F15A Trying to Identify

[Grant Bowker]

The standard F15A rear spring pack had 10 leaves, according to the parts list the "Machinery" truck had 12. Are Mach-KL and Mach-1 two descriptions of the same truck or two different configurations?
Before hearing Rob's explanation of PCC, I wondered whether the lettering might have been RCS for Royal Canadian Signals. I still sort of wonder whether they would have gone to the trouble of stenciling the door of a surplus vehicle or would have freehanded it?
Another possibility would be that mix and match happened. Knowing how the wrecker's winch is driven might help clarify this as the only F15A variants come to mind with a power takeoff are tankers. PTO drive from the transfer case would be an addition, two speed case would be a changed part which would suggest that other mixing might have taken place.

[rob love]

Here is a shot I just grabbed off kijiji of another truck with the PCC markings on the door. Jame's truck has it on the cowl. While it seems like a lot of work to do to mark a vehicle before disposal, I can only theorize that whomever writes the directives sits at a desk and does not worry about the amount of time it takes to perform the tasks. As well, the army did worry about getting the best possible prices for the vehicles as salvage (I have documentation attesting to this), so having graffitti over the windows like the LSVW sales would not do. Lastly, soldiers are paid by the year, not by production, and in garrison (generally) have plenty of time on their hands.

Looking at the other PCC number, I suspect it is the certificate number. I have also seen the PCC sprayed on the early release deuces, so the practice stayed around until the 70s. Note this one has a PCC number of 41773, where the other one was 41759. I'll start keeping an eye on other trucks with this marking and see what they have to figure out if there is a meaning to the numbers. Odd that these two from different regions are only 14 apart.

[David Dunlop]

Not to muddy this thread, Rob, but the last M38CDN I owned came out of Kapyong in the early 1970's and had the following stencilled across it's hood:

PCC BMS L 13/71

Nice looking KL, by the way, James. Great looking truck when they are brought back to life, though you might want to hope gas prices stay where they are at the moment when it's all back together!

Cheers,


David

[rob love]

Dave

A later system which may be the result of the Cdn Forces Unification. BMS-L will be Base Maint (S=?) Land and it looks like the 13th PCC of 1971, most likely at that location (Winnipeg). We used a similar system of numbering for workorders and UCRs back then, starting a fresh register each year. Remember these were the pre-computer days.

[James Y]

Interesting that they had enough time to put the PCC #'s on both side of the hood and I see it on the passenger door.

[James Y]

Here are few pictures when we picked it up.

[James Y]

If anyone can help out on the details of the welding table that would be great.

Jim

[rob love]

Originally Posted by James Y

Interesting that they had enough time to put the PCC #'s on both side of the hood and I see it on the passenger door.

When you are in the service during peacetime, you have plenty of time. They went to all the trouble of putting together the stencil, they might as well use it.

I have an old BSF tap and die set that is Cdn Forces surplus. Besides the usual stock number, description, and checklist number on the lid, it also has a kit number stenciled on the top of the box. Whomever did that then taped the stencil to the inside of the box. Would of been a shame to only use it once then throw it away.

[Colin Alford]

I saw this thread last night and thought that I might be able to assist. I was concerned that the data plate in the truck read F15441-M-MACH-1 as opposed to F15A MACH-KL so I had a flip through the design records to figure out what the M-MACH-1 could be.

There are no Machinery Lorries listed that match M-MACH-1 and the only Machinery Lorry that entered production on a 15cwt chassis was the MACH-KL (the exception being a pilot model "Machinery Lorry 15cwt Slave Battery Charger" Code 15A-BC-1 but it appears that this pilot model was built on a Chev). I wonder if the designation F15441-M-MACH-1 was a code for the beefed-up chassis designed for a Machinery Lorry as opposed to the code for the complete vehicle?

Having not found an answer from the design records I then decided to drop by the KL in Borden during lunch to have a look at the data plates on that truck. Unfortunately the data plates are missing from the Borden truck. They were definitely on the dash (not on the door) but were missing prior to the last paint job.

Knowing that the only Machinery Lorry on a 15cwt was the KL and the fact that the remains of the body appear correct for the KL, I think that it is a safe bet that the subject truck was a KL.

Colin