C15TA Z5668252

[Neil Ashley]

Can any one confirm if the number Z5668252 reportedly found on my C15TA during restoration is correct.

Previous articles have suggested that British Contracts should start with a 6. Has the previious owner mis-read the remains of the original number, or missed off the C from the Z, or is this part of a new British Contract. Unfortunately all the data plates are missing.

Any comments would be gratefully received.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Sorry Neil, I have just spotted your posting as I usually traffic the softskin forums. We are in West Wellow, 12 miles down the A36 from Salisbury which city I am usually in say four times a day! I love Trowbridge.

These are the known [to me] Census Numbers and contracts:


TRUCK 15 CWT. 4 X 4 PERSONNEL C.15TA

Z 5822262 to 5822763 contract S/M 2611
Z 6173360 to 6173609 S/M 2611
Z 6192962 to 6193965 S/M 2611
Z 6263122 to 6263827 S/M 2611
Z? to ? S/M 6507

Note we [I] do not know yet the numbers for the late war contract 6507. The number you quote could just be genuine if it was in this final batch or it could be spurious! A quick call to David Fletcher at the Tank Museum might succeed in him looking up a card for the number you quote to see if it is genuine or allocated to another vehicle altogether.

I am interested in the vehicle and its history for a mag article!

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by David_Hayward
I am interested in the vehicle and its history

See CMP's for sale.

[Neil Ashley]

David

I took a trip to Bovington on Tuesday to look at the Contract Cards including S/M 2611 which you mention.

What is interesting about this contract is that only 2459 numbers have been allocated for an order for 3000 vehicles. If completed, this obviously leaves 541 without a number. To support this on the back of the contract card it states 60 vehiches without WD numbers supplied to Alexandra, and ditto 25 vehicles to the Palestine Police.

Returning to my vehicle, if the number uncovered is correct, the Chillwell list has it down as part of a mixed batch of B vehicles supplied to the Middle East. There does also appear to be signs of sand paint in places on my vehicles. It it is possible to add 2 and 2 together in this case and get four, I seem to have explained the strange number on my vehicle. It was in theroy supplied under S/M 2611 and allocated a number in the middle east.

How the hell it got to the Dutch army post war is another question.

If anyone can give a date of manufacture from a hull number I would be interested.

We still also need details of numbers allocated under S/M 6507 if anyone has any details.

For any one within travelling distance of Bovington, by appointment you can view the British CMP Contract Cards as well as their photgraphic and manual collection. The collection of photographs showing Lynx hull manufacture were particularly interesting.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Neil, excellent work! However I am clearly psychic as I was thinking about going down to Bovington from here and checking out the CMP record cards in due course by appointment with David Fletcher at possibly the same time as you posted! I am currently editing my book and I need to find time...I have been trying to work on pre-war British development of WD trucks and the record cards are very helpful.

May I suggest that if any Mid-east vehicles were sent to Italy with the 8th Army, etc., then they would have ended up in a dump at war's end if they survived and were then sold from there or were then shipped back to the UK for disposal: for sale to British companies that refurbished them for onward sale or for friendly governments.

[Neil Ashley]

David

If you have not inspected these cards before, we are talking about a considerable number. For serious research you would realy need to take copies if allowed.

I was supprised to see B Vehicle cards at Bovington.

Regarding your request else where for pictures of prototype CMP's, they do have pictures of an early C15TA with forward facing seats.

Also depot taken photographs of the first vehicles to arrive under S/M 2611, taken from all angles. I ordered some copies.

[Neil Ashley]

Attached are three Depot photographs of vehicles supplied under S/M2611.

The differing positions of the bridging plates is interesting, as is the two piece construction of the side panel on the rear box.

[Neil Ashley]

Hopefully the picture will appear this time

[Neil Ashley]

And finally.

All pictures are from the Bovington Tank Museum colection.

For information e-mail the librarian.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Z 5822262 to 5822763 & Z 6173360 to 6173609 & Z 6192962 to 6193965 & Z 6263122 to 6263827

Those photos are part of the KIDBROOKE collection, usually found in the IWM. I must get copies!

Note the Z 85222265 must be a mis-stencilling...MOST of the KID IWM series of photos were taken on the same green and have the small blackboard or sign with the S/M contract number in chalk or painted on. The photo shows that it was to S/M 2611.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by David_Hayward
Z 5822262 to 5822763.

The C15TA in Neil's first picture sports the WD no. Z8522265. If this one was supplied under S/M2611 also, this must be a case of "mis-stencilling" for sure? Or is this a WD no. from the unknown S/M 6507 range?

H.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Note that the photo shows '522265' ...this is another mis-stencilling as it should have been Z 5822265!

I have obtained some thumbnails of C15TA photos from the Tank Museum. Any experts out there who want to write an article please?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by David_Hayward
Note that the photo shows '522265' ...this is another mis-stencilling as it should have been Z 5822265!

That's what I said:

The C15TA in Neil's first picture sports the WD no. Z8522265. If this one was supplied under S/M2611 also, this must be a case of "mis-stencilling" for sure? Or is this a WD no. from the unknown S/M 6507 range?

Originally posted by David_Hayward
I have obtained some thumbnails of C15TA photos from the Tank Museum. Any experts out there who want to write an article please?

Can't claim I'm really an expert, but I've compiled some basic information: http://www.geocities.com/cmpvehicles/c15ta.html (it is apparently good enough to have been used in the compilation of a magazine article on the C15TA ).

Are you in need for copy for your CMP book series (in an effort to get them published? ) or is this for a magazine?

H.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Hanno, I would appreciate something for a magazine article please...more on this in due course. However, armed with some more photos from my collection this article could eb expanded to be part of one of the books in the series.

[Neil Ashley]

If not already done, it might be an ideal to look up these incorrect numbers in the Chillwell B vehicle Contract List.

Like mine they may have been one of the 500 odd vehicles not initially issued a number on the contract card.

That is unless mine was incorrectly marked as well, although neither of my fist two numbers would fit into an known C15TA range.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Neil, where did you get the KIDBROOKE series photos from please? David Fletcher at the Tank Museum does not have photos 1 and 3...they look like the IWM official photos?

I am interested in copies for publication. However Mr F did send other KID series shots.

[Neil Ashley]

David's obviously not looking in the right place then.

The negative numbers are 6573/D6, 35586/E5 (third number hard to read), and 6573/D5.

There were several boxes I had to look through to find these prints.

If you are doing an article the prototype pictures are interesting, as is the Canadian 1945 strip down wear and tear report.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Right, I've found the negatives, but they look more bleached out than the ones you have so I can't see the background. The front view is 6573/D/6, the rear is 6573/E/2.

Quoting Mr Fletcher!