GPA Numbers

[Ian Grieve]

Gentlemen

I had Bob Skinner from the UK enquiring about his GPA 5386 (dod 5th January 1943) and what its WD Registration Number may have been. Maybe these records will turn up in London.

I was able to pass on some information that may be of interest to all. The following is an extract;

My records to date indicate the following;

* Statistical Work Sheets, Tank-Automotive Centre, Detroit records suggest the British Commonwealth countries (excluding Australia) had 690 GPA’s at November 1, 1944.
* US War Department records at the end of WW2 suggest the British Empire (including Australia and excluding Canada) had 852 GPA’s.
* British Contracts were S/M 2621 (4 GPA’s) and S/M 2820 (621 GPA’s), i.e. 625 GPA’s total.
* UK War Department numbers assigned to GPA’s as follows;
* P5219692 to P5219876, P5219881 to P5219981 and P5587101 to P5587200, i.e. 386 GPA’s total (all from S/M 2820).
* 625 less 386 = 239 British GPA’s without a WD number.
* S/M 2820 allocated the 621 GPA’s as follows;
* UK Administration (8), UK (330), M.E. [presume Middle East] (111), India (164) and South Africa (8), i.e. 621 GPA’s total.
* Canada had 21 GPA’s in homeland Canada, and one overseas, i.e. total 22 GPA’s. The Canadians had a further two GPA’s in Europe at war’s end, probably from the British.
* Other countries that had GPA’s via Lend-Lease are as follows;
* Russia (3,520), Free-French (24), China (40), Brazil (22) and Netherlands (6).

The above is quite a mouthful and shows there are some minor anomalies with official records. You will note these records come from the USA, UK and Australia.

Australian Army records are available for the 161 GPA’s that came to Australia. Records include the serial/engine/chassis number and the Army Registration Number displayed on each bow side and transom. I will certainly be looking for similar records in the UK and hope to be able to assist. Indication from fellows like David Hayward suggest such records may be difficult to find and possibly not available, presumed destroyed.

Ian

[Jan Roelse]

Hi Ian,
About your 239 British GPA's without a WD number.
As far as I remember Bart Vanderveen told me once that the first GPA's in the UK got normal Britsh jeep WD-numbers with an "M" (light truck) instead of a "P" (amphibian).
So take a good look in the Imp.War Museum during your planed visit for GPA's in the "M" files!
My idea about the 6 GPA's lend-leased to the Netherlands is, that the delivery date was in the end of the war. I have no doc,s about that but there are some small privat pictures post-war in Dutch duty ( no reg.numbers). After the war (May 16,1946) 3 GPA'are sold in a Militairy Auction in Deelen (most of them ex-Canadian Army) Used name: 5 cwt 4x4 Ford (amph).
My first GPA served in Br. Army my second in the Canadian see serial numbers list in the forum. As you maybe know in Mithril's WW2 photo slide show you can see some Canadian GPA,s.
Kind regards,
Jan

[Cees]

Ian and Jan,

One GPA no: 7937 was sold on a dutch military auction te Den Helder to Jan Eshuis and ended up completly restored to Lammert van Keulen. Maybe one of the six dilivered to the Dutch ?

Cees

[Jan Roelse]

Ian & Cees,

To continue this interesting item here something about the 22 Brazilian GPA,s. I know there are still some of these in the collection of Joao Barone's MV-friend in Brazil. Restored & unrestored. A few years ago I got jpeg prints of these collection but they are all gone because of a PC-crash. Joao Barone is a email/MV friend of mine and member of the local MVCG. I think there is still a website of that club and GPA's.

The Lend-Lease to Brazil started maybe after a visit of Pres. Roosevelt on Jan. 28 & 29, 1943.
I just found an article about that. ( The Second Great War, no.75, 1945, page 2955/56)

It says: After flying the Atlantic on his return from Casablanca, Pres. Roosevelt had a conference with Pres. Vargas of Brazil on Jan. 28 (1943) on board of a U.S. destroyer in Natal harbour. Mr. Roosevelt informed Pres, Vargas of the results of the Casablanca conference, and discussed with him Brazil's co-operation in the Allied war programme.

There was already a Brazilian Expeditionary Force of 300.000 men for service overseas in training and announced to operate in Algiers'- North Africa.
Brazil was also involved in the protection against German U-boats in the South Atlantic.
Jan