CMP trucks used by US Forces

[Mike Cecil]

Hanno,

USA Services of Supply were supplied with hundreds of vehicles by the Australian government. These ranged from 10 hp 2-seat cars to large staff cars, and many trucks including CMPs. They were not free issue, but added to the Reciprocal Lend Lease (RLL) account at specified values. Same goes for the specialised vehicles built specifically for US forces, such as the S1 armoured car based on a CMP 15 cwt. Shipping was at a premium: made sense to obtain as much as possible as close to the battle front as possible.

These were all registered under the various schemes operated by the individual US service: USN, US Army and Air Force. When the draw-down of US Forces in Australia started to occur from about late 1943, many were returned to the Commonwealth and credited against the RLL account at an agreed value based upon condition.

Not many people realise that lend-lease was a two-way street, and that Australia provided a value of something like 75% of the total value of LL equipment provided to Australia, back to US Forces as RLL.

Mike