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Montpelier Manufacturing Company During World War Two
Montpellier, OH
1873-1965
This page added 1-28-2025.
Montpelier Manufacturing
Company had a long history, starting in 1873 as the Turnbull & Shelly
Company. This company began business in Napoleon OH as a wagon
wheel manufacturer. The company went through several different
owners, names, and locations before settling in 1920 as the Montpelier
Manufacturing Company in Montpellier, OH. The company then began
to focus on supplying truck bodies to the new and growing American auto
industry. In 1959, the White Motor Company purchased the
Montpelier Manufacturing Company. Production of truck cargo bodies
continued until July 28, 1965, when the factory burned down. This
was the end of the company.
The Montpelier Manufacturing Company won the
Army-Navy "E" Award three times during World War Two. This award
was for the superb delivery of truck bodies for the GMC 2-1/2-ton 6x6
CCKW truck series.
Montpelier Manufacturing
Company World War Two Products: Table 1 shows that the company
had $12,481,000 in total major contracts. Table 2 shows that
$11,516,000, or 92.3%, was for the manufacture of truck bodies for the
U.S. Army. The historical record shows that Montpelier produced
250,000 cargo beds to help win World War Two.
The company employed 200
workers during the war.
Table 1 - Montpelier
Manufacturing Company's
Major World War Two Contracts
The information below
comes from the "Alphabetical Listing of Major War Supply
Contracts, June 1940 through September 1945." This was
published by the Civilian Production Administration, Industrial
Statistics Division. |
|
Product - Customer |
Contract Number |
Contract Amount |
Contract Awarded
Date |
Completion
Date |
| Bodies Truck -
Army Quartermaster |
2425-QM-221 |
$613,000 |
6-1942 |
11-1942 |
| Airplane Material
- USAAF |
535-AC-32761 |
$205,000 |
9-1942 |
12-1942 |
| Bodies Truck -
Army Ordnance |
3030-ORD-2431 |
$319,000 |
10-1942 |
12-1942 |
| Installation Kits
- USAAF |
535-AC-34901 |
$68,000 |
11-1942 |
2-1943 |
| Bodies Cargo -
Army Ordnance |
3030-ORD-4130 |
$467,000 |
1-1943 |
11-1943 |
|
Bodies Cargo - Army Ordnance |
3030-ORD-4129 |
$3,184,000 |
1-1943 |
12-1943 |
| Target Catapults
- USAAF |
535-AC-39910 |
$238,000 |
6-1943 |
10-1943 |
| Wood Cargo Bodies
- Army Ordnance |
33019-ORD-117 |
$1,638,000 |
8-1943 |
12-1944 |
| Catapult Assys
Type A1 - USAAF |
20017-AC-369 |
$161,000 |
10-1943 |
10-1944 |
| Wood Cargo Bodies
- Army Ordnance |
33019-ORD-635 |
$2,233,000 |
11-1943 |
12-1944 |
| Cable Cord Assys
- USAAF |
33038-AC-1412 |
$145,000 |
12-1943 |
2-1944 |
| Wood Cargo Bodies
- Army Ordnance |
33019-ORD-2665 |
$2,020,000 |
8-1944 |
9-1945 |
| Wood Cargo Bodies
- Army Ordnance |
33019-ORD-2911 |
$587,000 |
9-1944 |
4-1945 |
| Splicing Kits -
Army Ordnance |
33019-ORD-2944 |
$200,000 |
10-1944 |
12-1944 |
| Splicing Kits -
Army Ordnance |
33019-ORD-3854 |
$97,000 |
2-1945 |
6-1945 |
| Catapult Assys A2
- USAAF |
33038-AC-8138 |
$54,000 |
2-1945 |
3-1945 |
| Cargo Bodies -
Army Ordnance |
33019-ORD-4511 |
$158,000 |
4-1945 |
2-1946 |
| Catapult Assys A4
- USAAF |
33038-AC-8643 |
$94,000 |
4-1945 |
10-1945 |
| Total |
|
$12,481,000 |
|
|
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Table 2 - Montpelier
Manufacturing Company's Major World War Two Customers |
|
Customer |
Amount |
Percentage |
| Army
Quartermaster and Army Ordnance |
$11,516,000 |
92.3% |
| USAAF |
$965,000 |
7.7% |
| Total |
$12,481,000 |
100% |
This is a Radioplane-designed OQ-2A target
drone. Almost 20,000 target drones similar to this one were built
by the Radioplane Company and the Frankfort Sailplane Company. It
can be found on display at the National Museum of the United States Air
Force in Riverside, OH. Author's photo.
The OQ-2A target drone was launched by a
Montpelier Manufacturing Company-built catapult as shown in the images
below. Also launched by the same method were OQ-3 and OQ-14 target
drones. These were radio controlled by an operator on the ground.
The drones were used for target practice for anti-aircraft gunners.
This drone is on display at the Air Zoo Aerospace and Science Museum in
Kalamazoo, MI. Author's photo.
The OQ-14 was the last of the Radioplane-designed target drones to be
launched by Montpelier catapults during World War Two. It is also
on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
Author's photo.
This image and the one below are from
AN-28-10C-1, "Handbook of Instructions with Parts Catalog for
Radio-Controlled Airplane Target AAF Type OQ-3, Navy Model TDD-2".
This drawing shows the side view of the 37.7 foot long steel tube
launcher. The unit weighed 890 lbs. While Table 2 shows that
this was only 7.7% of the company's World War Two business, this was an
important product for launching the drones for necessary target
practice. Montpelier was the only supplier of these launchers
during World War Two.
This shows a target drone ready to launch.
The crank handle wound up two rubber shock cords that provided 700 lbs.
of launch tension. This simple system was cost effective to make,
easy to operate and maintain, and was used throughout World War Two for
launching Radioplane-designed target drones.
The next four World War
Two era photos show the Montpelier-built launchers in use.
Table 2 shows that 92.3% of the company's
business was for truck bodies and related components. $6,478, 000
of the $11,516,000 was for wooden cargo bodies. In late 1941 the
Army changed from all steel cargo bodies to all wooden bodies.
This was due to the shortage of steel. Companies like Montpelier
that normally worked with wood were chosen to make the wooden bodies.
This GMC CCKW has an all wooden cargo body. Author's photo.
It is most likely that all of the cargo
contracts the company had were for wooden cargo bodies. Sometimes
the World War Two contracts were not all informative in their
description. Once the steel shortage had passed, instead of
returning to an all steel cargo body, it was decided to do a composite
of both wood and steel. This was done to keep the supply chain
with companies like Montpelier in it, still in tact. To return to
an all steel cargo body would have disrupted the supply of cargo bodies.
Author's photo.
Author's photo.
This GMC AFKWX also has an all wooden cargo body. Author's
photo.
Author's photo.
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