Did Canadian army in ETO use 4x2 CMPs?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

On p. 246 of Les Freaty's British Military Trucks of WW2 I found this interesting picture of a Ford CMP F15 4x2 truck fitted with a British-built cargo body.

My hypothesis is that these trucks were originally assembled as Truck, 15-cwt, 4x2, AA, Mk II, more often referred to as a 15-cwt Polsten AA truck (or similar).
When due to Allied air superiority this type of AA truck was not needed anymore, they were re-bodied with GS type bodies commonly found on British 15-cwt trucks.

And another CMP with British 15-cwt body. Its census number reads Z5346754.


CMP with British body.jpg CMP with British body (2) .jpg

Source: https://www.britishpathe.com/video/time-off-from-war

Title reads: "Time off from war".

Normandy, France.

ISSUE DATE:10/08/1944

Description:
Various shots of British soldiers (the Desert Rats) arriving at rest camp run by Second Army Corps. They alight from truck and are given cigarettes and letter cards. Various shots of the troops lining up for food, eating in mess tent and then washing out their mess tins.

We see the soldiers relaxing on few days leave. Various shots of some of the soldiers out horse riding on ponies captured from Germans. Some others go out on small dinghies and fishing boats loaned by local fishermen. Some of the men even catch a few fish.

Various shots of local French women doing the laundry for the troops. M/S of group of troops getting haircut from French hairdresser. M/S of soldier hands letter into the field censor who makes small alteration.

C/U of makeshift sign for "The Wheatsheaf". C/U of soldiers drinking beer from bottles. Various shots of an open-air stage, a couple of comics entertain some of the troops.

Various shots of soldiers getting back onto trucks to go back to the war. One soldier "Shorty" is late and has to run, his mates haul him up into the truck as it starts to drove away

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

And another CMP with British 15-cwt body. Its census number reads Z5346754.

Hmm, cannot find a listing, other than the block "529607 - 550000 | Not taken up".

Surely this block of 20394 census numbers must have been assigned to some contracts?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Hmm, cannot find a listing, other than the block "529607 - 550000 | Not taken up".

Surely this block of 20394 census numbers must have been assigned to some contracts?

Part of this block of census numbers was assigned to "Z5353961-5354980 | SM2689 | Chevrolet truck 15cwt 4x2 G/S", but the subject vehicle's census number Z5346754 just precedes this block.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Alex found another picture of one of those CMP 4x2 15-cwts with British GS body - but it is a Chevrolet C15 this time!

This is the first C15 for sure, another likely candidate can be found in post #53.

IWM B 8893 screenshot.jpg

"Tanks under repair in an open air REME tank recovery and repair workshop."

IWM B 8893.jpg IWM B 8893 2.jpg

Source: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/i...ject/205417942, refers to https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/i...ject/205417938

[Alex van de Wetering]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Alex found another picture of one of those CMP 4x2 15-cwts with British GS body - but it is a Chevrolet C15 this time!

Hanno, the funny thing is that you always find these sort of things when you are looking for something else! I was actually looking for pictures with REME and RCEME markings!

Also note the white star painted on the canvas sides....not the most common place to put it.

a side note...this is a C15 in British service

Alex

[Alex van de Wetering]

An F15 in this British Pathe movie, 2101.05
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWEjpu2YX8A&t=45s

In all honesty....this seems to be another one in British service, not Canadian

Alex