractor.  Both of these trucks are different than the ones shown sitting in the yard at Clintonville, as these two have a winch.  The others don't.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

This Wisconsin winter photo shows what was described as a bomb recovery unit.  There was a reference or two in 1942 FWD company newsletters that FWD bomb removal trucks were in use in England.  Note that this is a right-hand drive truck with the headlights covered over and no blackout light.  As the photo below shows, Lend-Lease SU-COEs did not have headlights and only one blackout light.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

The vehicle above may have been a prototype of a very limited production run.  I have not been able to find a corresponding contract for bomb removal trucks.  If there was a limited number of these built for the British and the contract was less than $50,000, it would not have shown up in the Major Contract listing. 

Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

This photo of the SU-COE shows the truck had two fuel tanks and the front wheel drive propeller shaft and differential are on the opposite side of the driver.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

Anatomy of the FWD SU-COE:  For the FWD HAR-1, I was able to do walk around of a vehicle under restoration.  For the SU-COE, there are currently no vehicles available to do this with.  This is a very rare vehicle in the United States.  Therefore, I will use the SU-COE Operation and Maintenance Manual, TM-10-1377 to provide information about this vehicle.

There is a considerable amount of information in this manual that cannot be found anywhere else.  The FWD SU-COE is one the most obscure, if not THE most obscure World War Two truck built by an American truck company.  The section below will hopefully shed more light on this rare vehicle.  Image added 1-13-2024.

This second addition of this manual has a rubber stamped "69462--71200-INC." on this page.  Normally, these numbers are found penciled in on other manuals Ihave seen.  This gives me further confidence that this series of trucks was actually produced.  Image added 1-13-2024. 

Image added 1-13-2024.

There were two different data plates for the SU-COE series, depending on the serial numbers.  Image added 1-13-2024.

Image added 1-13-2024.

Image added 1-13-2024.

Lubrication diagrams are a good way to show the drive train components on a vehicle.  They also show how far the technology has come in the past 80 years.  Currently,  most, if not all components like those shown here are self-lubricating.  Image added 1-13-2024.

Table 13 below shows all of the different manufacturers that contributed to the manufacture of the SU-COE during World War Two. 

Every good truck starts with a solid frame.  However, it is hidden underneath the vehicle, and like the late Rodney Dangerfield used to say, "Gets No Respect!"  Without a well designed and built frame, the truck will not be able to carry the load that is required of it.  It is the backbone of the truck.  This page not only denotes the type and strength of the steel used in the frame, but also how it can be straightened, if necessary.  Image added 1-13-2024. 

Springs are another hidden component underneath the vehicle.  Both the frame and the springs were considered by the Four Wheel Drive Company to be important enough for the company to manufacture them in-house.  Image added 1-13-2024.

Hiding in plain sight is the windshield wiper and motor assembly which is driven by air pressure or vacuum off the engine and was mounted at the top of the windshield.  Have you ever been driving at night in a driving rainstorm and had your windshield wiper motor go out?  I have.  It is not a pleasant experience, to say the least.  Military trucks have to run through all sorts of inclement weather such as rain and snow at all times of the day and night.  A military truck's windshield wipers and motors must be reliable for safe driving.  FWD did not make its own windshield wipers.  Like all of the other World War Two truck manufacturers, FWD purchased this important safety item from the Trico Products Corporation of Buffalo, NY.  Image added 1-13-2024. 

This photo shows that the SU-COE had two wipers, with the wipers mounted to the inside of the windshield frame.  The driveshaft goes through the frame and actuates the wiper blade on the outside of the windshield.  Image added 1-13-2024. 

The cargo body also hides in plain sight and is the reason the truck is built so that it can carry a useful load.  There are two different sets of drawings for the cargo body.  This one is for serial numbers 62841-63191 inclusive and 63441-6379 inclusive.  Image added 1-13-2024.

This one has two pages and is considerably more detailed.  It is for serial numbers 66674-69372 inclusive and 69462-72300 inclusive.  Image added 1-13-2024.

Image added 1-13-2024.

Also hiding in plain sight is the winch.  This image shows the exterior of the Gar Wood Model 4MB.  The outside view shows that the interior winch mechanism is encased in several castings.  Image added 1-13-2024. 

While the winch does not look complicated from the outside, this interval view shows that the device consists of 75 different components.  Image added 1-13-2024.

Diamond T Model 980 or 981, 12-ton, 6x4 M20 Trucks:  FWD produced under subcontract 100 Diamond T Model 980 tank transporters.  These are mentioned in early FWD 1942 newsletters indicating work may have begun on them in 1941.  Because they were built under contract, any survivors built by FWD cannot be identified, as they will have Diamond T data plates. 

FWD produced 100 of the hardtop cab version of Diamond T Model 980/981. There is a small chance this vehicle was actually built by FWD in Clintonville, WI.  Author's photo. 

The Stevens Point, WI Plant:  The Clintonville FWD operation could not keep up with the orders it was receiving and needed another facility to assemble trucks.  Nearby Stevens Point, WI had a new county highway garage that had enough space for final assembly.  Since the beginning of World War Two, Stevens Point business leaders had been looking for a company that could come to town to augment the several paper mills in the area.  In late April 1943, Portage County Commissioners voted to allow FWD to utilize the county highway department garage for the duration of the war.  Stevens Point provided $5,000 and the Chamber of Commerce provided $2,500 to the county to relocate the county highway office workers to another temporary location.  This was all done as the plant needed to hire 100 workers immediately and would eventually employ a projected 400 workers.  FWD paid $7,200 per year to rent the building.  Production began in early May 1943.

My best friend for the past 30 years grew up in Stevens Point, WI and is very familiar with much of the history of the area.  However, he was unaware that FWD had this plant in Stevens Point during the war.  Actually, many of the historians at the FWD Museum in Clintonville, WI were unaware of this factory until 2016, when it was researched by a local Stevens Point historian. 

The World War Two section of the plant was approximately 167 feet long by 80 feet wide.  The USMC SU-COE 4x4 truck that the plant assembled was just over 21 feet long.  This implies that there could have been one or more assembly lines with most likely seven vehicles on them.  The SU-COE was 8 feet wide, allowing for several lines running back and forth within the building.  According to the historical record, there were going to be 24 departments in the plant.  These could have actually been the different work stations where parts were assembled to the chassis.  Enough room would have been needed to provide for stock storage of all of parts supplied by the Clintonville plant and outside suppliers.  Clintonville supplied the frames and axles while Waukesha Motors supplied engines and Fuller Manufacturing supplied the transmissions.  Another 60-70 companies shipped in their components for final assembly.

The 168 6-ton, 6x6 bridge erecting trucks that the facility built at the end of the war were somewhat larger at 24 feet long and 8-1/3 feet wide, most likely resulting in five on an assembly line.  As this was a White Model 666, it had a different set of parts from many of the same suppliers as the SU-COE. 

This and the next image are the suppliers for the 6-ton, 6x6, bridge erecting truck.  Adequate space in the 13,360 square foot building needed to be maintained for all of the incoming parts. 

This group picture most likely is in recognition of either the first or last USMC SU-COE truck built.  It appears that the plant only employed four women as office help.  "Rosie the Riveter" had not made her way into upper central Wisconsin.  A core team of experienced supervisors were assigned to Stevens Point from Clintonville.  

According to the historical record, Stevens Point built the last 120 of the estimated 250 USMC SU-COEs that the company built.  These were built on U.S. Navy contract NOM-38159.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.   

According to the September 16, 2016, edition of the Portage County Gazette that published an article on the Stevens Point FWD plant, the U.S. Ordnance Department placed an order for 550 trucks to go to the Canadians.  Table 5 shows that 500 SU-COEs were accepted in 1944 under Ordnance contract 11-022-213.  It would have made sense for Stevens Point to make this version of the SU-COE, as it was nearly the same as the USMC truck except it had an enclosed cab and right side steering.  This allowed Clintonville to focus on the 7,000 units of HAR-1s it was building.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

The last truck built at Stevens Point was the 6-ton, 6x6 bridge erecting truck chassis which was based on the White 666 truck.  As Table 12 shows, Stevens Point built 168 of these between March and August of 1945.  While another 2,907 were built by Brockway, Ward LaFrance, and White, this order would seem to have been a late build for more trucks of this type for the planned invasion of Japan.     

  Below are two bridge erector trucks that were photographed at the 2019 D-Day activities in Normandy, France.  Both are Brockways, but the FWDs were identical to these.  The body of the truck was designed to carry bridging pontoons and then back up to a river to be crossed, and slide the pontoons into the water.  The truck could also inflate the pontoons on-site, allowing it to carry more of them to the crossing location.  As noted earlier, these were considerably larger and more complicated than the FWD SU-COEs that Stevens Point assembled. 

This is the hard cab version of the Brockway B-666.  Photo is courtesy of Pierre-Olivier Buan.

Note that there is bridging equipment in the body of the truck.  There appears to be deflated pontoons at the rear.  Photo is courtesy of Pierre-Olivier Buan.

This soft top version of the B-666 has its Daybrook Bridge Erector unit in the upright position.  As the unit started to rise, a pontoon located on it would slide into the water.  Photo is courtesy of Pierre-Olivier Buan.

Photo is courtesy of Pierre-Olivier Buan.

The former Portage County, WI county highway garage still exists in Stevens Point.  Currently, it has been re-purposed into a local recycling point.  Image courtesy of Google Maps.

The Portage County highway garage was new to the county as it had just been built in 1941.  Image courtesy of Google Maps.

Directly across the street is the Stevens Point Brewery.  Image courtesy of Google Maps.

This image of the northeast side of the building shows that at one time it had windows.  There is also a large overhead door.  Image courtesy of Google Maps.

Image courtesy of Google Maps.

As I noted before, my best friend is from Stevens Point.  Because of this, I was aware of the brewery in town and on occasion have been treated to some of its products.  So, I was surprised to find that my research led me to the FWD facility that was across the street from the brewery.  But my association goes much deeper than just the beer made at "The Point Brewery."

This is George Hanson, my friend Rob Hanson's older brother, when he was stationed at a firebase in Vietnam.  George has just received a care package of Point beer from home.  Of the several care packages of Point beer that were sent to him, it was the only one he ever received.  The others mysteriously disappeared in transit.  I met George around 2009 when he came to Indianapolis, IN from Stevens Point to assist with an event with which his brother and I were associated.  And of course, he brought some Point beer!

Unfortunately, George passed away in 2016.  When he did, the Point Brewery made up a commemorative T-shirt with his photo on it.  Sales of the shirts raised funds to send World War Two veterans on Honor Flights to the World War Two Memorial in Washington, DC. 

The Appleton, WI Plant:  On August 13, 1941, the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company purchased the Eagle Company of Appleton, WI through a stock transfer.  It was then named the Eagle Division of FWD.  The plant was located at 414 East Winnebago Street in Appleton.  The plant no longer exists and is now the location of an apartment complex.

The Eagle Division was part of a group of industrial plants located on either side of the railroad tracks.  Satellite view courtesy of Google Maps. 

Eagle Manufacturing produced tractors, silo cutters, and feed cutters with 30 workers.  The number of employees was expected to increase to 150 when the work transferred from the Clintonville plant. 

During World War Two its main known product was the manufacture of Signal Corps K-38 telephone line splicing trailers.  The Eagle Division built these under Signal Corps contract number 227-SC-3454.  Production ran between June 1941 and August 1942.  The total contract value was $192,000.  It is unknown what the Eagle Division produced for the rest of the war.  It can be assumed it manufactured subcomponents for the FWD truck being assembled in Clintonville.

The Signal Corps K-38 telephone line splicing trailer was the military version of the ATT Model S line splicing trailer. 

This and the following photos are of a FWD Eagle Division-built K-38 trailer.  This trailer is now part of the FWD/Seagrave Museum in Clintonville, WI.  This photo and the others were provided by the previous owner in California before the sale. 

This shows the trailer as an ATT S type.  This identification seems to have been very common for many of the K-38 trailers built.  The meaning of the date of "49" is unknown.  The serial number 4106 implies that the Eagle Division built at least this many trailers at a unit cost of $46.76. 

When World War Two truck production ramped up in 1941, the company moved production of non-truck products to Appleton, which included the Eliason Motor Toboggans.  FWD transferred the work in October 1941.  In December 1941, the plant went on a three shift, 24 hour operation to manufacture the back ordered toboggans.  Carl Eliason can be considered the father of the modern snowmobile with his invention of the first belt driven snow toboggan in 1924.  In 1940, when demand began increasing beyond his ability to manufacture the product, Mr. Eliason sold his patents to the FWD company in return for royalties on each unit sold. 

In November 1942, the United States Army purchased 150 snow toboggans from FWD under contract number 271-ORD-2782.  The amount of the contract was $109,000 resulting in a per unit cost of $726.  The Army utilized the vehicles in Alaska, especially for rescuing downed airmen in the snowy wilderness. 

This FWD photo appears to have a 1942 date.  This may well be the type that the U.S. Army used during World War Two.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.   

FWD produced four different models of snow toboggans.  They were Models A, B, C, and D.  This one on display at the FWD Seagrave Museum in Clintonville, WI is a different model than the one the U.S. Army used.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection. 

This image shows the motor toboggans under construction at the Eagle Division plant.

The Clintonville, WI Plant:

This is the original Four Wheel Drive Auto Company's first factory that was built in 1911.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection. 

The original factory at Clintonville still exists but has been taken out of operation.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

A mural has been painted on the opposite side of the building.  Note the image of the double-Y universal joint patent.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

At the end of the mural is this FWD insignia.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

Parts of the large factory complex are still in use for the manufacture of components used in Seagrave fire apparatus.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection. 

It then expanded into this factory complex.  At the front of the complex is a two story office building.

The office building along with the rest of the original factory complex still exists.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection. 

This photo taken in the summer shows the landscaping in front of the office building.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection. 

Even though final assembly of Seagrave fire trucks has moved to a new building on the complex, the original office building is still in use.  Over 100 years after it was built, it shows the elegance of the original design.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection. 

Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

To the east of the office building, the company has built a new facility for the assembly of Seagrave fire trucks.  Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

Photo courtesy of the Tim Wright Collection.

This Google Maps satellite view shows the current size of the factory complex.  The test track can be seen at the top center and the FWD Seagrave Museum in the upper right-hand corner.  The original factory is located at the west end of the complex along McKinley Avenue.  The new Seagrave plant is located in the lower right corner at the intersection of East 12th Street and Staff Sergeant Warren Hansen Drive.   

The Otto Zackhow Machine Shop and the factory are just a couple of blocks from one another.  Image courtesy of Google Maps.

Post-World War Two FWD Specification Sheets: 

Image added 1-13-2024 courtesy of Tim Wright.

Image added 1-13-2024 courtesy of Tim Wright.

Image added 1-13-2024 courtesy of Tim Wright.

Image added 1-13-2024 courtesy of Tim Wright.

Image added 1-13-2024 courtesy of Tim Wright.

Image added 1-13-2024 courtesy of Tim Wright.