Correlation?
From two earlier posts (above): "David I have a 12 cab Ford at home in Australia that has the number 2003 stenciled under the bonnet on the righthand foot well top. Sanding back the paint my Aussie number is 44637. This is listed in the Aussie war memorial army registration record as a 3 ton GS body 20 inch wheels. However the Aussie number is directly above the front guards both sides a second number did exist on the top next to the bonnet, all I can find is "5" at the fist digit posistion all else is lost.
"Mark, I am indebted. S/M 2003 was for F30 trucks including 1200 for Egypt and 300 for Mombasa. Known WD numbers are
L 4405xx? to L 4406xx? E.g. L 4406114
as in Wheels & Tracks Issue 49:"
I cannot see how these two statements align: Mark's truck is an F60L, while according to David, SM2003 was for F30 trucks. In addition, Mark has said the first position of the largely obliterated reg number is '5', whereas under SM2003's WD listing, it would be at least in the fifth position, the first position being an 'L'.
AWM126 lists ARN 44637 as one of the UK Order 886 trucks, which were all new F60Ls delivered directly from Canada to various Australian ports for assembly in Ford plants. In the case of ARN 44637, the place taken on charge is '5', ie 5th Military District, which was West Australia, so the truck was assembled in Perth. I cannot account for the '2003' under the bonnet, except in all instances I've seen where the SM number appears, it is preceeded by the letters 'SM' which does not appear to be the case with Mark's truck. The earliest Australian orders for CMP trucks lodged via the BPC (which came into existence at the beginning of 1940) appear to be Australian Contract Demands issued against SM2019.
As for the registration commencing with '5', it would be interesting to know if the truck started life as a 2-pdr portee and was later converted to GS, as many were.
Mike
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