SWEDEN. In 2005 I followed the work of a Citroen truck transformed into an A tractor up in Fiskviken, Jamtland that caught my eye and rose my curiosity. By Kent Åberg, Translation Ellen Kay Krantz.
It would take 13 years before I put the pieces together. The images collected on the hard drive were marinating. Four years passed. One day in 2009 it hit me. An interesting discovery. The truck had association with World War 2.
Of even greater value to the Finnish military than the Latil trucks were 189 Citroen T45 Trucks that were shipped in Finland progressively between December 1939 and April 1940 in a number of small consignments. The T45 (also referred to as the P45) was a heavy truck, weighed in at 4.1t, could carry 3.5t with a maximum speed of 60 km/h (6 cylinder, 4,560 cubic cm, 73hp engine). Length of 6.38m, width of 2.33m, height of 3m. In 1940, some 4,000 of these trucks were in service with the French Army.
The Citroen T45’s were assigned to Field Artillery Units as they entered service and many would remain with the Finnish Army throughout WW2. They were robust and reliable trucks, and Finland would go on to purchase a further 1,126 from the Germans over 1941, after the Fall of France and as part of a number of such “nickel and steel” for weapons and food deals that Finland would cut with Germany between 1941 and 1943. Source
There were lighter trucks as well. 
1940 M35
Citroen truck type U23 built in 1939 mainly for the French army. In 1940 due to the shortness of the war against the Germans, and the dissolution of the French army, these truck were than converted for civil use. This truck used to belong to photographer Peter Jacques cousin until 1985. Used every year during the harvest. Pictured from 1982 in Riquewihr (Haut-Rhin 68) Alsace, France.
On the 14th of June, 1940 the Nazi’s marched into Paris. Germany had moved into France. The French trucks were immediately taken into custody and these Citroen trucks were then used by the Nazi’s from this point on.
The six cylinder motor photographed in Fiskviken 2005. The A tractor is most likely more powerful than the T54 with the straight grill.
The sudden epiphany came with even more questions.
The sudden epiphany came with even more questions. Some of them were brought to Norway and left behind as the War ended. The Citroen in Fiskviken was one of them left behind and later ended up in Sweden and turned into an A tractor. This is where all the leads ended and I didn’t know how to retrieve any more information about this Citroen truck more than it arrived in Sweden from Norway but by who and why I didn’t know.
Seven years past
Seven years later by coincidence another Citroen truck fell into my lap. It was parked behind a barn.
I finally got the question answered of how these Citroen trucks ended up in Sweden.
Some of them were imported by a man from Sweden and were brought to a village called Ede outside of Kalarne in Jamtland. They were then sold from that spot and one of them ended up in Fiskviken were it was transformed. That’s the one caught on film in 2005.
Demolished by a musem!!
It was later picked up by a man owning a tractor museum in Angermanland but after a while he lost interest in it and sent it to demolition and is sadly gone for good.
The other Citroen truck was sold to a man who lived on the outskirts of Bispgarden, Jamtland.
This vehicle’s history will remain the same but the rear was rebuilt into a wagon where a fire hose was attached and this wagon will most certainly remain in another village.
The front was turned into an A tractor by this truck. The attachments for the carbine rifles were sawed off to give room for the battery.
In search of the third
Supposedly there is a third Citroen hiding somewhere. I’m on a mission to find it and let history speak through photographs. If you look close enough you can almost hear and smell the hard times from the past.
This is certainly something that must be handled with care and kept in humble hands. “Nordic” war vehicles from WW2 are very rare today.
Kent Åberg
