My Truck

[Ken Smith]

Good day Mike,
What do you think the stamp, 2520 UNIT US ORDER on the opposite page to the ARN means. I see at the top of the page on some of the listings it has a hand written notation U/S 2520 UNIT. Do they mean a Canadian order for 2520 chassis?
I noticed some of the preceding ARN,s are for cab 12 DND Fords that are shown as US vehicles on English order No 886 War Dept. I am guessing that in the mind of the people entering the information that Canada was another U.S. State.

Cheers Ken

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Ken,

I take the reference to 'US' order to mean an order through/on the British Purchasing Commission based in New York, which body was controlling the 'bids' for items by Commonwealth countries, and the allocation of items to Commonwealth countries from each months actual production. The BPC looked at what was available, who wanted what, the urgency of the requirement, and allocated accordingly. This certainly applies to the Cab 12 order, but I'm not sure of the date when Australia ceased ordering direct from US suppliers and when the BPC took over all allocations from North American production, so the '2520 US Order' is possibly one of the direct to US supplier orders common in 1940-41.

Mike

[Lang]

Mike

I was just wondering if it indicated African delivery or was one of the hundreds (thousands?) of replacement engines sent to Africa and subsequently brought back to be progressively fitted as required to many vehicles? Maybe African spec engines were included in direct Australian CKD type deliveries at this time?

Looking at web sites the prefix "A" indicates a "normal" 216 motor built in Flint Michigan and the prefix "F" indicates a 235 engine built in Flint Michigan. Obviously not used together as in Rod's truck.

Lang

[Mike Cecil]

Lang

I am not aware that the prefix indicated a country of destination, or anything along those lines. From my notes, Chev vehicles in Aust service include engine number prefixes include AFR, TBR, BFR, TR, WR, WP, AVB, CR, etc, but what this myriad of prefixes indicate is a mystery to me! The Ford ones I've managed to work out, but not the Chev ones. Maybe a Chev enthusiast (Motto where are you?) can get us all up to speed on that aspect.

In this case, the engine was that supplied in the vehicle when built in Sydney and first taken on charge by Army - the AWM126 entry does not indicate it as a replacement engine. It is, of course, a 'series 15' so a Canadian-sourced chassis/running gear.

Mike

[Lang]

Mike

Just thought I would give you something to keep your mind active while waiting up trying to catch Santa.

Lang

[Mike Cecil]

Mate, not in this household! The Xmas decor is minamalist and if some bearded twirp lands his 'Sleigh Mk2' on the roof and tries climbing down our chimney in the middle of the night, he's likely to get a blast of AA Buck!

Still, we will enjoy lunch tomorrow (25 Dec - it's only 14:15 on 24th here now) with some friends, overlooking the white-blanketed countryside and the ice shelves along the river banks. Ain't winter wonderful!?

Best to you for the season... must be blisteringly hot in Qld??

Mike

[Lang]

All the best to you as well.

Yes it is warm, grand kids have been in the pool for ages. About to put down my beer and join them before the women finish "slaving over a hot stove". We do the traditional roast pork plus heaps of prawns and of course the flaming plum pud.

Lang