Clive
I'm not sure there is any significance to the first two digits. (I'm talking the pre 50s numbers; the post 50s numbers were of course the year, with the exception of guns, which had 00 for the prefix) The difference I have seen in them (some go up to the 80s) must have some rational. As an example, the jump between the two mk1 carriers (51 269 to 56 749) represents 5000+ vehicles. Another carrier from the same batch had a number of 68-030. If these were just carriers or armour, it certainly represents a large holding here in Canada.
I suppose I could try and look in the war diaries at the museum and see if the later numbers were similar within the unit,or by vehicle type.
When I was researching my first CMP, the war diaries for the trucks unit (A4-RCATC) were held in the RCA museum. Basically it was just a compilation of the routine orders. Fortunately, there were entries like: Lt Bloggins is directed to conduct an inquiry into an accident where 15cwt 41-1-1084 struck a gun.
I searched for 2 hours and while I found many census #s close to mine, I didn't find my particular truck. I ran out of time, however, and only read through about a years worth of orders. It was, however, fascinating reading.
Also, regarding the 1 in the early vehicle numbers, (XX-1-XXXX) I have never seen any number besides a one in this location. I would suspect that 38-1-243 would be the 243rd vehicle assigned a number that year. This style of numbering went to 4 digits, so could represent up to 10, 000 vehicles per year held domestically.
Regarding the 1943-1950 type number, I may have made an error. I think they were 5 digits in total (ie 68-123) and not six like I showed in my earlier posting.
A sum up (for clarification) of domestic number systems:
41-1-1085 number type used from 30's until end 42/early 43(?). 41=year, 1=?, and 1085 sequential assigned that year
58-123 number type used from 43 until about 1950, relevance unknown
51-31234 number style used from around the 50s until present. 51 is the vehicles production year, and 31234 is the sequential number assigned to the vehicle, regardless of the year.
For the SMP vehicles in the 50s, each type was in a 10,000 block of numbers, ie jeeps in the 30000 range, 3/4 tons in the 40,000 range, and deuces in the 50000 range, etc. Later, this block style of assigning numbers was discontinued, and numbers were assigned sequentially regardless of the vehicle type. A number could not be used a second time if the vehicle or equipment which was assigned that number was still in service. Blocks could be reserved for larger aquisitions. Also, CFRs can be assigned to high valued technical equipment or any other eqipment for which loomis data (parts cost, manhours repairing) should be captured, upon direction of NDHQ.
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