Wartime T-16 Universal Carriers with Tops / Bows

[andrew honychurch]

nice find those photos David. I have not seen these before, but it would seem quite natural to weatherproof your home if you were serving through the winter of 1944/45 in Europe. it must have been miserable without this modification. It would be pretty easy to make some easily detachable hood bows.

[horsa]

Found another from the Rhine crossing in March '45. Some of these new shots came as screen captures from the Canadian "WarAmps" video collection of all of the WWII Canadian army news reels.

There are lots of T-16s that can be made out from the Normandy period onwards but I'm trying to spot shots showing the bows and/or tops.

One of these attached photos is a T-16 and the other is a Sexton with similar bows fitted.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

David,

Thanks for bringing up this interesting subject. Like you I have spotted this field conversion - at least that's what I think it is - in pictures before. Once you really start looking it turns out there are more than expected.

As far as I know only the Windsor Carrier was manufactured with proper weather protection, most likely because of experience in the field with other Carrier types. I wonder if it was a typical Canadian feature?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Here's a picture of a Windsor Carrier with canvas weather protection.

Of course the Loyd Carrier was fitted with canvas as well.

[RichardT10829]

Martyn Tasker has done a fantastic weather cover much like this one for his Mk2 Universal... think he said it was Welsh Guards style..(unless i miss understood)

[horsa]

I was familiar with the Loyd and Windsor carriers having bows and canvas tops. The Windsor has a closer look to the T-16 with the large outside rear hull locker. Attached image shows an overhead drawing and you can see the four bows stored on top of the locker.

Even with optimistic planners speculating the war could have ended by Christmas '44 following the Normandy landings, they would have still known the vehicle crews would be spending the fall/winter with their vehicles in the field. You'd think there would have been something official in the works for waterproof cover to protect the equipment even if they weren't worried about the men. I'd be nice to know if some REME outfit fabbed up the bows after the landings or if they were done in the UK and came in with later supplies in August after the region was more stable.

[Yeo.NT]

I believe the Army's Motto is "Any idiot can be Cold, Wet and Miserable in the field". As you can see as EME we have some spare room for extra kit in our vehicles to keep us comfortable.