Branch of service.

[ruger45]

I have a M170 and am trying to figure out what branch of it serviced in. I tried sanding to find numbers with no luck. It appears that it was olive drab green or the last restoration was really goo in getting green paint on everything. (It has been restored at least once) The sr # is 11881 date of del is 4/55 under that is a square with what looks to be an eagle with 3 stars over it. to the right of that it is stamped EPM
It also say ord. stock no. G2758-8358686
Thanks in advance for any help tracking this thing down and finding out some of it's history.
At the present time it is planed to paint it olive drab semi gloss unless I find out it belonged to say the Navy Or someone with more knowledge tells me that it should be some other color to be correct for it's service/year

[4x4M38]

Do you have the dash plates? If so, what branch is listed
on the Responsible Agency plate?

[wesk]

The responsible agency plate will suggest which of several services it may have been in but in no way is it going to conclusively confirm that for you.

When the War Dept and the Navy Dept were combined in 1947/48 to for the Dept of defence we also applied some better business management technigues. Like commonization of facilities and equipment and vehicle procurement. The US Army became the prime procurement agency for all tactical wheeled vehicles. This included the M series jeeps.

Procurement of tactical vehicles by individual services did not resume until about 1955-57. Until then the Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard told the Army what they needed and the Army procurement branch took care of all specs and contracts.

This is the Responsible Agency Plate referred to above:


Here's one off a 1955 M170



This is the most common plate found. You can see that it tends to indicate that the Army Ordnance Dept procured it and Maintained it. You would assume it belonged to the Army. Wrong. It may have belonged to the Navy or the Air Force if it is prior to 1957. The Air Force and the Navy didn't whine about not having their name on the Maintenance block. They just installed their own additional dash plate. It was a USAF property plate for the Air Force and a Bureau Plate for the Navy.


USAF Property Plate

But it wasn't long and the Navy decided it wanted it's own Name in the Maintenance block about 1953:


The Marines made the same argument around 54/55 and eventually each older jeep that went through the Marine overhaul depots at Barstow and Albany had the new Marine plate retrofitted to the dash set.


Bottom line on which service they came from is you need to find original unit numbers under the paint, the original SF 97 they were surplused under, or original hood numbers.

[ruger45]

Thanks guys it says ordnance dept in both spots. So the search continues. But on the bright side we know the army bought it