Roof hatches

[chritoum]

On the top of the cabin of the C15's, there is a roof hatch. Is there a significant difference between models with rectangular hatch and model with a rounded one ?

Thanks

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

The rectangular hatch was in place from inception of the CMP to 1944, when it was gradually superceded by the round hatch. I don't know why, except to guess that perhaps it was cheaper to engineer and build, and certainly provided more support to the human standing inside it.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball

The rectangular hatch was in place from inception of the CMP to 1944, when it was gradually superceded by the round hatch.

Actually, the square roof hatch was optional on all models. I recon in practice it was fitted as standard to all mid-war production CMPs, and it was superceded by the round one in 1944/1945 production. It was not so much of a hatch, more a round hole with canvas cover.

HTH,
Hanno


Source: Interesting pic of CMP

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by chritoum

On the top of the cabin of the C15's, there is a roof hatch. Is there a significant difference between models with rectangular hatch and model with a rounded one ?

I think you are referring to the Belgian Gendarmerie one? That seems to have been fitted with a metal lid, this was not a wartime feature.

Great looking truck, by the way!

Regards,
Hanno

[guyvapeur]

I do not know much about the hatches and their different configurations. The enclosed two photos are interesting because they would appear to show two different gun mounts at the roof hatch.

Interesting.

[cliff]

Originally Posted by guyvapeur

I do not know much about the hatches and their different configurations. The enclosed two photos are interesting because they would appear to show two different gun mounts at the roof hatch.

Interesting.

Both of those are post war probably Danish modifications and styled on the US CCKW GMC mount.

[chritoum]

Thanks for your kind replies.

I attached to this mail a picture taken in 1945/46. The CMP's of the Belgian Gendarmerie are still in kaki color and some wartime headlights are not yet replaced by civilian style ones. Note that the buildings in the background were accidentaly bombarded by the allied troops in 1943 killing few Belgian gendarmes.

All CMP's from the Belgian Gendarmerie were given by the Canadian armed forces based in the Netherland during the winter of 1944.

These vehicles were the "workhorses" of the Belgian Gendarmerie from 1944 to 1966.

The one of the Police Museum is a "replica" despite the fact it is a true wartime model. It was found almost abandoned in the nineties and restaured by some enthousiasts.

During the early post war period and beside the CMP's, the Belgian Gendarmerie was largely equipped with wartime surplus :

Staghound T17E2 en, later, T17E1
Daimler "Dingo" scout cars
Humber scout cars Mk I/II
White Scout cars
Austin K6 Gantry Breakdown (1 unit)

Kind regards

Christian Toumpsin
Belgian Police Historical Service