Abbreviations - can anyone help?

[10FM68]

I was looking at these pages from a facsimile copy of Appx C to 27954/S.D.2b dated 24 March 1944 of "Vehicle Markings in the Middle East".  These are instructions for marking vehicles which aren't covered in the official London publications as the Middle East was a theatre of its own with its own regulations - though following London in most respects.  Bearing in  mind that this is a 1944 instruction to troops no longer effectively at war as, by then 8th Army had moved to Italy.  So these are for troops left bhind to garrison the ME.  

Can anyone, please, tell me what the abbreviations C.A.S and N.D.W may mean?  I think S.A means South Africa, IND, India, F.W.D four wheel drive

 

Also, what vehicle would the 3 ton 4 wheeled Volvo (top of right had column of the second photo) be?  I've not come across a Volvo anywhere else - it could, of course, be a civilian vehicle which was sufficiently common in the ME to get a listing, but which had been requisitioned from, perhaps, Egyptian interests.  And, a Morris Leader?

 

There's quite a selection of different types there.  Not surprising, I suppose given the assortment of sources for mechanical transport in the Middle East from 1939 onwards.

 

But, any advice would be most welcome.  (As would answers on Brockways and Autocars as mentioned elsewhere - nudge!)

[Rangie]

Perhaps Dual Wheel and Non Dual Wheel? But why would a Sedan have Dual Wheels....?
Four Wheel Drive is a classic.
I'm still pondering CAS, I did think Canadian Spec but not sure. Pretty confident the S is Spec though... 

It's a great puzzler! 

Alec.

[10FM68]

3 hours ago, Rangie said:

Perhaps Dual Wheel and Non Dual Wheel? But why would a Sedan have Dual Wheels....?
Four Wheel Drive is a classic.
I'm still pondering CAS, I did think Canadian Spec but not sure. Pretty confident the S is Spec though... 

It's a great puzzler! 

Alec.

Thanks Alec,

Hmm!  A mystery.  As you say, dual wheels on a sedan re unlikely - equally, not having dual wheels on one or two of the US lorries is unlikely!  I think the jury has to be still out on that one.  CAS, - some sort of Canadian connection is certainly possible as, I think , all the types referenced could be Canadian - 'S' - standard, perhaps?  That then leaves out the other, obviously Canadian chassied, but elsewhere-bodied, vehicles and the Maple Leafs - which would make sense. L.P - probably local purchase.

Edited December 12, 2024 by 10FM68

[fv1609]

I was perusing "B" Vehicle Nomenclature 1946 showing the new British designations and the nearest American equivalent.

There was one term that cropped up "Distributed Weight" which I take to mean that the payload category is only valid if the load is evenly distributed to avoid overloading a particular axle.

So I assume "Non Distributed Weight" means the payload category is not effected by the way the load is packed?

[wally dugan]

l came across this in DESIGN RECORDS CANADIAN MILITARY VEHICLES changes affecting service CAS in modifications ?

[10FM68]

Thank you Clive & Wally.  I think distributed and non-distributed weight may well be the case, particularly as these tables are to do with Bridge Classifications.  Interestingly, though, there are no cases of both CAS and DW/NDW appearing together and, in every case, it makes no difference to the Bridge Classification whether they are DW or NDW.  Certainly, from what you have found, Wally, CAS must have a Canadian angle, but precisely what, I don't know - 'service CAS...'  needs more thought.  It is interesting, also, that they separate Dodge and Fargo, I understood that they were one and the same - Fargo being merely the export name applied to some Dodge models.

Edited December 12, 2024 by 10FM68

[wally dugan]

just a thought if the changes [ie] made a increase to the unladen weight from standard?

[simon king]

As CAS only appears with Ford and Chevrolet products, you presume CAS (perhaps Canadian Army Specification) might be the local term for CMP trucks

Just a thought - could the DW and NDW refer to whether the vehicle appeared or didn’t appear in the Databook of Wheeled Vehicles?

Edited December 12, 2024 by simon king
Another idea

[10FM68]

9 hours ago, simon king said:

As CAS only appears with Ford and Chevrolet products, you presume CAS (perhaps Canadian Army Specification) might be the local term for CMP trucks

Just a thought - could the DW and NDW refer to whether the vehicle appeared or didn’t appear in the Databook of Wheeled Vehicles?

Thank you, Simon, for that.  It is certainly a possibility, though the standard Canadian vehicles already had 'CMP' - Canadian Military Pattern - as an abbreviation.  It is niggling me - the only abbreviations I have for CAS are Chief of the Air Staff and Close Air Support and, do you know, I'm pretty sure neither of those apply! 

The DW and NDW - I'm rather  fond of Clive's suggestion that it is to do with distributed weight as these tables are for bridge classifications so weight is relevant, but, as it apparently makes no difference in any of the cases whether the vehicle is DW or NDW, I don't see the logic in listing the different types at all.  But then, we are talking about the Army! 

The interesting thing is that DW/NDW is applied only to vehicles which one might think aren't standard British or Canadian types - so to US models, Indian and South African variants and local purchases.  There don't seem to be any Australian pattern vehicles in the listing, which one might have expected so I wonder, though think it very unlikely, whether CAS is Commonwealth of Australia Standard/Specification, but I would have expected to see simply 'Aust Pattern' or 'Aust Type' in line with the other descriptions.

I think the quest continues!

[wally dugan]

this may be a start from data book modified conventional vehicles

[10FM68]

Many thanks for that Wally - it certainly clears up the origin of CAS - but how frustrating that it still hasn't expanded the abbreviation! It's probably Canadian Army Specification or Standard, but why there should be two abbreviations for the same thing (that and CMP) I don't know, particularly as CMP is more accurate - military applying to all three Services rather than just the Army.  And that could, possibly mean that the 'A' isn't Army, but Automotive or Automobile or some such!  Still, at least we're on the right continent now.  So, many thanks for digging that out.

[wally dugan]

NOW grandson has come to help on the vehicle side l hope to have more time on research and a bit less in the workshop. So l will look more carefully at the CANADIAN WW2 VEHICLE documents which may turn up some more it is some thing l have  not bothered with as there is still much to learn about UK military vehicles

[10FM68]

Yes, retirement does give one the luxury of time for research, but, please, concentrate on British vehicles - they receive too little attention as it is - I sometimes fear that future generations will think we played no more than a bit part in WWII - online sources, in particular are shocking; the order certainly seems to be 'Anything Wehrmacht/SS - even if it never came off the drawing board, US stuff, then the Canadians in the Low Countries and, finally, British stuff coming in a poor fourth.  I suspect that one of the reasons is the strict restrictions on photography imposed by the British Army, in comparison with the others.  ANother problem with the restoration movement is that so many vehicles which were made in Canada or the USA get put into Canadian or US markings, even if they actually served in the British Army.  Most people on here know that I'm giving a hobbyhorse a bit of a gallop, but I'd love to see greater interest in British military stuff - including post-war vehicles - and in carefully researched colour schemes and markings!