Camp Pendleton jeep

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Michel
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Camp Pendleton jeep

Post by Michel » Sun Dec 13, 2020 1:20 pm

Hi everyone ,
 
I have recently started the restoration of a 1944 MB. It appears to be a standard MB assigned to the USMC. This because of the OD color with forest green on top. I found the Camp Pendleton brand in 3 places and the letters “BD” on the back. Furthermore, remains of unreadable markings on the left and right rear on the side of the tub. It probably contained the text USMC and a number. I recently saw pictures of another Camp Pendleton jeep from 1943 of another G503 member with similar markings to confirm this. I also have a document (attached) stating that my jeep may have been sold to a war veteran in 1946. I would like to restore the jeep as Camp Pendleton Jeep, but then it would be nice if it could have a realistic USMC number on it. I know there aren't many photos and little documentation of jeeps at Camp Pendleton.
 
My questions:
1. Does anyone know what the letters “BD” on the back of my jeep mean (see photo)? Or maybe letters are still missing? By the way, I saw 1 photo that also contained BD (see attached photo of the script jeep).
2. Is there anyone who can help me with a credible USMC number (or a good estimate)?
3. Or, given the limited information out there, should I let the Camp Pendleton idea go and find a war photo of a USMC MB in the Pacific War and recreate it as a tribute? And if so does anyone have a period correct suggestion for my jeep?
 
Thanks in advance for any help
Attachments
IMG_8647.JPG
IMG_4713.JPG
IMG_4632b.jpg
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1944 MB 343496 USMC under restoration


Michel
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Re: Camp Pendleton jeep

Post by Michel » Mon Dec 14, 2020 12:32 am

Or could the letters BD mean “Blue Diamond” (first mar. div.). It’s the only thing were I can come up with?
Attachments
4C45EBE2-2C0B-435C-9E5E-984E6E67EC5A.png
4C45EBE2-2C0B-435C-9E5E-984E6E67EC5A.png (7.54 KiB) Viewed 4675 times
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1944 MB 343496 USMC under restoration

Michel
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Re: Camp Pendleton jeep

Post by Michel » Wed Dec 16, 2020 1:46 pm

My latest thought and then i give up my search :( ; the letters “BD” could also be “CBD” (construction battalion detachement)? As you can see on the photo there is some paint missing due to previous repairs. But that means that it ended up as a Navy Seabee jeep. The dark yellow marking is over the Camp Pendleton logo so that could be. The jeep was sold in 1946 at Camp Parks Shoemaker California which was a replacement and recuperation center for Naval Construction Battalions returning from overseas. Maby there is a little change to find any USMC or Navy number in combination with the jeeps serial no. in surplus stock files of 1946 of the War Assets Administration in current government archives? There is a "cro file no." on the paper i added before. Dont't know if that could help in archives?

I attached some extra photos of what is left of the markings on my jeep. Not much is left over... :(
Attachments
IMG_4644_LI.jpg
IMG_4643.JPG
IMG_4638_LI.jpg
IMG_4631_LI.jpg
IMG_4628_LI.jpg
IMG_4625.JPG
The Netherlands
1944 MB 343496 USMC under restoration

2/14Marine
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Re: Camp Pendleton jeep

Post by 2/14Marine » Thu Dec 17, 2020 12:14 pm

Hey Micahel,

USMC 37141 is mine. Below is a link to another Camp Pendleton jeep. I’ve seen a few pics with the ranch brand on them over the years. As I see them I’ll send them your way.

Javier

viewtopic.php?f=84&t=93412&hilit=Pendleton
LtCol USMC R
1954 M38A1
1941 GP 9270 DOD 4-6-41
1942 MB 121796, DOD 2-23-42, USMC 37141

Michel
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Re: Camp Pendleton jeep

Post by Michel » Thu Dec 17, 2020 1:33 pm

Hello Javier,

Thanks for your reply.

If found some rare pictures of jeeps with "CBD" markings at a cruisebook of the CBD 1029 at the site of the U.S. Navy Seabee Museum.

https://www.history.navy.mil/content/da ... 943-44.pdf
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1944 MB 343496 USMC under restoration

2/14Marine
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Re: Camp Pendleton jeep

Post by 2/14Marine » Thu Dec 17, 2020 2:13 pm

Mine has no trace of a C as well as USMC just below in the same font so makes me believe it was never used by the Navy. The only BD designation I have seen was for Switchboards. I’ll keep researching.

Javier
LtCol USMC R
1954 M38A1
1941 GP 9270 DOD 4-6-41
1942 MB 121796, DOD 2-23-42, USMC 37141

Michel
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Re: Camp Pendleton jeep

Post by Michel » Wed Dec 30, 2020 10:17 am

Hello all,

Following to the second question of my original post; I found a registration number for my MB in the Willys database on the website jeep.mag.free.fr. It is 20497886. I know it is not 100% reliable because you cant see the actual source. But I am happy with it for now because I had no registration number at all. Could this help with finding the USMC number or a USMC number range for a estimate? And can someone help me with that?

Thanks in advance.
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1944 MB 343496 USMC under restoration

pgcf
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Re: Camp Pendleton jeep

Post by pgcf » Tue Jan 05, 2021 4:59 pm

If that USA number is on your jeep then it simply means that your jeep was built to standard specs and is not a Marine Contract.

That being said, and if I understand correctly, this would mean that your jeep started as an Army jeep and at some point was transferred to the Marines. The is no correlation between the USA number and the USMC number.

The best evidence you have is that it has the Pendleton marking and the letters. It was obviously assigned to a Camp Pendleton based unit and stayed Stateside before being surplused.

Hope this helps,
Peter

mdainsd
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Re: Camp Pendleton jeep

Post by mdainsd » Wed Jan 06, 2021 4:29 am

You might see if you can contact someone at the Mechanized Museum on Camp Pendleton. I worked there for a bit as a volunteer.
Years ago I had a WC-53 Carryall with the Pendleton brand.
52 M38 2X, '52 M37, '44 WC51, '42 WC 56/57, '50 CJ-V35(U), '42 GPW, '44 M3A1 Scout Car, 2010 M-Gator

Michel
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Re: Camp Pendleton jeep

Post by Michel » Wed Jan 06, 2021 12:08 pm

Ok thanks for the help. I’ll try to contact the museum.
The Netherlands
1944 MB 343496 USMC under restoration

mdainsd
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Re: Camp Pendleton jeep

Post by mdainsd » Mon Jan 11, 2021 7:32 am

MGS King is the man that can help you there, or at least point you in the right direction.
52 M38 2X, '52 M37, '44 WC51, '42 WC 56/57, '50 CJ-V35(U), '42 GPW, '44 M3A1 Scout Car, 2010 M-Gator

gpwmke
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Re: Camp Pendleton jeep

Post by gpwmke » Sun Jan 17, 2021 12:43 pm

Keep posting pics as you get into your restoration.

Michel
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Re: Camp Pendleton jeep

Post by Michel » Thu Jan 28, 2021 12:26 pm

Will do when I have some results. At the moment it proceeds very slow due to lak of time. I mailed the Mechanized museum but have no response yet.
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1944 MB 343496 USMC under restoration

blitz67
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Re: Camp Pendleton jeep

Post by blitz67 » Wed Mar 24, 2021 7:15 am

"The best evidence you have is that it has the Pendleton marking and the letters. It was obviously assigned to a Camp Pendleton based unit and stayed Stateside before being surplused"

Not sure your reasoning why it would have stayed stateside??? The Marines have always been shorted funds and given hand-me-downs just like the Coast guard. If anything I would expect a Marine Jeep to have served overseas and been returned home. The Marines did not leave their equipment for foreign governments, totally different program which the Marines were not part of.

pgcf
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Re: Camp Pendleton jeep

Post by pgcf » Tue Jul 13, 2021 6:09 pm

A lot of the West Coast USMC WWII surplus vehicles went to Korea when the 1st Marine Division deployed and most of that did not come back.

My '42 MB NOM contract appears to have been sold surplus out of the USMC storage facility in Albany, GA. My guess is it was at Camp Lejeune during the war and after being put in storage was sold sometime in the '50's as the Marines purged the last of their WWII rolling stock.

Anything on the West Coast that did not deploy was probably sold surplus in the mid 50's which explains this Camp Pendleton jeep. Lloyd White has a nice original West Coast '43 MB NOM contract that never left and was sold surplus. I don't know if it was in the '40's or '50's but I do know it did not have the Pendleton brand on it.

Hope this helps,
Peter


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