CMP's in Chinese Service

[David Dunlop]

This possibility had never really registered with me, but this morning I was taking another look at the Lend Lease records and spotted an order for a quantity of 25-Pdrs and Limbers that were built somewhere in the USA and delivered to China, which was likely the Nationalist Chinese Army during World War 2.

Then I remembered the 'Canada Decal' that shows up on a lot of Canadian Military production items has three languages on it: English, Russian and Chinese. Never thought beyond wireless equipment with that decal for some reason. This decal was definitely applied to both soft skin and armoured vehicles exported from Canada during the war, so now I am wondering just what numbers of CMP's and armour Canada may have shipped to China and how much has survived?

Have photos of CMP's etc in Chinese service ever been found? Assuming the 25-Pdrs shipped out of the USA, it could be possible a corresponding number of Gun Tractors may have been sent from Canada, at the very least.

Sadly, I suspect that if any quantities of CMP's etc went to China during the war, they would have been very likely viewed has having been on the 'wrong side' when Mao came to power and scrapped.


David