Canadians using American vehicles in WW2

[J.L. Spurrell]

Hi Alex,


I own a For GPW and want to paint in in Canadian WWII colours. Also, I have a chance to buy a 1942 WLA Harley (not WLC) which I would also paint in Canadian colours. I understand that the Canadian contract was for the WLC only.

I want to be sure in both cases that Canadians did aquire and use these vehicles (GPW WLA). If you had a picture or documetnation of a GPW or WLA being used in WWII by Canadians I would be thrilled.

My Ford GPW that I picked up locally, I beleive it was Canadian used but wanted to get a better understanding on how it may have came into Canadian hands. In my hunts I have found another GPW wreck in a local farmers field far beyond restoration that still had traces on military paint. The same yard also had a Universal carrier that has long since vanished. My gut tells me that these GPW's came from base Gagetown (or one of the WWII bases) that were here in New Brunswick.

I want to be sure in both cases that Canadians did aquire and use these vehicles in the field. I would imagine that in theater finding, repainting and reusing vehicles octen occured.

If you had proof (a picture or documetnation) of a GPW and WLA being used in WWII by Canadians I would be thrilled.

Thank you,
Jason