Re: [MV] Breakthrough?

From: jim gilmore (jgilmore@ptd.net)
Date: Sat Jan 12 2002 - 06:11:40 PST


Don wrote:

>I thought I'd give Mr. Gilmore a rest, he's been working two jobs--his
>job and my old panel truck!

      Please call me Jim, and research is Fun not a job!

>........ A "Military Archivist" in
>Southern California has been helping me with my quest and emailed about
>his progress.
> He thinks that the Dodge WC60 "emergency repair vehicle" is Dodge's
>answer to my truck.
>He says Ford started to make their version of
>this (my truck) and gave it up to concentrate on
>things like jeeps.

      If your truck was built in 1939, there were no jeeps in Ford's plans.
Building Jeeps was just a side show for Ford. Their production capabilities
were so vast that they were able to produce many, many different vehicles
at the same time.

> The WC-60 I'm talking about is on page 141 of THE DODGE STORY.
> What popped my eyes out is what Contract numbers this Archivist
>quoted. I just recently discovered my truck's "contract" W number--
>W-3 (for1.5 ton) 374(2).

> So when I saw "Govt.Contract W-374-ORD-2864, parts list D-10583, tech
>manual SNL 6502" I was floored!
> Can't be coincidence, can it?
> Thanks to Mr. Vaughn for explaining W number prefixes to me!

       I'm not sure what you are referring to by the "contract W number".

    The number you have quoted "Govt. Contract W-374-Ord-2864" does not
relate to the "W" number on the hood of a vehicle. The number for a
contract goes like this.........

W = War Department
                           (other contracts for such agencies as the
Treasury, Navy, CCC and such have different letters at the
start.)

-374-ORD- = Ordnance District (in this case 374 is for the Detroit District)

2864 = This is the actual contract number.

   Now, contract W-374-ORD-2864 was for Dodge 3/4 ton 4x4 WC's. These were
built in 1943 under purchase order T-6149. USA numbers 2110000 to 2121247,
2121338 to 2125113 and 90 units built for the Navy with no registration
numbers.

   Your Ford would have been delivered under a "-QM-" (Quartermaster)
contract number.

    Jim

   NOTE NEW ADDRESS----NOTE NEW ADDRESS---NOTE NEW ADDRESS------AS OF
JANUARY 4, 2001---------

Jim Gilmore
13 Broadway 3rd floor
Jim Thorpe, PA. 18229

570-325-5216 phone



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