surviving T16s

[horsa]

That carrier was build shortly after Mark's that never left the USA and still has the early U.S. production features seen in the manuals. Stuff like the angled mount for a Boys A/T rifle in the front windows instead of the later block of wood bolted in place. And it still has the original pattern gun mounts welded to the inner hull walls that could hold a rifle or a Thompson SMG. Almost every carrier had these removed and replaced with the pair located in slightly different places for holding a rifle or a Bren. If you ever wondered what the curved weld marks were on the hull under the paint, this was it. It also retains the early large rear internal locker and never had wading skirts added to the sides.

Note it has a British TD number so these must have been provided by the War Department and stenciled onto the hulls as they came off the production line in the U.S.A.

Mark sold this carrier last year and Brennon here in Texas owns it now.

[andrew honychurch]

interesting stuff David. I had seen some pictures of this Carrier which is very exciting. Quite a rarity, I wonder if there were any others that never left the US. My Carrier is numbered T101616 from memory, no "D" any idea why that would be? I also have the large boxes in the rear as does the Carrier in my post above

[tankbarrell]

The TD number is the US Ordnance serial number, nothing to do with the British army. The T number, as in T101616 is the British WD number.

[andrew honychurch]

thanks Adrian. most kind

[colin jones]

I too have a T16 here in Adelaide and as far as I know there is'nt any others in Aust or is there !
Colin.

[horsa]

I'd understood the "T" was used on standard duty carriers and "TD" was used on carriers assigned for towing guns. I haven't seen many original T-16 data plates still mounted to vehicles with their original markings to compare.

My carrier had the TD number painted on it but no data plates to cross reference. The markings were done with an etching white paint as seen on the early T-16 and they ate through the primer and into the hull itself. We could still read it even after having the hull chemically stripped.

[tankbarrell]

As indicated on that data plate, the TD number is the US Ordnance number and is issued regardless of end user.

The T number is issued by the British Ministry of Supply at point of order and T is merely the prefix for tracked armoured vehicles other than SP guns (S) and amphibians (P).