[David_Hayward (RIP)]

The answer is that The Ministry of Supply handled all such disposals, of British, Canadian and US vehicles. Now, we know that they auctioned off thousands and punters and dealers bought up ad hoc from auctions. However 6,000 Chevrolet and GMC vehicles were sold direct to General Motors Limited under the "SMMT Scheme" which basically allowed the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders the right to acquire and re-sell vehicles that the companies normaly handled. Vauxhall Motors had huge quantities of Cauxhall cars and Bedford trucks, though there is no evidence yet that they refurbished them at Luton..they may have handled some at Hendon until Vauxhall moved out in 1947 otherwise they farmed the work out, e.g. to Marshalls of Cambridge. Fords used Lincoln Cars Limited mainly for ex-WD Carriers and ex-military V-8 refurbishment under M of S contracts. They also used it seems Sydney Allards' company Adlards Limited in London and probably a host of other companies.

Another aspect to eb taken into account is the wartime and post-war refurbishment programme for the M of S. This included military depots, plus Vauxhalls at Dunstable, GM Limited at Cleckheaton, and various other companies plus M of S contractors such as the delaers just mentioned.

I am conjecting here that some of the contracting dealers such as Pride & Clarke Limited of south London and another I just found, East Putney Motor Works Limited of the same general area, plus another compnay that apprently has tale to tell, LONDON AND SUBURBAN COMMERCIAL VEHICLES (BRIXTON) LIMITED, were involved in refurbishment contracts and with war's end those vehicles were not required for further military service. The result was that these companies sold unrefurbished and refurbished vehicles, and to anyone anywhere!

I would just mention here that the M of S effectively purchased vehicles and components that they had just disposed of, for further service in the Mid-east, Far East and Europe. We believe that London and Suburban refurbished C15TAs that were dumped for the Malayan Emergency. This seems to confirm that many post-war used WW2 vehicles were either refurbished in military establishments or by civilian companies and that the disposal, refurbishment and acquisition programmes were all piecemeal.

Turning back to the civilian companies, we know that by 1948 there were very enterprising overseas guys who saw a way of making money back home! Canada and the US had repatriated all vehicles that they wanted and as we know, some came back again to be supplied to UNRRA, foreign governments, etc. However "agents" if I can use that term, purchased in essential foreign currency vehicles and huge quantities of ex-M of S parts and components that were then shipped to Canada, Alaska, Australia, India, NZ, Egypt etc. As regards components, obviously CMP parts say would be relevant throughout the world! I have heard of refurbished vehicles being shipped around the world from England and the photo of the plate seems to confirm that this was the case.

The "Job Number" would suggest a Ministry of Supply contract. This could have been a civilian-refurbished truck that was demobbed or a "dealer job" that was shipped off subsequently. The lack of a M of S code to indicate the refurbishing facility and a number suggests that it is the latter case here. In other words this was a post-war civilian refurb that the M of S sanctioned as a vital export.

I would also like to consider whether there were any post-war "donations" to Australia and NZ of military vehicles for their own armed forces although Holden had a massive refurbishment programme for ex-military vehicles for post-war use and demob.