Alcan Highway Vehicle
 

I thought I might ask the Canadian and American people if they can throw any light on the markings found on my Dodge WC53 Carryall. Any suggestions at all
on what they mean.

Area Engineer Whitehorse is visible plus something underneath in white that looks like???? Pool.

Open to all guesses.

Unfortunately the person who took the photos did not go further than this and made no attempt to fully decipher everything. By the time I got there it had all been sanded off and painted.

Lang

I have the hood number OK. A bit different to usual with small lettering and the prefix (with dots between letters) U.S.A. 20163304 - S

Shame that it wasn't fully uncovered but you have a lot more than most people. I must admit that I can't see the white xxxxpool but the obvious thing would be 'motor pool'.

Great truck, David

David

The "POOL" is under the MWD. Can't get the preceeding word but not "MOTOR"

Lang

Looking at it magified and inverted and mucking with the luminosity settings, it looks like ??RA POOL
Which could refer to the PRA, the Public Roads Administration. In summer 1943 at the peak of construction the army had over 3000 vehicles at work on the highway, and the Public Roads Administration and private contractors had as many more. Well that's according to my Alcan Highway book ('Highway to Alaska' by Herbert Lanks) this is one of a dozen references to the PRA in the book's index.
But that's just a wild assumption, who knows.

Thanks for that Steve

It is a better guess than anything so far.

Lang

Thanks for that Steve

It is a better guess than anything so far.

It looks like it might have been repainted in service a couple of times. The ??POOL looks like first layer possibly when it was newly arrived before issue to the Area Engineer. The main writing looks like it has been done at least twice.


PS Could it be AREA POOL?

Lang

That begs the question : What in the h.. is an Alcan highway truck doing in Australia ?

seems far from the Alascan highway , doesn't it ?

Robert

It was driven here over the AustraLiaCANada (ALCAN) Highway before global warming melted the ice bridge.

Another explanation might be I bought it in USA and did a lot of work at a friend's place in Texas before shipping it home.

Lang

That would explain it indeed.

A beautiful truck btw.

Absolutely awesome and with a great history of service .

The AlCan highway was a great human endeavour and is still in use today as the main land link to Alaska through Canada.

War is not always about destruction , pain and suffering .

Cheers.

Robert

Bev and I drove the ALCAN Highway a few years ago in something smaller than a Carryall.

Photo of the finished Carryall below.

Absolutely awesome ! Both the trip along the AlCan and the Carryall .

I have to do that one day.

Cheers.