Found this vehicle cover plate in the desert....Can you ID?

Hi!
I found this cover plate at one of Gen. Patton's training camps in the Mojave Desert. It was in the motor pool area of the camp. Wondering if anyone could ID it for me? Could've been off anything from a jeep to a tank recovery vehicle and transporter. They used all types of vehicles there (sorta a prelude to the Yuma Proving Grounds). I'm just guessing, but the large hole would be to turn a handle or knob or such in the direction of the arrow, and the two smaller holes are finger holes to assist in the removal and replacement of the panel. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks! View attachment 20549 View attachment 20550

 

Howdy,

Not off of any later jeep, but then wasn't Patton there early in the war? If your getting the chance to dig in his early camp I've heard stories that they left in a bit of a hurry and burried most everything including the tents and some of the vehicles. What an opportunity of a life time to dig in that area. Army always did crazy stuff like that where ever they were at. My wife's uncle was in the National Guard here in Wisconsin and when doing some excavating for a new building on military site uncovered loads of Sharps rifles still in the crates. Some where rusted to pieces others were as good as the day they went into the ground. In my travels through vehicle manuals and in looking at vehicles I will keep your item in mind. Great find.

Jim

 

Jim, thanks for the reply...
There were 10 divisional camps within the California-Arizona area. Just do a search for "DTC WW2" or "CAMA WW2" (DTC=Desert Training Center, CAMA=California-Arizona Manuever Area). Pretty much the same results. Patton was physically at Camp Young for a short while. Unfortunately, most of these camps are now within a couple hours from populated areas, so they've been picked over pretty well over the years. Also, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers are doing cleanup of some sites because of leftover munitions. Most of the stuff you see at the camps on the ground is nails. LOTS of nails. LOTS OF NAILS. And of course, the rock lined roads. Makes using my metal detector unrealistic. The camps were shut down basically because of lack of equipment to be used for training. It was needed overseas. The camps were then taken apart in an orderly fashion, with items mostly going back to their respective depots. Generally what they didn't return they burned. I've sometimes come across camp dumps (mostly unidentiflble cans, bottles...found a non-working but intact 1940's era light bulb in some brush, though!). You also find personal items...shaving cream tubes, razor blades, spoon, nails...plus stuff you have no idea what it was for. There are the smaller areas (bivouacs, temp camp areas) where buried items might be found. I read about some mortars, training landmines and H.E. artillery that had been uncovered by rains near a R.R. siding by old Route 66. This is from one of the reports I have - "Approximately 80 tons of ordnance items (including practice 2.36-inch rockets,white phosphorous rifle grenades [M19], and practice land mines [M1]) were removed from an area 30 feet by 30 feet by 6 feet deep. Most of the ordnance items were found safe and were transported offsite and buried in an abandoned excavation (a mineshaft - Rick)"

Anyways, thanks for looking...I'll keep an eye out too for that panel.

Rick