Signals Vehicles of the Second World War
One of Canada's major contributions to the Allied cause during the Second World War was in vehicle production.
Early forces deployed to England used British produced trucks and lorries but over time these were replaced with standard Canadian Military Pattern (CMP) vehicles. There was also a move to standardize and improve the vehicles used throughout the forces for particular purposes and so vehicles used early in the war had been phased out by the time of the invasion in 1944.
Vehicles of many types of command and communication related vehicles were used by both Signals and non-signals units alike. This page addresses those deemed to be of most interest to the Signals function.
Contents
1942
In late 1942, an official list of vehicles was published in Routine Orders[1]. The list included the following:
- Armoured Command Vehicles
- Motorcycles, Solo, Light
- Motorcycles, Solo, Heavy
- Trucks, Heavy Utility Wireless
- Lorries, 3-ton, 134" Wireless
- Lorries, 3-ton, 134" Signals
- Lorries, 3-ton, 134" Signals with Penthouse
- Lorries, 3-ton, Battery Storage
- Lorries, 4-ton, Z.P.I.
- Lorries, 4-ton, A.P.F.
- Lorries, 3-ton, 6-wheel, Telephone
- Lorries, Command Vehicle
- Trailers, 15-cwt, 2-wheel, Generator Wireless, 2 K.W.
- Trailers, 15-cwt, 2-wheel, Generator, 9 K.W.
- Trailers, 2-wheel, Generator, 22 K.W.
- Trailers, 4-wheel, Pigeon Loft
- Trailers, Z.P.I.
- Trailers, A.P.F.
The same list[1] also showed a number of vehicles that were by then obsolete and would be replaced by the type indicated:
- Carriers, Cable Layer (Lorries, 3-ton, 134" Signals)
- Carriers, Slave Battery (Lorries, 3-ton, G.S. (Slave Battery))
- Motorcycles, Combination (Cars, 5-cwt)
- Trucks, 8-cwt, Wireless (Trucks, Heavy Utility Wireless)
- Trucks, 15-cwt, Wireless (Trucks, Heavy Utility Wireless)
- Trucks, 15-cwt, Cable Layer, Mechanical (Trucks, 15-cwt, G.S.)
- Lorries, 30-cwt, Wireless (Lorries, 3-ton, 134" Wireless)
- Lorries, 30-cwt, Signals (Lorries, 3-ton, 134" Signals)
1944
A new list was issued in ????[2] and was amended by Routine Orders 4106, 4161 and, in February 1944 by Routine Order 4244[3]
- For "Motorcycles, Solo, Light" read "Motorcycles, Solo"
- After "Lorries, 3-ton, Command (LP)" insert "Lorries, 3-ton, Teleprinter"
- For "Lorries, 3-ton, TEV (Army)" read "Lorries, 3-ton, 6-wh, TEV (Army)"
- For "Lorries, 3-ton, TEV (Corps)" read "Lorries, 3-ton, TEV (Div or Corps)"
- Delete "Lorries, 3-ton, 6-wh, Machinery "CZ" (Radio)"
- After "Trailers, 20-cwt, 2-wh, Cable Splicing" insert "Trailers, 20-cwt, 2-wh, AA Command Post"
In May 1944 a new list was published[4] and included the following:
- Armoured Command Vehicles, HP
- Armoured Command Vehicles, LP
- Motorcycles, Solo
- Trucks, Heavy, Utility, Machinery "ZL"
- Trucks, 15-cwt, Wireless
- Trucks, 15-cwt, Fitted for Wireless
- Trucks, 15-cwt, LW (V)
- Lorries, 3-ton, Command HP
- Lorries, 3-ton, Command LP
- Lorries, 3-ton, Teleprinter
- Lorries, 3-ton, Wireless R
- Lorries, 3-ton, Wireless I
- Lorries, 3-ton, TEV Corps
- Lorries, 3-ton, TEV Div
- Lorries, 3-ton, Cipher Office
- Lorries, 3-ton, Wireless
- Lorries, 3-ton, Signals
- Lorries, 3-ton, Signals (with Penthouse)
- Lorries, 3-ton, Signal Construction
- Lorries, 3-ton, 6-wh, TEV Army
- Lorries, 3-ton, 6-wh, Machinery "Z"
- Trailers, DF
- Trailers, Pole
- Trailers, Cable
- Trailers, Cable Splicing
- Trailers, Generator, Wireless, 2 KW
- Trailers, Generator, Wireless, 6 KW
- Trailers, Generator, Wireless, 6 KVA
- Trailers, Generator, Wireless, 9 KW
- Trailers, Generator, Wireless, 15 KVA
- Trailers, Generator, Wireless, 22 KW
- Trailers, 4-wh, AA, No. 1 Mark II (T)
- Trailers, 4-wh, AA, No. 1 Mark II (R)
- Trailers, 4-wh, AA, No. 3 Mark II
In June 1944 Routine Order 4693[5] added Lorries, 3-ton, 6-wh, Switchboard. A further amendment was made in Routine Order 5074.
In December 1944 a new list was published[6] and included the following:
- Armoured Command Vehicles, HP
- Armoured Command Vehicles, LP
- Motorcycles, Solo, Heavy
- Motorcycles, Solo, Light
- Trucks, Heavy, Utility, Machinery "ZL"
- Trucks, 15-cwt, Fitted for Wireless
- Trucks, 15-cwt, LW (V)
- Trucks, 15-cwt, Wireless
- Lorries, 3-ton, Cipher Office
- Lorries, 3-ton, Command HP (H53)
- Lorries, 3-ton, Command LP
- Lorries, 3-ton, Machinery "Z" Mark II
- Lorries, 3-ton, Signals
- Lorries, 3-ton, Signals Construction
- Lorries, 3-ton, TEV Div
- Lorries, 3-ton, Wireless (C33)
- Lorries, 3-ton, Wireless I
- Lorries, 3-ton, Wireless R
- Lorries, 3-ton, 6-wh, Machinery "Z"
- Lorries, 3-ton, 6-wh, Switchboard
- Lorries, 3-ton, 6-wh, Teleprinter
- Lorries, 3-ton, 6-wh, TEV
- Trailers, Cable
- Trailers, Cable Splicing
- Trailers, DF
- Trailers, Generator, Wireless, 2 KW
- Trailers, Generator, Wireless, 6 KW
- Trailers, Generator, Wireless, 6 KVA
- Trailers, Generator, Wireless, 9 KW
- Trailers, Generator, Wireless, 9 KVA
- Trailers, Generator, Wireless, 15 KVA
- Trailers, Generator, Wireless, 22 KW
- Trailers, Generator, Wireless, 22 KW (Lister No. 4)
- Trailers, Pole
- Trailers, 4-wh, AA, No. 1 Mark II (T)
- Trailers, 4-wh, AA, No. 1 Mark II (R)
- Trailers, 4-wh, AA, No. 3 Mark II
- Trailers, 4-wh, AA, No. 4 Mark V
1945
In May 1945 a new list was published[7]. The changes to Signals related vehicles were largely cosmetic except for the deletion of Trucks, 15-cwt, Fitted for Wireless.
- Armoured Command Vehicles, HP
- Armoured Command Vehicles, LP
- Motorcycles, Solo
- Trucks, Heavy, Utility, Machinery "ZL"
- Trucks, 15-cwt, LW (V)
- Trucks, 15-cwt, Wireless
- Lorries, 3-ton, Cipher Office
- Lorries, 3-ton, Command HP (H53)
- Lorries, 3-ton, Command LP
- Lorries, 3-ton, Machinery "Z" Mark 2
- Lorries, 3-ton, Signals
- Lorries, 3-ton, Signals Construction
- Lorries, 3-ton, TEV Div
- Lorries, 3-ton, Wireless (C33)
- Lorries, 3-ton, Wireless I
- Lorries, 3-ton, Wireless R
- Lorries, 3-ton, 6-wh, Machinery "Z"
- Lorries, 3-ton, 6-wh, Switchboard
- Lorries, 3-ton, 6-wh, Teleprinter
- Lorries, 3-ton, 6-wh, TEV
- Trailers, Cable
- Trailers, Cable Splicing
- Trailers, DF
- Trailers, Generator, Wireless, 2 KW
- Trailers, Generator, Wireless, 6 KW
- Trailers, Generator, Wireless, 6 KVA
- Trailers, Generator, Wireless, 9 KW
- Trailers, Generator, Wireless, 9 KVA
- Trailers, Generator, Wireless, 15 KVA
- Trailers, Generator, Wireless, 22 KW
- Trailers, Generator, Wireless, 22 KW (Lister No. 4)
- Trailers, Pole
- Trailers, 4-wh, AA, No. 1 Mark 2 (T)
- Trailers, 4-wh, AA, No. 1 Mark 2 (R)
- Trailers, 4-wh, AA, No. 3 Mark 2
- Trailers, 4-wh, AA, No. 4 Mark 5
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Canadian Army Overseas Routine Order 2872, 11 December 1942.
- ↑ Canadian Army Overseas Routine Order 4039, ?? ????? 1944.
- ↑ Canadian Army Overseas Routine Order 4244, 3 February 1944.
- ↑ Canadian Army Overseas Routine Order 4560, 3 May 1944.
- ↑ Canadian Army Overseas Routine Order 4693, 7 June 1944.
- ↑ Canadian Army Overseas Routine Order 5356, 20 Dec 1944.
- ↑ Canadian Army Overseas Routine Order 5806, 16 May 1945.