Tracking Serial Number

1941 - 1945, MB, GPW Technical questions and discussions, regarding anything related to the WWII jeep.
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dmarsters2018
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Tracking Serial Number

Post by dmarsters2018 » Thu Jun 10, 2021 9:36 am

How do some of you know the war history of your Jeep? I’m thinking of buying a 1945 MB and it’s serial number is 20210713 and want to see if it ever “saw action.”


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sjalbert
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Re: Tracking Serial Number

Post by sjalbert » Thu Jun 10, 2021 9:44 am

20210713 is the number painted on the hood, it's not the serial number. MB serial numbers are six digits and are found stamped into the glove box data plate and on a small metal tag that's riveted to the inside of the left front frame rail between the bumper gussets. 2021xxxx would be a hood number from roughly July 1942 so it's not original for a 1945 MB. If you had the original hood number you could look for war time photo's. Assuming that you're looking at a 1945 that's in the States it probably never went overseas and never saw action.

Some folks own Jeeps that were vet bring backs or purchased overseas. Both of those categories are rare in the states. In the end buy the Jeep, not the story
Seth
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1944 MB 349858, 20620361
1942 MBT 10968 viewtopic.php?f=18&t=149552
1942 MBT 15799, USA 0217497 viewtopic.php?f=18&t=225199
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dmarsters2018
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Re: Tracking Serial Number

Post by dmarsters2018 » Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:16 am

sjalbert wrote:20210713 is the number painted on the hood, it's not the serial number. MB serial numbers are six digits and are found stamped into the glove box data plate and on a small metal tag that's riveted to the inside of the left front frame rail between the bumper gussets. 2021xxxx would be a hood number from roughly July 1942 so it's not original for a 1945 MB. If you had the original hood number you could look for war time photo's. Assuming that you're looking at a 1945 that's in the States it probably never went overseas and never saw action.

Some folks own Jeeps that were vet bring backs or purchased overseas. Both of those categories are rare in the states. In the end buy the Jeep, not the story
Ok thanks for the input


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dpcd67
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Re: Tracking Serial Number

Post by dpcd67 » Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:42 pm

Vet bring backs??? How did that work? If so, they were stolen, like all the "vet bring back" US weapons.
There is no way to determine what you want other than finding your jeep listed in a unit history, or find a picture of it in theater. Both are harder than winning the lottery.
99.9% of all jeeps in the US were used only for training and admin; few were brought back. We didn't need them and the auto companies didn't want them in the US.
The guys who might know the history of their jeep live in England, Europe or Australia.
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Re: Tracking Serial Number

Post by sjalbert » Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:58 pm

In 30+ years in the hobby I've seen paperwork documenting 2 vet bring backs. Most Jeeps that went overseas stayed overseas.
Seth
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1944 MB 349858, 20620361
1942 MBT 10968 viewtopic.php?f=18&t=149552
1942 MBT 15799, USA 0217497 viewtopic.php?f=18&t=225199
MVPA # 8587
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Re: Tracking Serial Number

Post by dmarsters2018 » Thu Jun 10, 2021 2:12 pm

dpcd67 wrote:Vet bring backs??? How did that work? If so, they were stolen, like all the "vet bring back" US weapons.
There is no way to determine what you want other than finding your jeep listed in a unit history, or find a picture of it in theater. Both are harder than winning the lottery.
99.9% of all jeeps in the US were used only for training and admin; few were brought back. We didn't need them and the auto companies didn't want them in the US.
The guys who might know the history of their jeep live in England, Europe or Australia.
Makes sense … thanks for the follow-up


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Re: Tracking Serial Number

Post by dpcd67 » Thu Jun 10, 2021 5:57 pm

I would like to know details of what a "Vet bring back" is/was. Just curious how a Veteran could take possession of US Government Property.
Maybe it was purchased after release for public sale?
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Re: Tracking Serial Number

Post by YLG80 » Thu Jun 10, 2021 11:31 pm

dpcd67 wrote:
Thu Jun 10, 2021 5:57 pm
I would like to know details of what a "Vet bring back" is/was. Just curious how a Veteran could take possession of US Government Property.
Maybe it was purchased after release for public sale?
The vast majority of the US jeeps were transferred to Europe countries and were no longer the property of the US Gov immediately after the war.
Not many years after VE Day, ie in the early 50's, many jeeps were disposed and made available to the civilian market.

Also many jeeps, likely like mine, were rebuilt by civilian mechanics with parts extracted from local military wreck yards. Just to make money !
My GPW was first registered as a civilian car in 1950-1952.
Here is a catalogue from the early 50's showing converted military jeeps sold on the civilian market in Belgium.
The price was depending upon the jeep shape in 3 categories.

DE_KORT_VERSO-s.jpg
DE_KORT_RECTO-s.jpg


My jeep was modified like the one in the above catalog with civilian CJ sealed beam front lights.
Here I'm sitting at the wheel, in 1986 or 1987, and the jeep was exactly like that when she was registered as a civilian vehicle circa 1952.

Jeep_1986-87-s.jpg

So it was easy for a U.S. veteran, to buy a jeep in Europe.
There is a known story of a US veteran from the occupation troops in Germany, traveling through Europe for his honeymoon... in a WWII jeep :o !
Not very comfortable for his young wife.
He eventually brought his jeep back to the US.
If I remember well, I have published a photo of that veteran and his wife in the Jeep Dame of the day thread.
Yves
Ford GPW 1943 - Louisville - DoD 12-7-43
serial 164794

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dpcd67
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Re: Tracking Serial Number

Post by dpcd67 » Fri Jun 11, 2021 6:26 am

Ok; that is not my definition of a vet bring back; that is a commercial sale to a US Citizen; Vet status is not germane.
When we talk about Vet bring backs in the Rifle and pistol collecting world, it means the active duty soldier brought the item back with him when he returned to CONUS. And if it was a US weapon of any type, it was Stolen. I have seen them. No one was allowed to take any US property back home with him or her.
Except the GO pistols; another category.
Not bought years later. However, it would be a "vet bring back"; just not in the usual meaning.
By that definition any part I buy today from overseas, is a Vet bring back.
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