Carrier makers

Russell_Sprout · #1 18-09-06, 23:29

Hi, Does any one know who and where 'FM co' made carriers?

Thanks,

Tim.

Jordan Baker · #2 19-09-06, 00:54

Hi Tim

Ahh the legendary FM Co. They have the honour of building all of the Cdn carries and many fine truck during the war. Although Cehvy did beat them on the trucks but thats another battle.

FM Co is the stamping code for Ford Motor Company. You will find this stamped on every single carrier part out there. Some stuff is stamped with a circle around it while other simply have FmCo and a year.

All of the Carries built in Canada were made at the Ford Canada plant in Windsor, Ontario.

I hope that anwsers what it was you were asking.

ron · #3 19-09-06, 03:18

Hi Jordon.
Regarding the Ford carriers made in Canada,
How many did they make?
Regards,
Ron,

Jordan Baker · #4 19-09-06, 03:29

The following is taken from Blueprint for Victory.

"From February, 1941, to January, 1945, Ford of Canada built a total of 28,988 Universal Carriers."

On August 17, 1944 they had build 27,678 carriers

Prior to this there were approx 10 hanbuilt carriers made at the Ford plant before they had tooled up for mass production. These ten had all been made to the British specs.

rob love · #5 19-09-06, 04:43

Add to that another batch of 5000 Windsor carriers, which were also made in Canada.
Then there are the 13,000 (?) T16 carriers which were produced by Ford in the USA for the Commonwealth.

ron · #6 19-09-06, 11:15

Thanks guys for the information on the total made,
it seems that we only made about 5000 carriers here
no wonder they are getting hard to find here,are still
plenty of them lying around in Canada ?,

Regards,
Ron

Hanno Spoelstra · #7 19-09-06, 11:25

Quote:

Originally posted by rob love
Then there are the 13,000 (?) T16 carriers which were produced by Ford in the USA for the Commonwealth.

13,893 as far as I know: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE T-16 CARRIER

H.

Russell_Sprout · #8 19-09-06, 15:04

Hi, Thanks for the answers, Would British made carriers made by Ford in England also be stamped with the same Ford mark? Please forgive me if i'm talking rubbish or indeed if Ford never had U.K factories but carriers are relatively new to me.

Cheers,

Tim.

P.S So for a beginner, how can you tell where a carrier was built and what type it was originally built to.....

Lynn Eades · #9 20-09-06, 00:12

No reasonable question is a dumb question. Life is a learning curve for all of us,and when you ask a question like this, it helps those of us that would like to know,but for what ever reason wouldn't ask. For your interest two stampings from carrier grenade boxes, the origins of which I have an opinion, but someone here will know better.

Lynn Eades · #10 20-09-06, 00:26

And the second. I believe most British origin parts are prefixed "TL" (tank light) and Canadian production prefixed "CTL" Canadian tank light.

rob love · #11 20-09-06, 04:04

Quote:

Originally posted by Lynn Eades
I believe most British origin parts are prefixed "TL" (tank light) and Canadian production prefixed "CTL" Canadian tank light.

Is there any reference to "tank light"? I would have guessed tracked light, as even by 1930s standards, a tank still had to have a main gun, and a Boyes rifle wouldn't qualify.

Lynn Eades · #12 20-09-06, 12:28

I don't know where it came from, but I think you'll find cast into a Loyd Carrier bogie, the words" for light tanks only"

Russell_Sprout · #13 20-09-06, 19:23

So, next question, every picture i look at of carriers they always seem to have different style and angled shrouds over the slot for the bren gun. Why so many variations? Any ideas which version of carrier this one started out as?

Thanks

Tim.

Richard Farrant · #14 20-09-06, 21:16

Quote:

Originally posted by rob love
Is there any reference to "tank light"? I would have guessed tracked light, as even by 1930s standards, a tank still had to have a main gun, and a Boyes rifle wouldn't qualify.

Rob,

It is "Tanks, Light" and comes from the Vickers Armstrong light tanks of the 1930's, which gave their track and suspension design to the Carrier. It thus made sense for the Carriers to be included in the same Vocab codes as light tanks, which of course were still in service in 1941. Regarding main gun, a lot of early light tanks were only armed with machine guns any how and a Boyes would be a larger bore than these.

Richard

Lynn Eades · #15 21-09-06, 06:28

It looks like the Padre's pulpit to me?