Roofless CMPs
 

Even though CMP trucks were built with a fixed roof (albeit bolted on), every now and then one can seen them in use roofless (or topless, whatever rocks your boat).

Here are some examples:

Here are two more. These trucks were used by the Dutch Army in Indonesia at a place called Batoe in 1948. A 3-tonner on the left and a 15-cwt on the right.

The tropics and the desert are of course obvious places where a roof would be removed (although it also was a means of protection against the sun).

Attachment 118921 Attachment 118920

Liberation Parade in Witteveen
 

No roof, no windscreen even. 1st Cdn Div vehicle from Italy, I guess.

From http://www.thememoryproject.com/educ...he-netherlands

more
 

Another one

3 in this photo:

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/i...ject/205205562

This is an example of a roofless CMP ex-works / as assembled from new.

Ford F60H Wrecker for the Indian Army:

Attachment 119222 Attachment 119223

An example of a CMP which was converted in the field.

F15A, Amsterdam, 1945:

Attachment 119224

Possible canvas roof?
 

I found this one on Reddit in r/wwiipics. Picture was taken in Burma according to the caption.

Looks like an F30 / F60 with a canvas, or at least modified roof.

motor transport of 63 Brigade, 17th Indian Division
 

Via Nick Balmer: "Here is an interesting film shot by Sergeant Higgins in the last month of WWII as the 14th Army approached Rangoon from the north. Lots of CMP's with Indian pattern bodies, Jeeps, Federals & M3A1's of the 7th Light Cavalry."

Ford F15 Cab 12, ex-Indian Army in use by Netherlands East-Indies Army, Indonesia 1945-1949

Attachment 121710

Restored C8AX in New Zealand.

It looks well made but I reckon the soft top cab isn’t original?

Attachment 124835 Attachment 124836

When I restored my 1941 Ford 12 cab I didn’t complete the roof. The original roof was in very bad condition so zo never bothered. At the time I starting hunting for a replacement but then I came across various pics of CMPs in service without roofs. Many of these were from service in N Africa.
My truck was painted up in mickey mouse pattern with Lightstone as the base to represent a truck from that theatre.
Without much room in a 12 cab, the lack of a roof made for a less claustrophobic atmosphere.
I have lost my original info but I do recall coming across directions for a field mod that was constructed of a pipe
frame and simple canvas cover, more of a sun shield than a roof.

Well known vehicle in the South, I'm certain it has featured in a couple of international publications.

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...102#post127102

Thanks for that link, Tony.

Chris, if you ever come across those directions for a field mod that was constructed of a pipe, please let us know. Apart from the practicalities of a soft top cab, they have a certain charm, too.

Hanno.

Are there not also a pair of factory built Ford 30-cwt Gun Platforms that lacked cab roofs and perhaps even windshields? Quad 20mm and 40mm perhaps?

I often wondered how the gun crews coped with those two vehicles in the rainy seasons and winters.

David

SP Gun and Portee
 

Hi David,

Yes you are right, the F60B with 40-mm Bofors has the Cab no. 43, which was widened and has a soft top (left).

There is also the Lorry, 3-ton, Anti-Tank Portee which has a Cab No. 13 with soft top (right).

These vehicles were built in an era when many ships ships still had an open bridge - hardy men they were....

Attachment 124850 Attachment 124851
Source: https://nimh-beeldbank.defensie.nl/f...f-cd331fcafb9c

My CMP is a Seagrave fire truck with an open cab. Not too surprising, since most old fire trucks had open cabs, even in the Canadian climate. It was used at Camp Borden to extinguish grass fires on shooting ranges. Apparently, there was a problem of tracers setting fire to the grass. I don't know its earlier history, so I can't say whether it was shipped to Seagraves in a chassis-cowl configuration for completion, or whether it had a previous life with some other type of body before being converted.

Hi Ed,

I recall Brian Gough showing me a picture of a very attractive CMP fire truck, who knows it may have been yours.

It looked a like this one in New Zealand (ref. http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=16783) - definitely an attractive type of roofless CMP.

Attachment 125000 Attachment 125001

Running without the top is quieter
 

Hi

Just wanted to add a comment about driving CMPs without the roof, it is significantly quieter, the noise of the engine an transmission goes by your ears only once instead of bouncing around inside the cab. I've driven both my Pattern 12 and 13 extensively without the steel cap top. In fact I have never permanently installed the roof on my Pat 12.

Did try and make a soft top for the Pat 13, but found the problem to be getting the fabric tight enough to drive more 30-35 MPH. Also never tried driving it in the rain.

Cheers Phil

I can imagine there are pros and cons regarding having a metal roof or not. In the Dutch climate, I am often happy to have a real roof over my head rather than a piece of flapping and dripping canvas :)

Tunisia, 1943
 

Under that pile of PoW's there is a roofless C15 Cab 13 somewhere.

Attachment 125938

Modified for "Blackout" conditions!

There is no bulb or lens in the headlight, and the wiring for the sidelight has been removed, while the Ford in the background has no headlights at all!

Another pair of 15-cwts entering the city of Amsterdam, 8 May 1945. If you look closely under the piled up people, you'll see these have had their roofs taken off. A 1st Cdn Div vehicle from Italy? The vehicles coming over from Italy were in a particularly bad shape.

Attachment 132833
Source: https://archief.amsterdam/beeldbank/...7-895a127de9c7

Roofless CMP
 

Many years ago a Veteran of North Africa ,Italy told Me.

"We took the roofs off so if you drove over a land mine you would get blown clear"

He also stated that they placed filled sand bags on the floor as well.