As collectors, our beloved die cast toys stand out in our memories for many reasons. The memories could be of the unique functions a particular toy had, the type of vehicle it was, where it was purchased, its colors, or even its size and name. For me, when it comes to the memory of size and name of a toy, my fondest is certainly of the Dinky Honest John missile launcher.
An original 1963 U.S. Army Honest John field manual and promotional water color print from Douglas Aircraft showing a pair of inbound Honest John missiles closing in on an armored column compliment the Dinky Honest John model superbly.
Dinky released the 665 Honest John in 1964, and it was a good seller until it was discontinued in 1975. Military toys were ever present in the Dinky lineup from the start of the company in the 1930s all the way up to its demise in 1979. They would have continued to be good sellers if Dinky had survived into the 1980s, as many toy companies still included military toys in their offerings at that point. The spring-loaded, firing, rubber-tipped missile gave Honest John immense play value on the living room battlefield floor, and since it was a truck-mounted missile launcher it was really two toys in one! A child could still play with the truck after the missile was launched or lost. My own Honest John truck survived my childhood relatively unscathed — even though its missile was fired into oblivion decades ago.
Nicknamed “Dear John” by the troops who operated it, this example was the first type with the large distinctive launch rail and was known as the M289. This photograph was taken at Fort Hood Texas in 1955. Loaded with the missile, it weighed 47,660 pounds and rode on big 14.00 by 20 tires.
The development of the real-life Honest John began in May 1950 at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, at the behest of the Army Ordinance Corps. The US Army wanted a simple, large caliber, special purpose field artillery rocket that would carry a nuclear warhead, use solid fuel, and utilize as much off-the-shelf equipment as possible in order to save money and development time. In October 1950, the Santa Monica, California-based Douglas Aircraft Company was under contract for preliminary studies, and later became the primary manufacturing contract. The rocket was designated as Artillery Rocket XM31, a highly-mobile system that would be launched from an International Harvester M139C six-ton truck chassis. (The M139C truck was powered by a 224 horsepower Continental six-cylinder gasoline engine with a four-speed manual transmission.)
“This Big Stick stops trouble before it starts” was a fitting title for this colorful 1956 Douglas Aircraft ad for the Honest John.
Redstone Arsenal Commander, Brigadier General Holger N. Toftoy, explained how Honest John came to have its unique moniker. He said: “Knowing that troops usually come up with their own nicknames for weapons if they didn’t like the official names, we cast about for a catchy easy to remember name. Before the first test launch of the first 762mm rocket there was considerable controversy in the Pentagon as if the system was worthwhile. There was serious consideration in the General Staff that such a large unguided rocket could not have the accuracy to justify further funding. At this time, while on a trip to the White Sands Proving ground in New Mexico, we ran into a Texan making statements that were hard to believe. When his veracity was questioned, he exclaimed, ‘Why, around these parts I’m called Honest John.’ Feeling somewhat like a Texan at the time I felt Honest John would an appropriate nickname.” [Source: U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command]
The Dinky 665 Honest John was modelled on the later updated M386 version with the smaller launch rail. Note the stabilizing jacks emplaced on this truck. October, 1956. Photo courtesy of United States Army Sustainment Command Archives, Rock Island Arsenal.
In September, Honest John received the new designation of M31, and by the end of 1953 the first Army units took delivery of the rockets. In early 1954, they were deployed to US Army units in Europe, where they would serve as a front-line weapon in the face of the then-constant threat of Soviet Russian-backed Warsaw Pact forces. Honest John battalions consisted of two-to-three batteries with two launchers. The rocket was transported in three pieces to the launch-area warhead — motor and fins in an M55 long wheel base cargo truck, with an XM 405 missile-handling trailer. It would then be assembled by the 12-man crew and hoisted onto the launcher by an M62 wrecker. It was aimed much like a cannon and launched in about five minutes. For cold-weather operations, electric blankets made by General Electric were used to warm the solid fuel before launch. 77 degrees was the optimal temperature for a complete burn of the solid rocket fuel.
The outgoing Dinky 667 missile servicing platform was the basis for the Honest John model as it had a very similar 6x6 chassis.
The Honest John was the first nuclear capable surface-to-surface rocket in the United States military arsenal. The 27-foot-long, 762mm unguided rocket was powered by an M6 solid-fuel rocket engine, weighed 5,820 pounds, and was spin stabilized in flight by a pair of M7 spin motors. It carried a W‑7 nuclear warhead with a variable yield of up to 20 kilotons. It could also be fitted with a 1,500-pound, conventional, high-explosive warhead. It was fired from a hydraulic elevated ramp fitted on the rear of the M139C truck with an M‑289 launcher. The initial M31 versions had a range of about 15 miles. Almost 7800 M31 versions were produced between 1952 and 1960.
Dinky advertised the arrival of the 665 Honest John just in time for Easter in the March 1964 issue of Meccano Magazine. What a gift for Easter, a toy tactical nuclear capable missile!
Later versions would see the development of the more powerful M50 designation that gave the missile a shorter length, lighter weight, and smaller squared fins with a maximum range of approximately 30 miles with more accuracy. The M50 carried the W31 nuclear warhead that yielded 2, 10, or 30 kilotons. Over 7000 M50 improved types were made up to 1965—when production ceased. The M289 launcher was later redesigned and designated M386; this is the version on which the Dinky is modeled. The redesign enabled a reduced size and less complicated launch rail that incorporated a semi-rotating launcher base, also exhibited on the Dinky model. These updates gave the truck a considerably smaller battlefield profile. Also greatly improved were the truck’s driving characteristics, as the very long and heavy front overhang of the launch rail was eliminated, along with the big blind spots on both sides of the cab.
M386 versions are being assembled inside the cavernous halls of the U.S. Army Rock Island Arsenal in Rock Island Illinois in March, 1963. Photo courtesy of United States Army Sustainment Command Archives, Rock Island Arsenal.
In the 1960s, a chemical warhead containing 356 sarin nerve gas bomblets was added to the Honest John system. In 1962, both models of the Honest John were given new designation numbers. The M‑31 became the MGR-1A, and the M‑50 became the MGR1‑B. By 1965, M50 production was completed—with over 7000 produced. In 1972, the Honest John was gradually phased out from service by the then-new Lance missile. In 1982, the Honest John was declared obsolete and was retired by the US.
Fresh off the production line, a completed M386 is blocked up and loaded on a rail car destined for Florida’s Eglin AFB in May,1961. Photo courtesy of United States Army Sustainment Command Archives, Rock Island Arsenal.
Besides the US Army and Marines, other operators — nuclear and conventional — included Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, South Korea, Norway, Netherlands, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Greece, Turkey, and South Korea operated their conventional warhead units into the 1990s. The Honest John had a longer service life than all other U.S. ballistic missiles except the U.S.A.F. Minuteman ICBM, which is still in service.
Taken in what was then West Germany, this U.S. Army M62 wrecker is towing the M405 missile handling trailer. The long bar fitted to the top of the missile is the M4E1 handling beam and it was used for loading. Too bad Dinky never modelled this great setup.
During the Cold War decades of the 1950s and 1960s, Honest Johns were a common site in North America, Asia, and Western Europe. Dinky capitalized on this, and it would have been hard to find a kid that wouldn’t be interested in a toy that featured a big missile on a truck. When Dinky released the 665 Honest John model in March of 1964, they were able to save on development funds for a completely new model. They modified the already-available Dinky 667 missile-servicing platform vehicle that was based on the real-life U.S. Army M280 five-ton short wheelbase chassis, which was similar to the 6‑ton M139C chassis the Honest John utilized.
This rare photo details the special tools and ancillary equipment that complemented the Honest John. Photo courtesy of United States Army Sustainment Command Archives, Rock Island Arsenal.
The 667 was being discontinued after a four-year run so the rear super-single wheels were replaced by an eight-tire rear bogie, the two stabilizers removed, (though the mounts still remained) and an elongated, detailed plastic rear was fitted to accommodate the semi-rotational, functional, spring-loaded, launch rail and rocket. It was an easy conversion for the Dinky designers. The white plastic missiles were launched by pulling a metal handle back to put tension on the spring, locking it place, and then releasing to fire. The launch rail on the Dinky toy was very long in the rear compared to the actual Honest John due to the launch spring needing extra length while compressed. However, there are some standout casting details on the launch rail that deserve mentioning as the Dinky designers did a fantastic job here, and they could be easily overlooked. There are four large braces present, two on each side, and these were the tie downs for the missile when mounted on the rail. There are also four small steps, two on each side in the middle of the rail. These small steps were the resting points for the legs of the hoist on the M405 missile handling trailer. At the front of the rail, right below the rivet castings, you will find three small bars on both sides of the rail. These replicated the hinge points that made the front section of the real launch rail that extended over the truck’s cab split, and they fold to each side for transport. Simulated hand cranks can also be found under close examination.
In service with the German Bundeswehr, this Honest John was taking part in a military parade in what was then the West German town of Oldenburg during May 1961. Note the front portion of the launch rail folded back for transport just above the drivers. Dinky cast the hinge detail for this feature on the model.
The prominent features that the Dinky toy model lacked compared to an actual Honest John would be the collapsible cab roof, the three under-chassis stabilizers, drivers’ side spare tire mount, and a longer wheelbase.
Up on a ladder, a U.S. Army soldier is manually jacking the missile backwards. Rear views of the Honest John like this are not often seen. October, 1957. Photo courtesy of United States Army Sustainment Command Archives, Rock Island Arsenal.
Both the Dinky version of Honest John and the missiles often shown in photographs were white. White and other bright colors were used for tracking and testing purposes, as was the black “checkerboard” right below the large warhead of the rocket. These were placed near the spin motors that stabilized the rocket. Actual combat rockets were painted olive drab green, but Dinky never made an olive-green version.
From my collection, four of the five box types for the Dinky Honest John are shown here. The plain end flap box is not present and the bubble box version is my model from childhood for which I recently found a box. The export window box on the top right is the rarest box type.
Dinky manufactured the missiles out of white plastic with a rubber warhead tip. Early production missiles had the black checkerboard feature, but this was deleted as a cost-saving measure a few years later. The missile was a good representation of the original, although the small shark fins in the middle of the missile were added by Dinky designers to fit into the launch rail to fire it via the spring when released. I have seen some late issues with a more realistic appearing dark gray rocket.
Early Dinky Honest John models had water slide decals on the bumpers and silver detail on the headlights. To save costs, very late versions, like mine from childhood on the right, had stickers on the bumpers and no silver detail on the headlights.
Dinky finished the trucks in various shades of dark green with green plastic wheels. The plastic rear launcher base and wheels can be found in different shades of green and black, with black being the rarest variant. While these different shades of green, and even black, for the wheels and bodywork offer more versions for the collector to acquire, they do spoil the appearance of what is a very good representation of the only die cast model ever made of the Honest John, as the real-life versions were all dark green, wheels and all.
The Honest John name stood out to me since I was a child and so did its size compared to my other Dinky toys growing up. The scale of the Dinky Honest John was approximately 1/60 which was fairly common for early Dinky military vehicles. By 1975 when it was withdrawn, Dinky toys had grown considerably larger and for comparison, my childhood Honest John easily fits in the back of my childhood Dinky 668 1/42nd scale Foden army truck with the tilt removed.
Wheel melt is a common problem affecting the later issues. Early versions seem to be immune from this, but I do see later models with this problem. Dinky must have used different plastic and rubber suppliers, as not all models are affected. Mine from childhood has none, luckily. First run tires were a large all-terrain type, while final runs were a slightly smaller street type tire and “HEAVY DUTY” molded into a smooth sidewall.
I modelled this diorama on a typical Honest John exercise of the 1950’s and 1960’s era. While Dinky never made a U.S. Army M62 wrecker or the other support vehicles for the Honest John system, the French Dinky Berliet army wrecker used the same American Austin Western crane so it’s quite effective here loading a missile. I made a basic M4E1 handling beam out of a wooden coffee stirrer, some brass wire and black thread to support the missile during loading as on the real missiles. Balancing the missile for this photo was tricky but the end result was satisfactory. Gray tissue paper wrapped around one of the missiles simulates the electric warming blankets that kept the actual missiles’ solid fuel warm in colder temperatures.
Unit markings can be found on the front bumper and rear of the models. Early issues were water slide decals while later models were paper stickers. Headlights were initially painted silver, but later this detail was deleted as a cost-saving measure.
Initial production models came in the very sturdy, colorfully-illustrated, lift-off lid boxes with an instruction sheet with red print. Later instruction sheets had black or blue print. The first end-flap box to be released featured a realistic desert scene similar to a setting at the White Sands, New Mexico missile range. This may be the most attractive box. The US export window box was also utilized, but due to the extremely fragile nature of these boxes, they are very rare. The desert scene box was soon replaced by the end flap box that featured a plain picture with no background. By 1973–74, the bubble boxes were utilized until the model was discontinued in 1975. The bubble boxes, like all the other Dinky toy boxes during this period, had the instructions printed on the base of the box—along with the annoying “do not aim the missile at people” cautionary print for those who lacked common sense. I never aimed any of my firing military toys at anyone when I was a child.
My Honest John was purchased for me by my mom around 1978 from Five Corners Toy and Gift Shop in Westwood, NJ. This was my go-to retailer for Dinky toys and it was often called The Dinky Store. Despite the model being withdrawn in 1975, they could still be found in stores where I lived. As a lifelong commercial and military vehicle enthusiast, it was a toy I enjoyed very much. A few years later, I would read about the real Honest John when I received from my dad Knowledge Through Color: Rockets and Missiles, by John W.R. Taylor, which I still own.
Due to an 11-year production run that overlapped two decades, the models currently are still abundant and affordable for the collector. They are always for sale on eBay and often at auctions, but many are missing the missile. The reproduction missiles are a welcome addition since, like mine, they were often lost and originals were easily broken, especially the fins. The fins on the reproduction missile are considerably thicker.
One has to wonder if any models ever made it to Douglas Aircraft, the US Army, or Marines for display and promotional purposes. I have never seen any evidence of it in my research but perhaps someone can shed some light on this. Since it was the only diecast model ever made of the Honest John, it would have made the perfect promotional piece and been quite at home displayed on a general’s desk.
While there have been some plastic models offered of the Honest John over the past sixty five plus years, Dinky deserves much credit for producing the only die cast model toy ever made of the Honest John. Tekno, which always produced superb die cast toy models, offered a fantasy version of the Honest John that was based on their Scania fire truck chassis, but it bears no resemblance whatsoever to the real Honest John.
I mentioned in the beginning of this article that in addition to the name of the Honest John toy, the size also stood out to me. It always seemed oddly small to me! I never knew why until years later. Kids who, like me in the 1970s, collected Dinky toys were accustomed to their large scale because that’s what Dinky made during the final era of production. I didn’t have or know about small Dinky toys because they were all big by then. Compared to the 1950s and 1960s models, they were huge. When you place the Dinky Honest John next to a model like my childhood 1/42nd scale 668 Foden army truck, it can fit inside the cargo bed. Since it debuted in 1964, it was a good selling carryover from a smaller-scale decade that was long gone by the 1970s in the world of Dinky Toys. It was also the last English Dinky military vehicle made in the smaller approximately 1/60 scale. Nevertheless, it was still one of my favorite military models, and one can only imagine how grand a model it would have been had it been produced in the bigger scales.
This article was a very enjoyable one to write: It’s about a Dinky Toy that’s not often discussed or featured, and I’ve always thoroughly enjoyed the Cold War era that this model was a big part of.
Regarding some of the photos in this article, I wanted unique views to feature, different from what can be found online. I reached out to the U.S. Army at Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois, as I knew that was where the Honest Johns were originally assembled. I was delighted to get a response from a very kind and knowledgeable gentleman named Kaleb Bemis. He sent me some rare and perhaps never seen photos, so I remain very grateful for his assistance.
Writing an article like this is never a one-person endeavor, so very special thanks go to Kaleb Bemis, United States Army Sustainment Command Archives, Rock Island Arsenal; Mark A. Redman; DTCA members Jan Werner, Jonathon Angel and Ravi Bhavnani.