Bedford contract numbers

This any help ,later on the chassis numbers to contract numbers are all over the place but with your truck so early they should not be that far out of sink ? Rob van Meel allocation of b vehicle WD numbers gives the following info .

contract number 294/t/7729 this was the second contract for MWs 1018 MWD GS trucks Z3927393-Z3928411

480 truck 15cwt A/TK Z3962912-Z3927392

a note on the ledger shows the contract started at chassis number MW 1001 RUNNING TOTAL 1498

contract number 294/t/8102 this was the third contract for MWs 5084 units mixed contract with mwd/mwc /mwt

this contract has sixteen line entry's MWD 2499 units Z4115257-Z417756 starts at MW 1001

MWD 1999 units Z4118607-Z4120606 starts at MW 1001

with your chassis number being 2947 (chassis numbers start at 1001) your truck would be the 1946 made is your chassis number pre fixed MWD for a general service truck ,if so it has to fall into contract 294/t/8102 or possibly 294/t/7729 until we find some dates that the contracts were issued

Nick

Thanks Nick

My chassis No. is prefixed MWD. So can we say it was built under contract T8102 ? And it would have had

Z 411???? on the bonnet ?

One of the reasons I'd like to know the contract number is that there are a number of plates that will need to be stamped with the correct details when needed.

By the way are you coming down to Stoneleigh if so give me shout I'll be there

Cheers J.

Hi Jeremy

Yes i will be at Stoneleigh i will look out for you we will probably finish up with another meeting of the MW owners club like last year see you there

Nick

Yes twas a good laugh did more deals in the car park than inside, I hope there will be more vehicle related kit there this time. Do you have my mob No. if not I'll pm it to you

Hmm , funny thing is my MWG has number 1423 , so MWG`s were only made under the first contract ? only 50 units are supposed to be made . My MWD has number 3116 , and according to Vauxhall it was produced in November 1939 ( replied by them in 1984, when they even send me a lot of factory pictures from wartime Bedfords) Body has plate on it with 1939 , but no contract or WD number stamped in it .Long time ago We (Bart Vanderveen and myself)tried to figure out Chassis numbers from the various Bedford types , but numbers jumped sometimes with 50 to 130 numbers up , and later down , so we gave up in the end , Vauxhall only had months on the delivery charts , so you could look up a chassis number , and they could tell you which month it was deliverred, maybe it has to do with the external body manufacturers.

Just looking back at another thread , Scandinavian Bedford Chassis number 10227 Contract number T 8102 again ???

Hi Maurice

The allocation of B vehicles WD numbers by Rob van Meel lists more contract numbers for MWG s

contract 294/v/3964 lists 99 truck 15 cwt anti tank Z 4427893-Z4427992

294/V/3993 lists 47 truck 15cwt anti tank Z4358596-Z4358640

294/T/8102 lists 8 trucks 15 cwt anti tank portee Z4372519-Z4372527

add to this the 480 trucks on 294/t/7729 gives a total of 448 ,would it be the case if only 50 trucks were built that the numbers were issued but never used , do you still have the copy's of the Vauxhall delivery charts i would be very interested in a copy my own truck MWR 42436 was built in 1942 but the month of manufacture is very much guess work ,i got late august from the total production figure for that year divided by 52 weeks.

Nick

Thanks for those details Maurice do you think my truck could of been built around Oct 39 ? and I think at present I'll put it down as being built under the T 8102 contract and put a Z 411???? on the bonnet.

Nick , would these anti tank versions be MWG`s ? because not all were MWG . and the number from the MWG is so low , that it should fit in the 2nd contract .

I don`t have the contract cards , Bart Vanderveen had them , and after he passed away , they went to army Cars , will be auctionned today ?? Barts archive was donated to Army Cars , so everybody could read things in it for their own research , so wy now getting auctionned ?

Hi Maurice

I have seen people loan documents , equipment and even vehicles to museums that's the easy part but when either you need them back or the museum closes or changes hands has a stock take they are suddenly an asset of the museum i have just had a quick look on the auction web site and there are shelf's full of manuals documents etc ,i just hope they find a good home were we can get access to them and not thrown out with the rubbish after the sale

Nick

Maurice,

Can you help me with the sensus number of bedford MW:

Chassis number MWC 66674 (date 1945)

Engine number MW 72177

V.M. contract number S8216

Thanks,

Danny

Maurice regarding the contract cards were they original documents or copies ? it was a shame that they may now be lost, can you find out what may have happened to them ? did army cars have the right to sell them at auction ?

There are likely to be ex-Chilwell 'Contract Receipt Cards' at Bovington - They seem to have them for most wartime vehicle contracts including 'B' vehicles. There is more chance on early-war contracts that the cards will show the blocks of chassis numbers allocated but it does seem that for most makers, they were not 'married' to census number so actual allocation remains guesswork.

There are likely to be ex-Chilwell 'Contract Receipt Cards' at Bovington - They seem to have them for most wartime vehicle contracts including 'B' vehicles. There is more chance on early-war contracts that the cards will show the blocks of chassis numbers allocated but it does seem that for most makers, they were not 'married' to census number so actual allocation remains guesswork.

Thanks have written asking to research their archives I know a mate found details of his QL there many years ago so we shall see.

RR.

Visiting the archive shouldn't be a problem, especially if you choose a weekday. They're very helpful.

Hi

I have been trying to sort out my error with the the contracts for the MWG s but i have a problem trying to work out the difference between the MWG and the MWT i have been looking through my photos and i think i have the descriptions correct

photo 1 is the MWG GS truck with gun mountings (open cab and ditching boards on outside of body sides )

photo 2 and 3 MWT anti tank tractor lorry body with seats tilt and draw bar

any help would be great

Nick

Ok Folks

I have just received an email from Jonathan at the Tank Museum, evidently they hold a number of Bedford contract cards so it looks like I'm off down to bovy to have a moot through the archives so if any of you want me to research your chassis numbers etc Pm me the details of your MW and I'll see what I can do given that I'll only be there for the day.

RR.

Just to let you know that I'm off down to Bovy next Friday the 12th Feb to have look through what info they may have, should be interesting, a number of MW owners have contacted me and I'll see what I can do in the time permitted, anyone else who may wish their vehicle records looked up can still pm me.

regards RR.

Well had a great day at Bovy and managed to copy all the MW contract cards that they had there inc the very early ones for the prototypes and ambulances, although the series of cards is incomplete it made very interesting reading.

There is also a lot of OY,OX,QL etc if anyone should like to research their vehicle contract NO.

Many thanks to Jonathon and gang for their help with copying etc.

Hi Jeremy,

I'm happy to read that! I'm curious about my bedford MWC 66674 and contract no. 294/23/S8216. :thumbsup:

Regards,

Danny