1941 Fordson WOT 2H truck. After 10 years

[Ian Mastin]

Thank's Mike for the infro! I'm still sanding away to try and uncover the unit Tac sign but at this point in time it's not looking good all I've uncovered is the first two numbers 16 but I'll keep trying.
Mike here are some numbers you ask for, the engine No 6182677, chassis still looking for, Cab Body No 330 7992 BMB Ltd, Tray Body No 14288 P.R.C, Britsh Reg No Z.4643751 so I hope this is some help to you? I will let you know when I fine the chassis number.
Also Mike could tell me if the markings on the door and righthand guard are they British or Australian ?.

Ian thankyou for reply! as to the tac sign on your BGC it do's look a bit diffident to my, the only thing I can see is the back leg is a bit more horizontal on my and also on my it's has a No 9 painted partly over it to, I still need to do some sanding in that area so hopfuly I will uncover a bit more of it.



cheers for now
Ian

[Mike Cecil]

Ian,

Well, B****r me! From the info you have provided, your WOT2H is not one of the 60 refugee cargo vehicles registered in the Aust Army (Commonwealth) system, but appears to be from another source, so likely a returning AIF unit. Hence one of a very small group. The 60 refugee cargo vehicles all had engine numbers in the 614XXXX and 615XXXX range, and the Brit WO registrations were prefix "V" for Van, and in 7XXXXXX range. I think a 'Z' reg prefix indicates a wireless vehicle in Brit terms: can a Brit help me out here, please?

The Unit sign you mention is '16' but you can't see the last figure yet, so I'm assuming you can see that there are three numbers. This is most likely to be '165' then, which was a Cavalry Regiment, so fits with the Formation sign of 1 Cav Div/1 Motor Div/3 Armd Div as the formation. The background colours were green over blue, horizontally divided - so will probably appear black-ish these days after weathering.

The B Squadron square and 14 Troop marking on the door are entirely consistent with an armoured or cavalry unit in both Brit and Aust armies, but being consistent with the other signage, are most likely of Australian origin.

Mike C

[Mike Cecil]

Ian,

I've just had a quick look at disposals data I have (very incomplete!) in an effort to try and locate your particular Brit reg. There are a few 'Z' prefix registrations in the right weight class disposed of in 1944, but none that match your Brit registration exactly.

Unless you can find evidence of an Australian registration on the bonnet sides, then I'd suggest your truck retained its Brit registration while in Aust Service.

Mike C

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

I think a 'Z' reg prefix indicates a wireless vehicle in Brit terms: can a Brit help me out here, please?

Hi Mike,
Z was for trucks under 1 ton payload. Signals vehicles did not have a specific prefix.

regards, Richard

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Ian Mastin

Thank's Mike for the infro! I'm still sanding away to try and uncover the unit Tac sign but at this point in time it's not looking good all I've uncovered is the first two numbers 16 but I'll keep trying.
Mike here are some numbers you ask for, the engine No 6182677, chassis still looking for, Cab Body No 330 7992 BMB Ltd, Tray Body No 14288 P.R.C, Britsh Reg No Z.4643751 so I hope this is some help to you? I will let you know when I fine the chassis number.

Hi Ian,
BMB Ltd was Briggs Motor Bodies Ltd and I think the body builder, PRC, was Park Royal Coachbuilders.
The vehicle was built under Contract no V4568, with census numbers Z4642001 to Z4645000

Hope that is of interest to you.

regards, Richard

[Mike Cecil]

Thanks, Richard - Z was not a prefix used in the Australian system. If Z is for trucks under 1 ton payload, what was 'V' for Van's parameters, please?

Mike C

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Thanks, Richard - Z was not a prefix used in the Australian system. If Z is for trucks under 1 ton payload, what was 'V' for Van's parameters, please?

Mike C

hi Mike,
The prefixes were British and also used by the Canadians but prefixed with a C, so a motorcycle would be CC and a 15cwt CMP truck CZ and so on.

Van designation was discontinued during the war I believe, but as well as conventional Vans, there were some Bedford MW and Fordson WOT2 trucks which were built and designated "Vans" (Bedford MWV for one). These had a canvas covered body, but I think it was a permanent covering not roped like a GS truck

Richard

[Mike Cecil]

Thanks, Richard, that's interesting: the WOT2's registered in Oz all had previous V prefix Brit registrations.

The Aust pre-war system and the AIF system used 'V" for any load-carrying vehicle one ton or less, with or without a canvas canopy and canopy frame, but not 'Z'. The Commonwealth system did not use type designators in the registrations on the vehicles (although the early register recordings still classed vehicles according to the pre-war descriptions).

C motorcycle, M car, V van, L Lorry, H tractor wheeled, X trailer, LX fixed tractor/semitrailer combination, B bus, T tracked vehicle - can't recall others just now.

Mike C

[Ian Mastin]

Thanks guys very much appreciated, will get some more photo's up this weekend on hood and tac signs.

Cheers for now
Ian

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Thanks, Richard, that's interesting: the WOT2's registered in Oz all had previous V prefix Brit registrations.

Hi Mike,
I am not too hot on Ford WOT2's but they had suffix letters if I recall something like WOT2H (Office body) etc, with each letter being a particular type, open back, with tilt, van, light warning, etc. There are several contracts of WOT2 Vans on the list.

[Ian Mastin]

Hi Mike,

I uncovered a bit more today, the unit sign on the gaurd looks likely to be 163xx over 4xxx have a look at photo's and see what you, also to the formation sign I uncovered had the number 7 in front of the 9 so am I right in saying that the number 79 is British.
Also mike I found the chassis No it's the same as the engine No 6182677 but what's interesting is I could not fine any ARN on the hood! just the British one Z-4643751, and one more thing on the hood number I was over Jack Nevllie place yesterday he's got hood that came off a 2H model WOT and it's No is Z-4644xxx and also what we could see on it their is no ARN.
So Mike I hope this is some more help for you I look forward to see what you come up with.


cheers for now
Ian

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Richard Farrant

I am not too hot on Ford WOT2's but they had suffix letters if I recall something like WOT2H (Office body) etc, with each letter being a particular type, open back, with tilt, van, light warning, etc. There are several contracts of WOT2 Vans on the list.

Richard,


The suffix letters denoted the following:

• WOT2A had individual windowscreens at an angle, wooden body, no tilt and vertical radiator grill
• WOT2B had individual screens at an angle, a van body and mesh radiator grill
• WOT2C individual but horizontal screens, wood body, no tilt.
• WOT2D individual but horizontal screens, van body.
• WOT2E full width windscreen, wood with tilt
• WOT2F full width windscreen, steel body, no tilt
• WOT2H full width windscreen wood or steel body with tilt

(I glanced this off various sources on the internet, so I'm not sure if I got it all correct.)

A Van body was in some cases (like CMP trucks) nothing more than the GS body wih a canvas tilt, in other cases such as the Bedford pictured below it was a permanent canvas covered supertructure on a modified GS body (longer and with no foldable sides, for instance).

Hanno