Lend Lease Records

[David Dunlop]

Eric and Ed.

Absolutely true about Canada's acquisition activities during World War Two.

Although this report was entitled as a Lend Lease document, when it was compiled by the US Government after the war, I suspect that was done, not to blow smoke up anyone's butt. Lend Lease was just one of about a half dozen separate US Agencies supplying goods to foreign countries under a variety of terms and conditions, which must have made for a huge duplication of bureaucracy, with it's inherent delays.

According to the introduction to the document I posted the link to, as of September 25, 1943, Lend Lease (along with all the other agencies) were consolidated into one organization, Foreign Economic Administration, which took over everything. It is basically their report which was produced in 1946. Since this agency took over all the others, it stands to reason they would have absorbed all previous records and were in the best position to produce this report. It also would make sense all previous existing records would be consolidated. Eric would be correct. This summary will include items purchased, leased, loaned and whatever during the war.

Lend Lease was such a well known term during and after the war, it does not surprise me it would be the title of choice for this document, and makes it no less interesting to read through. Just this afternoon, I was surprised to see 3.7" AA Guns on the list of provisions to the UK. Had no idea they were made in the USA at all. I think I even spotted some 25-pdr references and it seems to cover everything down to nuts, bolts and rivets.

If nothing else, this document really shows the nitty gritty scope of supply the Allies developed during the war to get the job done. It was not just trucks, tanks, planes and ammunition. It also makes me think a bit more about watching films of sinking cargo ships during the war. Lives and critical goods lost. The small stuff mattered just as much as the bigger things and bottom line I suppose is that the guys in the field were not concerned if the equipment they had was bought or rented as long as it worked and got the job done.


David