help with identifcation 1944 dodge please

[Lang]

Gordon

I have the full production serial numbers for both USA and Canada. They had separate allocations from at least 1933 and I have looked at many pages of numbers and find no vehicle (even those "identical" models produced in each country) which carry the same number series.

The numbers given are unquestionably a Canadian DD-2

The USA production WD-20 and WD-21 were civilian vehicles produced in two batches 1940 and 1941 (before USA entered the war) and in a third batch from October 1945 to 1947(after the war)

I am still trying to get the Canadian DD-2 production dates which MAY include the "British" war period. if this is the case they may have found themselves painted green?

Lang

[Lang]

This is why Dodges are so hard to identify - 50 different models in one year.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X4rhNht0T4

[Lang]

Found It!

The truck in question is:

Canadian built DD-2 one ton either 120 or 133 inch wheelbase.

This serial number was from a batch built 1942 (there were 3 other batches built post war to 1947). It is not listed as a government order. There was a separate batch of DD-2 built in Canada in 1940 for the US Government, they had T98 engines.

IT DID HAVE a T116 engine the same as the equivalent US WD-20/21. This truck has been re-engined with a T110 probably out of a 3 tonnner,

This information comes from the official Chrysler dealer serial code book for every Canadian vehicle from 1915 to 1953. I also have the US production edition to use as cross reference.

Lang

[Brian Gallaghan]

Thank you all so much for your help, I had tried doing my own research but just couldn,t get anywhere.
I now know what my truck started out as, and that it has had a few changes over the years, with a interesting history.

A real credit to Dodge for making the parts of these trucks so interchangable

Thanks again
Brian G

[gordon]

The one ton was a popular truck to convert to an ambulance, donated from various charitable organisations and so on.

I have images somewhere of a transitional truck, with 1941 sheetmetal but still with the earlier 1939 / 1940 Budd disc wheels.

I have seen images of them in use as general hacks in North Africa and Egypt, and I suspect they did remain in production during WW2 but in relatively small quantities for essential civilian use. I have a WD 21 panel van from late 1940, after the model year cutoff, that was produced at the Los Angeles plant.

[Lang]

Brian

Your T110-L6 engine comes from a short wheelbase (136") 3 ton Dodge truck. These were in continuous Canadian production throughout the war.

Lang

[Lang]

While we are concentrating on 1 ton Dodges we forget that Chrysler Canada continued to produce thousands of similar Fargo branded machines right through the war.

Apart from a bit of trim and Fargo marked engines (identical to the same Dodge branded engine) they were the same truck. Many of these were to government orders.

Plymouth and Desoto branded trucks also came down the line.

Here is an Australian Fargo.