Utilivans
Lang,
Thanks for the data, but I have been unable to equate it with the very limited references I have to Morris vans in military service in Australia. Nevertheless, the records show some interesting things in the light of your find, and the posts above.
The USAFIA returned a Morris 'Light English Utility' in Sydney for disposal by the CDC in late 1944. It had 17,660 miles on the clock. US Army registration number was USA-U-27167. No engine or chassis number given.
The RAN list three possibles, all listed as still in service in the post-war period (late 1940s). They were operated from HMAS Harmon and the Belconnen Wireless Station, both near Canberra (The big wireless station @ Belconnen was for all international government messaging during and post-war. Now defunct and last I heard, awaiting dismantling of the huge tower). RAN registrations were:
RAN 58259 ... eng number 65932)
RAN 58258 ... eng number 66080) These appear to be in a wartime group.
RAN 60191 ... eng number NPSC14042. This appears to be post-war: it's in a group that includes Holdens, etc.
The first two, by coincidence, are described as 'Utilivans' which now means a lot more to me than when I first saw the term, thanks to these posts. The last is described as a 'Van'. The first two engine numbers are interesting in the light of yours (70203) which might indicate the RAN ones were earlier production? - doubtless our English friends with greater knowledge of Morris vehicle engine numbers can comment on that.
IF the RAN ones were wartime, they would have been painted in KG3 as per the camouflage regulations, but possibly re-painted post war in either dark blue or seagrey. If similar vehicles had been disposed of by the RAN at war's end, then most likely in KG3 paint.
HOWEVER, the RAN had an alarming propensity to re-issue registrations and migrate the plates to different vehicles once the original was disposed of. So, while it appears that these (above) are wartime registrations, this is not certain. Maybe the approx. production year can be ascertained from the engine numbers? Also, I don't have anywhere near a complete list of RAN registrations, so they may have had others I have not found a record of as yet (and which were disposed of at war's end?).
Something else to consider - and this is just theorizing - I would expect that, if the Morris is wartime, then its production year should be pre-1942, rather than 1942 or later, as imports from the UK were restricted during the 1940-41 period (but still possible to import commercial type goods), then severely restricted from late 1941 onwards, with virtually no civilian MVs imported until the end of the war. I cannot see a few Morris vans being high on the governments import agenda during the 1942-1945 period, especially when there was an over-abundance of modified conventional vehicles already 'on the books'.
The other (remote?) possibility is that these were Refugee Cargo, arriving in Oz in late 41/early 42, having been diverted while en route to English forces in Malaya, etc. They would have to be pre-42 build to be considered for that scenario.
Hope this helps.
Mike C
|