[David_Hayward (RIP)]

There were 3,414 and 3,330 CKD units in May and June 1943 with 108 in July.

These are the sum total of known C8AX chassis:

ALL S/M 2394: [ASSEMBLED BY G.M. NEW ZEALAND, CODE XH]
XH8448-275 MFGD. MAY 4 1943
XH8448-377 ENGINE # FR3,863,573 MFGD. MAY 5 1943
XH8448-382 ENGINE # FR3,863,937 MFGD. MAY 5 1943
XH8448-428 MFGD. MAY 5 1943
XH8448-564 MFGD. MAY 5 1943
XH8448-657 ENGINE # FR3,864,068 MFGD. MAY 5 1943
XH8448-718 ENGINE # FR3,864,330 MFGD. JUNE 5 1943
XH8448-834 MFGD. JUNE 5 1943
XH8448-890 MFGD. JUNE 5 1943

However, I am not sure whether the 'June' is correct now. I wonder if they were '6 5-43' and have been misinterprested? I would have said that the maximum was possibly 900, although this assumes that GM NZ started their sequential system with XH8448-1...we need to ensure that there were no other CMPs assembled at the time. I would suggest that the platews were stamped by the GM NZ men on the line, as these would have been blank plates supplied along with the crates of components. On that basis I can understand firstly why different men on a different shift would stamp the way that they thought was correct, and why assembly in June might have been possible. The engines I date to early 1943 at the latest.

However I have one other line of enquiry: knowing the contract number I am going to endeavour to look up the Ministry of Supply record card and see what it says as this should give the information we need!