Heads Up: 1952 cdn m43

[paul53]

A good friend of mine wants to sell his Ambulance. It was rescued from the bush last year but he has no time to work on it. Asking $2000.00 OBO

It is registered so paper work is in order and was used by the US Air force while being stationed at CFB Comox. It has both Air force markings and the 1952 CFR number but is very faint. We don't have all the history just and old story.

The engine turns over by hand and has very solid floors front and back, I can supply more pictures if your really interested.

I can be contacted tru the Forum or e-mail me directly (pploerke@yahoo.ca)

Thanks

[paul53]

You can just make out the Air Force # 3 J22 1570 and the CFR # is badly faded # 52-__200

This truck as well as an M37 1954 CDN were purchased from Don Robson when he sold a few surplus vehicles back in the day and were both driven up to Prince George BC and have sat still since 1980.
Upon seeing these we had to rescue them legally I may add.

This truck is located in Prince George

Thanks, Paul

[Rob MacDonald]

I think that I remember this truck - back when Don had his dealership (Don Robson's Used 4X4s) on West Broadway.

We 'kid' military-vehicle-junkies would hang around Don, Pat Smith and Alfie somethingorother at breakfast at a hole-in-the-wall diner at B'way and Burrard, then troop over to drool on the M38s, M38A1CDNs, Don's White halftrack named (not-affectionally for his first wife) Dragon Lady.

let me shake the accounts-recievable tree to see what fruit it yields....

[paul53]

When I got a hold of Don last winter and mentioned this truck as well as a 1954 M-37 he also sold he mentioned remembering the owners at that time. They only used them to move from the lower main land to Prince George and that was it. I have a fella interested in the other 1954 M-37 but if that doesn't work out I'll post it here also.

Glad to see someone remembers this old truck it would be interesting to know the Military history some day.

[rob love]

Interesting that a Cdn made vehicle was in use by the US Air Force. Is there a CFR stamped on the front left frame, just behind the bumper but before the grill?

I can't help feeling that the 52-XX200 is actually the US Airforce number of 52K1200.

[paul53]

Hi Rob,
I looked in the usuall places for CDN stamps and numbers but only found what you see. I forgot to mention the drivers side hood had #'s

It looks to be # 3J22-A52 can't tell if there was more or not that's all I can see, possiable 3J22-A52K1500 but i'm only guessing.

The passenger door had the # 3J22-1570 the drivers door had 52__200

A winch was installed what seems later not the factory type but I couldn't find what looks to be the stamping numbers you would want. I know what they would look like as I've seen them before on other CDN vehicles. I'll go out and have a better look this week.

To bad the previous owners were to gun ho with a spray can and did a custom paint job on the interior as there might have been more numbers on the dash??

Paul

[paul53]

Just for information for all those M-series Dodge fans my self included I wanted to submit a page from A small but interesting booklit.
# TM9-1840C Titled 3/4 ton 4x4 M37 US and CDN facts, figures

If only my yard was big enough and hidden from view from the wife, I would own this one. looking at the production figures there wasn't many CDN M43 ambulances built 409 in total and only 121 in 1952. This one being one of only 409 made and interesting enough marked in US Air Force use. I would say not many of these around in some what good shape.

I sent an e-mail into the CFB Comox Museum this morning addressing this curiosity so I'll post my results as they respond to my e-mail.

So we will see what comes from this.

Cheers

[Bob Carriere]

Do we have a purely CDN model with a 251 block or a US manufactured model brought over the border way back when....... and is the engine a 230.

Ser # letters on front of engine ...driver's side.... just below the head separation line from the block..

Bob

[Grant Bowker]

Just a thought, is it possible that the glove box door (with data plates attached) was swapped from a Canadian manufactured ambulance to a US manufactured ambulance? This might have been done to avoid registering a second truck....
If the chassis number is repeated on one of the data plates on the glove box door this idea is obviously wrong.

[rob love]

I was thinking the same thing about the glove box door. Despite driving a Cdn Dodge almost every other day recently, I can't recall what the Cdn shifter looks like compared to a US shifter. One of the photos shows the tranny shifter. Is this one Cdn or US?

[paul53]

The truck is 20 km's away from my place but i'm going out there tonight and will check all other places including side of the frame and block numbers.

Paul

[Comox Air Force Museum]

Morning I just had a quick run over to 19 Wing to check your numbers against our M43. Turn out your truck is only 15 trucks away from ours. Here's the stats.
Contract # CDMR511160
Build date 5-6-52
Serial # 91400953
Model# T-249
Ord Code # 2606
I suspect that it's a Canadian truck alright and was just turned over to the US when they were here looking after their missile program.
Hope this helps.
Rob

PS. I was in such a hurry that I forgot to look at the shifter. I'm on my way to Ontario so I won't be able to look at it for a while!!

[paul53]

Thanks Rob Roy for getting back to us, I'll post all that I can find tonight.

Paul

[paul53]

Well I went out and beat my way thru the mosquito's to scrape some rust off the side of the block.

It reads # T-249 1319C

Data tag on glove box as per the picture
Body Tag # 19109-210

Serial # 91400968
Contract # CD511155
Ord Code # 2606
Date of del 19-6-52
Model T-249

I can not find that frame serial number but i'll have another go at it this week end.
Here is a picture to see the shifter if needed.

If any one out there is interested make me an offer?

Cheers

[Markwin Serlui]

Dodge M43..my first love, my first MV!

[paul53]

Hello everyone,
This vehicle has been SOLD actually purchased by myself. After a good clean up and some research in the usual places for unit markings and such this is what I have found.

This CDN made M43 was stationed with the 917th ACWRON US Air Force Radar staion located at Puntzi Mtn, BC. from 1952 to 1961 then CDN RCAF operation 55th ACWRON from 1962-1966 then it closed down. The Us Air Force was operating there as part of an aggrement to operate these stations as the Pine tree line.

The Pinetree Line was a series of radar stations located across the northern United States and southern Canada at about the 50th parallel north, along with a number of other stations located on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Run by NORAD (after its creation), over half were manned by United States Air Force personnel with the balance operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force. The line was the first coordinated system for early detection of a Soviet bomber attack on North America, but the early 1950s radar technology quickly became outdated and the line was in full operation only for a short time.

While carefully removing the hippy paint job in the interior I hound this on the heater defrost duct painted with 1 inch stencil:
WINTERIZED SEPT 1961
TO 36 1-7 TYPE A
917TH ACWRON

The 917th AC&W was part of the 25th Air Division ADC/TAC/NORAD

On the the rear left bumper was painted ADC-PAS
The ADC = division
The PAS = type of vehile use
The Winch I believe was put on by the US or CDN's and using what was easily available at the time dur to the rough roads.

After researching the internet I found the month to month history when the US operated the station from 1952-61 and RCAF 62-66 and have talked to persons staioned there.

This ambulance was the only ambulance there and many storys of it use including bus rides into Williams lake BC 117 miles on rough gravel road at the time.

On a personal note MY father was stationed at CFS PUNTZI MTN in 1963-64 as his first posting as a radar Tech and actually rode in this ambulance to Williams Lake ( used as a bus sometimes ) when the L20 otter couldn't fly due to the weather.

I found out the US Air Force had procured CDN made vehicles from the RCAF 11 Supply depot in Calgary for Puntzi Mtn and conveyed approx 6 vehicles to that location. They then painted there unit markings on those vehilces.
On this ambulance I found the US markings and also the RCAF markings. I have so much more info but don't want to bore you all.

Due to this vehicle not being used by the last owners since 1977 and only used once for there trip to Penny BC as a moving van then parked, it hasen't been roughed up much and I'm amazed to find most of the markings.

So thats My story in short form.

Paul

[Robin Craig]

Now it is well known that I am not a great lover of the M series vehicles for the most part which is why most will find it strange me posting on such a subject.

But what I really think is cool is the tracking down of the identity and the provenance behind it, that is very fun and worth lots.

Great to see a vehicle saved.

R

[paul53]

Thanks Robin and your correct the hunt for history can be most satisfying when it works out. With Scott Bently's help we can be lucky somethimes if the vehicle #'s are accessible and due to the age of this vehilce I wasn't so lucky but was very happy with what I found on the vehicle.

Mainly due to this vehicle not being passed around from person to person I was just lucky at what I found. I had no intentions at first of owning this ambulance but when I found out my buddy was going to cut it up for metal scrap if he didn't sell it, I had to do something and glad I did.

In doing my research I have to say it's to bad alot of our local museums don't have records or items to display of that PINE TREE line era. By this I mean even my local home town of Prince George dosen't have anything on display about CFS Baldy Hughes which was open from 1955 to 1988. It was operated by the 918th AC&W US Air Force then RCAF 54th AC&W, but nothing on display or even mentioned thru out the museum, may be in the archives in the basement who know's. Kamloops, BC had one of the Radar dish's on display from CFS Kamloops radar station but not near the museum but at least it was in a fenced display near the park.

When I called the museum in Williams lake, BC. and asked about Puntzi Mtn radar station and what they might have for display he mentioned just the steel door from the Guard house but that was in a shed some where and a few photo's.

It might sound like im bashing museums for what they chose to display but in reality I'm not - just merly mentioning the loss of some of our military history even in our own home town's that had the establishment stationed there.

I have to say it can be most rewarding in the hunt for history.

Cheers