census (WD) number MK1 carrier

[Michael R.]

The Census or War Department (WD) number information you seek cannot be determined from the lower hull number. Sadly, at the present time it is not possible to determine the WD number from the upper hull number or serial number either.

The lower hull number does not appear on the Data Plate. It is not used in any reporting for spares during service life.

From examining the lower hull you can quickly determine if the hull is a C01UC or C21UCM. If the hull came from Canada post war, it was likely made for a Canadian CDLV contract. I will look for a closer date, but at first blush you may have a build date between late January, 1943 and early March, 1943. During this same period the CDLV 1555 contract was producing both C01UC and C21UCM models, the C21UCM models bear a data plate indicating it is a 'NO-2'.

C21UCM is the factory designation for the production run of 3" mortar carriers. They were produced from MK-I* hulls. All unnecessary fastener holes punched into the MK-I* hulls were factory closed with rivets before delivery to the Ford assembly factory. The C21UCM hulls are quite distinctive, and represent less than ten percent of the MK-I* series production.