[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Rolf, the first digit of the serial number shows that it is a 1943 MODEL YEAR chassis, although assembled in 1944. Although 1944 Models were started in 1944 Calendar Year, they continued to be assembled until the very end of production in October 1945. There were no 1945 Model Year military trucks, except for some Modified Conventional Pattern trucks.

Although 1940 Model Year trucks were assembled into early 1941, that first year 1941 Model Year trucks started around September 1940 and paralleled the 1940 MY units fopr some months. This proves that it was to do with the year that contracts were placed and not actual assembly year. The fact that some contracts took a considerable amount of time to fulfill completely, sometimes in batches, confirms this point. This is of course totally different to the civilian models where new Model years meant new styling, starting say September in each year and running to August the next.