How To: Ford CMP "Blitz" miscellany

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Jacques,

The late 1960s/ early 1970s saw the intro of such vehicles as Ford XY utilities with bows and high canvas canopies. Not sure of the dimensions, but they were described as 'Truck Utility 3/4 ton CL with high canopy'. Maybe that is worth looking at as a possible application of the canopy you have.

The bridge sign on Aust military vehicles was originally painted directly on the right front of the vehicle in an irregular shape approximating an 8 inch circle. This later translated to an 8 inch disc fixed to the front right of the vehicle, painted yellow with the bridge weight painted on in black. The spec stated it had to be visible and readable to an observer from a certain distance - I think 50 yards. The bridge plate was the same colour as the plate affixed to the bridges themselves, so that the driver would equate the signage as having the same meaning. A driver approaching a bridge with a lesser number on the bridge plate of the bridge than the number on his truck bridge plate was not permitted to cross under most circumstances.

The gauge of the steel disc appears to have varied, (along with the diameter), with what I believe to have been original discs in 16#, 18# and 20# being observed by me over the years. All were simple, raw edged discs without any pressing like the later discs fixed to Land Rovers etc, or rolled edge.

Bridge discs were not supplied in the CMP inventory of parts from Canada, but were part of the local production. The disc was never fitted to the headlamp 'socket' of Australian-assembled/manufactured CMPs, as the Aust Army requirement was always for two functional headlamps.

The bridge weight for a 15cwt CMP varied with the vehicle type. For GS 4x4 CMP vehicles, the sign was '4', being the maximum gross laden weight rounded to even tons. For CMP signals office & office CMP trucks in 4x4, the bridge weight was '5'.

The MVFS specification goes a step further, stating '3' for unladen and '4' for laden for the CMP 15-cwt GS 4x4, and for 4x2 six seater utilities, the bridge sign was '4' unladen and '5' laden. Of course, the unladen spec is irrelevant to the marking of the bridge plate, which by necessity has to reflect the gross laden weight.

Hope that all makes sense.

Mike