Highway tread tyres

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

What is under the tarp on the cargo box?

"Browning .50 cal M2 on anti-aircraft mounting under the tarp on the back deck."

That looks way bigger than an M2 .50. The Tombstone Drum for the .50 mounts to the side, not on top. I'd think more like the size of a 20mm Polsten? Anyway, remove the tarp and show us in the next pic, please Hanno!

And the Note inside the door? "Tires F50 R15" Surely that can't be the correct front and rear pressures? What else could that read?

[rob love]

It would appear to be 55 or more likely 65 for the rear tire pressure. The R overlaps the first number.

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

That raises the question of what was an early CMP Canadian Army Truck doing there in May, 1944.

With the demands for equipment during the war, the early trucks remained in service throughout in domestic service. After-all, they were only a couple years old.

[David Dunlop]

This photo also raises an interesting question as to why a Polsten Gun was in that particular location, if no logical camps were in that area.

Given it is May, there is still evidence of snow on the ground and the truck is located on the Eastern rise to the pass at Golden, would this truck be part of an Avalanche Control Team? The area between Field and Golden is a bad one for avalanche activity, but when did the Canadian Military get involved with proactive control of this annual problem?

A 20mm seems a bit of a light gun for such work but maybe it was effective under certain circumstances on its own. Or could it have served more for target spotting, in support of the crew of a larger field piece like the 25-pdr?

David

[Ed Storey]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

This photo also raises an interesting question as to why a Polsten Gun was in that particular location, if no logical camps were in that area.

David

Both the Vernon and Sarcee Camps are in the area and you cannot rule out something as mundane as driver training.

[Jordan Baker]

If you go to the Vancouver Archives and do a search for that photo number a very large number of other pictures come up. Sadly none of the same truck.

https://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/...Type=inclusive

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Jordan

Always good to find another photo archive. There is the same shot of the truck, wonder if the head title Convoy to Banff is the expectation with all types of vehicles taking part.

The picture title I found interesting was the one of Canadian Woman's Army Corps standing at attention, like so many photo captions they need to be taken with a grain of salt. Or did the Canadian Army use the terms Parade Rest and Attention interchangeably?

But again thanks for the new archive to explore.

Cheers Phil

[Ed Storey]

Originally Posted by Phil Waterman

Hi Jordan


The picture title I found interesting was the one of Canadian Woman's Army Corps standing at attention, like so many photo captions they need to be taken with a grain of salt. Or did the Canadian Army use the terms Parade Rest and Attention interchangeably?

Cheers Phil

There was Attention, At Ease and Easy.

ED

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Jordan Baker

If you go to the Vancouver Archives and do a search for that photo number a very large number of other pictures come up. Sadly none of the same truck.

That's strange. Once scanned, one would expect the photo to show up in the online archive.

There's only one photo with CMP trucks I could find:

"CVA 586-2753 - Army convoy [to Banff National Park]"
5aca2f02-9da4-4e05-9240-162c5ffe2ed7-A05729 (1).jpg
Source: https://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/...ational-park-8

[Bruce MacMillan]

This may be the same truck:
https://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/army-convoy-31

Has XT2 in lower left windscreen in both photos