Jeeps id please, top CANADIAN!

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I know nothing...about Jeeps at least, and as you all now know, about CMPs as well! The top Jeep has a 'CMD' assembly number which means that it is a Canadian order, Canadian Mechanization Depot sequential. However...Willys or Ford please? The bottom one I suspect is a GPW but the eagle-eyed will notice what appears to be a USA-style number on hood [or bonnet!] and thus this could indicate that the company assembled British [S/M 2275 & 2276], Canadian [CDLV ???] and US Army Jeeps.

http://clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/chevytalk/jeeps.jpg

If you want to know the Mack LPSW behind the bottom Jeep was to demand S/M 6132.

[servicepub (RIP)]

Dave,
Why would CMD paint a sequential CMD number on vehicles? To what purpose? It would seem more logical that CMD would paint a WD number. The few vehicles seen with the "CMD" could be vehicles assigned to the Central Mech Depot.

Clive (Curious in Canada)

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Hi Clive! Good points. However I hope that this may be interesting:

With the start of the assembly by the original CANADIAN MECHANIZATION DEPOT in Southampton, vehicles were allocated a 'CMD x' number *which was an inventory number which ran in numerical sequence and was applied immediately the vehicle left the line. We know that for instance Southampton had reached at least 'CMD 3500' when the bombs burned out the CMD. I have a photo of a destroyed '40 Chevrolet sedan with a 'C.M.D. 3269' painted on in white.

Southampton could not cope and so the Canadian Military Headquarters assigned assembly to various other depots including from August 1940, the former Citroen Cars Limited plant in Slough. After Southampton's CMD was bombed, Slough started up assembly of Fords and as Dr Gregg's book shows, the first vehicle off the line was a F-GT, serialled 'CMD 15001', with two F60H w/shop trucks serialled 'CMD 15002/3' and then two C11ADs, 'CMD15004/5'.

Although Slough became the NEW Canadian Mechanization Depot, and allocated 'CMD' prefixes to newly-assembled vehicles including Ford CMPs and Ford Jeeps, CMHQ assigned the 'CMD' prefixes to all other Canadian order vehicles assembled in the UK but in seperate sequences so that they did not conflict. I have photos from the IWM and Lep in Goole also showing 'CMD' numbers on Ford and Diamond T trucks, and now this Jeep assembled by Pearsons. Wheels & Tracks had some photos of Fords in the 'overseas assembly' issue with 'CMD numbers.

The CMD number appears to have remained on the vehicle until such time as it was taken into the Census by the RCOC and allocated a WD-style number. Until then I suppose it was an equivalent of a 'trade plate' pending delivery to the Canadian forces. That said it appears that some vehicles were running with 'CMD' numbers for some time. This may have applied to ex-Canadian order vehicles subsequently sold to the Ministry of Supply.

The Jeep in the picture appears to be newly-assembled in Liverpool and is being driven to an on-street parking area pending delivery.

Hope that this helps! BUT I may be 1000% wrong...

* To date I have no idea which was the first vehicle off the line but it may have been a CKD Ford F15, April 1940. Whether she carried 'CMD 1' or 'CMD 001' I have no idea! When General Motors Limited started assembly of BRITISH order CMPs in spring 1941, they used 'GML1' then 'GML2' etc. for 'GENERAL MOTORS LIMITED 1', etc.