Half-Track Production Histories

[David Dunlop]

Hello Gentlemen. I hope you have all had a good Holiday Season, and all the best in 2009 to one and all!

When it comes to half-tracks, we all seem to be quite aware of the basic dividing line for their production that states the White, Diamond-T and Autocar units were US Army types and the International ones were the British, Canadian and Russian types and the International production was in full swing by 1943, but when did it actually start and between 1941 and 1943 what, if any, half-tracks did the British and Canadians etc employ?

Here in Canada, looking at any postwar survivors, the production distribution gets even murkier. It is difficult to tell if any non-IHC vehicles were acquired during the war, or postwar to meet national needs. The vast majority of survivors in the Manitoba/Saskatchewan area are non-IHC. One local surplus company, Princess Auto, had a dozen or so in their yard up until the 1980's. They all still wore military colours, but many of them had "The Brandon Construction Company" stenciled on their doors.

A particularly interesting half-track they had in stock, was a radar vehicle conversion of an Autocar or Diamond T vehicle which was identical to a British postwar International Half-Track shown on page 51 of the Olyslager Auto Library "HALF-TRACKS" published by Frederick Warne & Co. It sat unattended for many years until caught in a grass fire in the yard and then disappeared some time later.

Only one non-IHC half-track had ever been photo documented as being used by the Canadian Army in the wartime European theatre. I think it was a Calgary Regiment and even survives somewhere in Alberta today. Could it really have been the only one?!?

Has anyone ever been able to find or document the half-track production records from the four manufacturers. It would be very interesting to find out what production contracts were issued, to whom and when.

David