What numbers? Are you talking about. Did you mean vehicle census numbers? You need to give us some detail of what your asking
I cannot pretend to be able to answer the question. It has always puzzled me. As I understand it there were three systems in operation. In Canada they seem to have a Department of National Defence number (DND). Vehicles arriving in the UK were in an unassembled, or knocked down state. When assembled they were given a Canadian Mechanisation Depot number (CMD). Canadian vehicles then adopted the UK system of census numbers but prefixed 'C'. I look forward to learning more. Mike
Mike, you are correct (and my knowledge of this is also very limited). I’m still Unsure what Kevin is asking “Can these numbers be converted to WWII census numbers or are they too random?” Their must be lists in the LAC Archives (unless they were destroyed) that give’s all these numbers…..but why would you need to know….unless you had a photo of one and were trying to determine “when, where etc it was built originally”? War Department/Census Numbers Vehicles were identified by unique numbers assigned to them, with two different systems used by the Canadian Army. Canada In Canada, vehicles were designated by a census style designation in the format yy-n-nnnn (year/number). The yy represented the year of acquisition of the vehicle while the n-nnnn represented the sequential number of the vehicle acquired that year.i.e., 38-1-243 represented the 1,243rd vehicle obtained in 1938. This system may have changed in 1942. Interim From David Hayward (Maple Leaf Up): Until Census Numbers had been allocated by the RCOC, all vehicles on assembly in the UK to Canadian contract acquired "CMD" prefixes with numbers in batches allocated to each assembly point. This stood for Canadian Mechanization Depot, although there were only two CMDs...and Southampton was bombed 30 November 1940 leaving just Citroen Cars, Slough, premises, as the sole CMD. However Canadian Mechanization HQ remained at 2,3 & 4 Cockspur Street, London SW1 behind the Canadian High Commission. It must have seemed logical to retain the "CMD" prefix...which acted as a "trade plate" to move vehicles around without Census Numbers. Overseas Elements of the Canadian Army in the UK initially came under the command of British formations and transport was originally drawn from British sources. British census numbers were adopted (known correctly as War Department (WD) Numbers). These numbers were unique identifiers, used in conjunction with a letter prefix identifying the type of vehicle. Early on, the use of a "C" prefix to identify Canadian vehicles was also adopted. These numbers were to be 3-1/2 inches high, and were painted in white, either horizontally, or if there was no room, diagonally, on the hood of cars and trucks, or on the body of tanks and armoured vehicles. Motorcycles and some trucks had the WD number on the sides of gas tanks. WD numbers also appeared on the back of vehicles; for trucks they were located centrally, 4 inches above the tailgate, and on jeeps they were painted on the left side. CA Ambulance CM Car (staff car, jeep, etc.) CC Motorcycle CS Self-Propelled Gun CF Armoured Car or Scout Car CT Universal Carrier or Tank CH Tractors (ie Artillery tractors) CX Trailers of all types CL Lorry (30 cwt or heavier) CZ Truck (15 cwt and smaller) www.canadiansoldiers.com
Apologies. I should have attached this list. I am trying to establish if it is possible to confirm that say, using examples from this list, what the 6 or 7 digit WD number would be. I am listing all the WD numbers by vehicle type by regiment allocated from the War Diaries / Appendices on the Canadian Heritage site. Ford Station Wagon 40-1-78 (from attached list) = CM4202097 (Ford SW 1st A/Tank Regiment) 8cwt Ford 40-1-1859 (from attached list) = CZ4204787 (Ford 8cwt 2nd Field Regiment) 15cwt Ford 40-1-4121 (from attached list) = CZ4205092 (Ford 15cwt 1st A/Tank Regiment) The above are not actual matches just an example. Regards Kevin
