Field Artillery Tractor, CMP Cab 12, Ford F-GT FAT-2 Quad

Ford 'beetleback' Canadian Military Pattern Quad field artillery tractor.

Canadian Military Pattern trucks (CMP) formed a significant proportion of both British and Commonwealth military transport through much of the Second World War. First acquired by the Australian Army from 1941, these rugged purpose-built trucks soon replaced the modified commercial vehicles such as the Ford Marmon-Herringtons used earlier in the war. The CMPs were available in a number of variants.

This particular vehicle type, commonly known as a CMP 'Quad Tractor', or colloquially as a 'monkey face', 'desert blitz' or 'beetle back' pattern Field Artillery Tractor (FAT), was used widely by British Commonwealth forces during the Second World War for towing artillery guns, usually 17,18 and 25pdrs as well as Bofors anti-aircraft guns, and limbers. The Quad had a personnel carrying capacity of 6; a driver, spare driver, and 4 gun-crew.

The 'beetle back' pattern was so named because of its distinctive sloping rear section, manufactured between 1938 and 1944. The unique shape was derived from a design to make the vehicle easier to decontaminate in the event of a gas attack. The 'beetle back' Quad is believed to be the only vehicle to employ this design feature.

This fully restored vehicle, a 'Cab 12', is an example of the second of five CMP variants of the 'beetle back' pattern. Manufactured in the Ford factory in Canada before being shipped to the UK for assembly at Dagenham, the vehicle was part of the Ford Canada contract with the British War Office to supply FATs in 1941. The Cab 12 Quads had a relatively limited production in 1941 before being superseded by the revised and roomier Cab 13 later that same year.

A number of the Cab 12s were sourced from British stocks for the AIF in the Middle East in 1942 to replace the existing Ford Marmon-Herringtons while the Australian made No.8 tractor, based on the CMP chassis, was being developed. Earlier British models such as the Morris 4 cylinder Quad, on which the CMP Quad was closely based, were being used by Australian units as early as 1940.

The original British War Office serial number H4542132 as well as the later Australian Army ARN of 50315 were extant on the vehicle panels at the time of restoration. The registration numbers are corroborated by AWM 216 registration records held at the Memorial's Research Centre.

It is believed that the vehicle was deployed to the Middle East to a British unit before being sent south, probably Malaya, to counter the Japanese thrust though South East Asia. The British and Dutch territories fell before the vehicle reached its intended destination.

The tractor arrived in Australia as 'refugee' or 'distress' cargo in 1942, i.e. part of cargo that was still at sea but diverted to Australia from its original intended destination when the British and Dutch territories fell. Over 190,000 tons of the orphaned cargo, from building materials, office and home supplies and medical equipment to tanks, trucks, ordnance and aircraft made its way to Australia.

Ironically the capitulation of the Allied territories helped enormously in relieving the critical shortages of supplies and reserves being felt by the Americans and Australians stationed in Australia. Of the tonnage diverted, the Americans were given first priority of US shipments and second priority to material from Dutch and British shipments.

This tractor was claimed by the Australian Army and later sold for civilian use following the war where it was heavily modified and used as a general farm carrier on Mentone Station near Winton, Queensland.