WD Numbers, CAR, CFR

[servicepub (RIP)]

Originally posted by Michael Dorosh
So is it a Census number, or a War Department number?

Same thing. Census number is the more accurate term.
Canadians, forming the 1st Canadian Division (and later 1st Canadian Infantry Division) were part of 7 (Br) Corps - although this formatioh was commanded by a Canadian , Lt-Gen AGL McNaughton. As a component of the British Army, and one whose MT was exclusively of British supply, all vehicles conformed to the British census regime. At an early point the prefix "C" was added.
This numbering schene was limited to the CA(O).
In Canada, the census style yy-n-nnnn (year/number) was maintained. The yy represented the year of acquisition of the vehicle while the n-nnnn represented the sequential number of the vehicle acquired that year.i.e., 38-1-243 represents the 1,243rd vehicle obtained in 1938. I aminformed that this changed in 1942 but I am unsure of this. Postwar it appears that the CAR was yy-nnnnnn where yy is the year of acquisition and nnnnnn is a sequential number - but not related to the number of vehicles acquired in any given year, i.e, a deuce-and-a-half would show 52-537829. When the CFR licence plates came into effect, the same 2 1/2 ton would display a licence showing the 537829 only.