[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Remembering Canada's war contribution
Country supplied a range of vehicles during World War II

Trucks gained solid reputation on both sides of the conflict


SHERRYLL SOBIE
SPECIAL TO THE STAR

On May 16, 1940, more than 300,000 British, French and Belgian soldiers were stranded at the port of Dunkirk with German troops quickly closing in. Vessels of all sorts, including fishing boats captained by civilians, criss-crossed the English Channel for nine tense days ferrying loads of soldiers to safety.

While the evacuation of Dunkirk spared thousands of lives, the British Expeditionary Force suffered massive losses in the form of munitions, supplies and military vehicles.

During this one battle alone, Britain lost 80,000 military vehicles. And once the dust settled, it was faced with the harsh reality that only 5,000 vehicles remained, the majority of which were motorcycles.

At this point, the Americans had not yet joined the war effort so it was with utter desperation that the mother country turned to her offspring — the Dominion of Canada — to replenish her dwindled stock.

On Tuesday, as we remember those who gave their lives, few may realize the pivotal contribution Canada made through the design and production of military vehicles. It may be surprising to learn that from 1940 to 1945 Canada, a small agricultural colony with only 11 million people, manufactured upwards of 900,000 military vehicles.

Another interesting fact: The vehicles were uniquely Canadian. Designed by Canadians, made with Canadian materials using Canadian equipment and produced by the calloused hands of a committed and united Canadian workforce.

Flash forward 30 years. It was the early 1970s when flower power had taken the place of military might and Joni Mitchell songs were wafting in the wind. And like many twentysomethings, U of T geology student Brian Asbury was yearning to buy a jeep. What he eventually purchased ultimately changed the direction of his life.

"I spent about $1,200 to $1,400 for a 1952 M38 CDN made by Ford Motor Co. of Canada Ltd.," Asbury recalls. By his own admission, he didn't know anything about the army jeep, including the fact that only 2,200 such models were ever made.

"There were absolutely no books and there was nobody to talk to. I'd stop people on the street if they happened to have an old jeep."

Despite the obvious setbacks, Asbury persevered. The jeep's simple design allowed the handy university student to hone his skills and, in the process, piqued his interest in other military vehicles.

"Then I started to think: `What can I get that no one else has? An armoured car — or even better, a Canadian Military Pattern truck, which is quite rare.'"

Today, Asbury is a military vehicle collector and dealer based in Halton Hills, also known as the Veterans Highway. And although he no longer owns his first jeep (it was sold in 1979 for $2,000) he now has 55 working military machines in his possession.

His collection comes from Australia, Norway, England, France and Canada. It occupies slightly more than half a hectare and is made possible by money generated through rentals to the movie and television industry.

His armoured vehicles, tanks, jeeps, troop carriers, amphibious trucks, motorcycles and accessories like gas masks and even inflatable rubber buildings have been used in TV shows like Relic Hunter and Nikita, as well as films like K-19 with Harrison Ford.

But in Asbury's eyes, and in the eyes of many Canadian military vehicle collectors, the star of the show is the CMP. "Very few collectors have a CMP. Not too many came back from Europe. They were either destroyed during the war or used by the Allied countries to rebuild after the war. The ones that remained in Canada ended up being used by loggers, farmers and Ontario Hydro," says Asbury. "They were used up, abused and worn out."

Montreal-based Marc Montgomery, a military vehicle collector and publisher of Convoy, a magazine for MV hobbyists, says it's a shame that people don't realize the inherent value of these machines.

"They should be considered Canada's most important heritage vehicles," he contends.

Montgomery stumbled upon this theory 12 years ago after he acquired his first military vehicle, a 1944 C60-L GS Oshawa-built Chevrolet. "The fact it was Canadian hooked me. Then I came to recognize the enormous extent and vital contribution Canada made during World War II," he explains.

Included in the CMP truck lineup: Heavy Utility, FAT 4x4 (field artillery tractors) and 3-tonne 4x2. By far the most widely produced was the 3-tonne 4x4, followed by the 15 cwt 4x4 (1 cwt is a British term for 100 weight capacity or about 50 kg).

Asbury, one of two CMP parts dealers in the world (the other is based in Holland), owns four CMP trucks including a restored 1941 F15A CMP Cab 12. That translates into: Ford 15 cwt four-wheel-drive Canadian Military Pattern with a second-generation cab.

The F15A was highly versatile. Some were used as general service vehicles carrying soldiers and generic supplies while others had modified boxes to carry water, wireless communication, laundry, welding equipment and first aid kits.

The all-steel welded F15A performed admirably in forward areas because of its low silhouette and short wheelbase. It was fitted with a rifle rack and a POW can (petrol, oil, water) — similar to today's jerry can.

The 3,279 kg truck's average fuel consumption was 25 L/ 100 km and reached a maximum speed of 80 km/h.

"Canadian military vehicles were simple and they didn't go fast," Asbury notes. "But they were solid, rugged, mechanical beasts."

Apparently the Germans agreed. A German document that was discovered during a time when Canada was producing by far the majority of "English" vehicles read: "For this reconnaissance, as indeed for every reconnaissance, only captured English trucks are to be employed, since German trucks stick in the sand too often."

Ralph Paulsen, who was a Dispatch Rider with the First Division Royal Edmonton Regiment in the Signals Platoon in World War II, normally rode a British-designed Norton Motorcycle. But on a few special occasions, he drove a CMP truck.

"Most of the trucks in the Signals holding unit were Canadian-made.

"I used to drive a 60 cwt (3 1/2-tonne) Chev loaded with soldiers for Saturday outings to Windsor Castle," he recalls. "One time we met the two princesses (Margaret and Elizabeth) and their Corgi dog.

"Elizabeth used to change the oil in her car," he continues. "I have a picture of her crawling under it and her face is smeared with grease."

While Paulsen and thousands of other Canadian soldiers, sailors and pilots fought overseas, activity on the home front shortly after the evacuation of Dunkirk was reaching an all-time high.

Rival car companies — Ford Motor Co. of Canada Ltd. and General Motors Corporation of Canada Ltd. — pooled their resources in a historical union not seen before or since: Ford assumed responsibility for designing the cab, sheet metal and some powertrains while General Motors was responsible for handling the chassis.

It was a time of co-operation, commitment and courage; it was also the time for a young colony to grow into a mature nation.

According to Montgomery: "The transformation of Canada from a mostly agricultural society, to an industrial and technological giant can be credited, in large part, to the design and production of WWII military vehicles."

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