Morris-Commercial CDSW AA Tractor in Tunesia

Originally posted by Stellan Bojerud
Is this the same type of truck?

Yes it is, Morris Commercial CDSW gun tractor.
C Type truck, D dual axles, S six cylinder engine, W winch fitted.

I know guns better and suggest that it is a Belgian-made MK I on MK I carriage.

Excellent picture which I shall print for Rory (M-C) Ballard 400yds down the road. There is a mud up restoration of a CDSW breakdown happening there but as usual the work and detail means I cannot post a picture for many years yet I think.

What does the number sign tell us?

We touched on this in another thread:
http://www.mapleleafup.org/forums/sh...&threadid=2492
It means the truck may not be driven above 20mph so if you're stuck behind it don't expect to get anywhere fast!!!!!!

It was common and legal practice pre-war to legally limit certain types of vehicles to a maximum speed, just as today, we have actual speed limiters on heavy trucks. In fact I see separate 70, 80 and 90 (kmph) plates on the continental trucks here.

Pre-war England had various types limited to 20 or 30 mph and the military followed suit to fit in with civvy practice, it carried over into war-time since this M-C truck is of '36 vintage.

To this day the current army has speed limiters in its HGV type trucks, and the civvy legally required tachographs. Army drivers are obliged (ordered) to follow the civvy law for driving hours and rest periods although they are exempt in reallity and it is all ignored on exercise or war situations.

You wil also find, especially the early M-Cs even, have a tax disc holder on the rear left of the bonnet (hood) upright panel, its not put there for the convenience of today's restorer who must have a valid disc for road use, but even the army pre-war and for some time into WWII was obliged to formally register vehicles and pay the Road Fund Excise Licence for them based on the RAC HP rating. In this case the engine is rated for taxation at 25hp from a formula (which I have quoted somewhere in MLU) that makes some gross assumptions and ignores the cylinder stroke.

This is one reason we have always had small cars incidentally; taking the above example this Morris engine was also used in their large limousine, the Morris 25, and you would have to pay tax at a rate of 25 pounds a year. But at a time when the average wage was probably about 10 pounds a month!!!!!!

Hence the tiny 7, 8 and 10"hp" cars, even so you'd have been well off back then to afford one.

R.