M-38 CDN (history)

[BCA]

Hello Gaetan,
There are three places on the jeep body pre-punched for data plates. These holes are not threaded but instead use a 3/8" No, 6 sheet metal screw: 4 holes for the data plate mounting plate (on the dash), 4 holes for the patent plate (on wheel well behind the passenger seat) and 4 holes for the fording control plate. I think you mean that there were only 3 holes present for installing the data plate mounting plate on the dash panel.
My guess would be that this was a factory mistake: one of the 4 holes was not punched correctly. When the mounting plate was attached to your dash only 3 screws were used. Later the data plates went missing: lost or stolen.
It is hard to imagine a jeep being produced without a set of data plates. I have information on 9 other Willys M38 Canadian jeeps. They have Willys serial numbers between 37853 and 38852. This is in the range of October 1951 Willys M38 production. I have a note that you mentioned your M38 ownership paper listed the serial number as 38852: A number that makes perfect sense for an October 1951 Willys M38, Toledo Ohio, delivered to Canada!
...... Brian