What was your first CMP experience?
 

What was your first experience and drive or owning a CMP?

After reading about Keith and Tony’s adventures as teenagers it got me thinking of the first time I rode in a F15A on a club outing as a young 13 year old then buying my first C15A at the age of 15.
The difference between Keith, Tony and I is I’m a bit younger and are still driving my first love some 29 years later.
The first pic is recovering my fisrt C15a, then thier was another and the story goes on......
Last pic is the same C15a today, 29 years on.
The jeep in the last pic was my farthers first car when he was 18 in 1955 and now its mine and I drove it to Corowa this year. My daughter has been learning to drive and what better vehicle to start on than the Jeep.

First
 

First CMP : A cut down C15 Signals van......1977, bought for $50, Oakleigh .

First drive : F15A Growse machine ... towing the VMVC 25 pounder , a short drive in the back streets of Knoxfield , around 1977.

Mike

My first and only CMP vehicle I owned was a Chev. I bought it from a sand blaster in Geelong many years ago for $100. Got it running and that was as far as I took it. I sold it to Euan and I think he still has it.

Forgot to add. The reason I sold it was because it was too big for me to restore..... and I thought they were too uncomfortable and slow. So what am I doing with a Marmon Herrington and a Diamond T???

Love at First Sight
 

My introduction to the world of CMPs was at the hands of the Canadian Army. The Gregg Collection was sent out to the Home Station, Canadian Forces Base Shilo to be added to the Royal Canadian Artillery Museum. My regiment (in the Royal sense) asked all members to donate money towards the cost of the project. A special team was dispatched to remind all members that this was a Regimental project and that we were somewhat obliged to contribute. In my haste and youth, I declined to donate funds to the cause - despite the arm twisting and cajoling about Regimental pride.

Upon (early) retirement, my wife and I settled in the Ottawa region where I once again made contact with an old army chum, Mike Calnan. As most should know by this point, Mike, or Gunner, is the driving force behind the Swords and Ploughshares Museum. I volunteered at the museum and slowly but surely became smitten with the CMP trucks in general and with the HUP in particular.

In the Fall of 2002, Mike agreed to sell his HUP to me and the love affair has continued ever since. My 1945 HUP is named "Metal Mistress" and like a mistress (as I am told) she takes up a good portion of my time and treasure (one of which happens to be short supply at any given time). What else can I say except, love is blind.

My first experience with Blitz's was watching them snigging logs into a saw mill near Batlow that my Farther supplied logs to ocasionally. I was around 10 at the time. My first drive was in the Blitz I now own, it was about a 100 metre drive when I was 37. :cheers: 1966 first experience, 1993 first drive.

1941 F15A Ford 12 cab GS.

My 1st experience with CMP 1979
 

Hi All

Well it has been 33 years an a couple of months since I first saw a CMP drove it an acquired it. Here is link to the rest of the story http://canadianmilitarypattern.com/BEASTHISTORY.html

Attachment 49606

Now I'm overhauling it, http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=15965

But one CMP is never enough.

http://canadianmilitarypattern.com/R...2007%20016.jpg

Cheers Phil

Dedication
 

I think Phils dedication and enthusiasm put most of us MLU'rs and our feeble efforts in perspective.

My C8 hasn't seen the light of day for 8 years , gathering dust .

Phil has three restored :giveup :giveup :giveup