British Vehicle Markings - a rough guide

Yep, someone on Facebook asked specifically for the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade in 15mm scale. There's no accounting for taste.

These are just a sample of course. I could easily knock sheets together for other units and in other scales.

Since Dom's Decals went dark there's been a huge gap in the market for wargaming decals in 15mm scale in particular, so this could be a good chance to fill it...

 

Originally the SP regiments were established for one (or maybe two?) per division. 86th and 147 were the artillery group for 42nd Armoured Division, disbanded in 1943.

The D Day assault divisions were issued SP guns for the assault. 1) To provide fire support from landing craft 2) To provide support from the surf. There were enough M7 105mm guns for two divisions 3rd British and 3rd Canadian. 50 Div arriving in theatre Dec 1943 were supported by 90 (SP) field and 86 (SP) and 147 (SP) with Sexton.

The spare SP regiments were army group assets which were deployed where needed. They were outside the AGRA system. 4 RHA tried to persuade the powers that be that they should be the next SP Regiment.

 

Depends on the scale! Aleran Decals do some very nice decals in 76th & Black Lion do decals to order - though they need them in a compatible format, presumably in any scale. Black Lon won't do that nasty squiggly sign - the Dutch have long memories!

 

Ideally 15mm. I'm hoping, pipe-dream though it may be, that if I get all the design work done I may be able to get an actual decal manufacturer interested in putting them into actual production, and leave the actual technicalities of printing up to them.

Anyway, I've added Higher Formation insignia to the blog. I'm sure someone will tell me where I've gone wrong!
It's mainly NW Europe so far - I haven't dared cover the CBI theatre yet.

Formation Insignia - Higher Formations

 

Very pretty indeed.
Try Black Lion. He does decals. If you offer him the art work you might be able to do a deal.
Try Blacklion2@online.nl

 

Good shout. I'll get some more samples together and drop them a line.
Thanks

 

I realise the that conversation has very much moved on, but just in case anybody subsequently finds this post, a beautiful example of the First World War divisional patch recently came up and sold for a large amount of money on eBay:



It's a manufacturer's sample that was sent to the War Office prior to mass production.

 

I can't seem to edit the first post of this thread in order to add a link to the website.

Any ideas?

 

I've updated the Overview page to include a bit about Royal Artillery markings. Full details will follow when I give them their own page.

British Tank Markings - Overview

 

All good, as far as I can see. Except.... Bridge classification showing 2 numbers were for the combined weight of tractor & trailer (the upper number) and the weight of the tractor only (the lower number). These were usually only displayed on permanent or semi-permanent combinations - tank-transporters, gun tractors and all semi-trailer tractors. Some vehicles that did normally tow a trailer did not show a combined bridge class plate - such as signals vehicles towing a gen set. (Now somebody will find a vehicle towing a gen set that does have 2 numbers!)

 

Aha - thanks! I'll get that updated ASAP.

 

And just to upset the apple cart, I have discovered a Letter Authority dated 3 June '41 with a slightly different set of standard numbers - though only for an infantry division,the standard numbers for Independent Infantry Brigades & Independent Brigade Groups, Corps Troops and blocks of numbers allocated to troops apparently u/c GHQ Home Forces. I'm currently devising a spreadsheet to check out the differences between the 1940 & 1942 Home Forces numbers.
The numbers for Independent Brigades in Home Forces is totally new (to me, at least), plenty of the Middle East units.

 

Added Airborne Division organisation and markings: Europe - Airborne Divisions



Based on the table in Bellis. I know he's not infallible, so I'm open to feedback and corrections, as ever!

 

Several points. 1st & 6th Airborne Divs had different numbers allocated for the recce/armoured contingent. 1 Airborne had a single Squadron - which may or may not - have been called the Independent Airlanding Recce Sqn or 1, Armoured Sqn carrying the number 85 on maroon. 6 Airborne had the 6th Airborne Armoured Reconnaissance Regt which used 41 on green/blue.
Each Div had 2 Parachute Bdes each 3 Para Bns and 1 Airlanding Bde with 3 Inf Bns equipped for air-landing. 1 Airborne Airlanding bde used complely different numbers. I've attached the 2 relevant pages from Hodges/Taylor.

 

Botched that! 2nd last sentence should read "1 Airborne's Airlanding Bde...." Apologies!

 

D'oh! Thanks for the info - I'll get it updated ASAP!

I've only been able to acquire the first edition of Hodges, so those scans will be very helpful. Many thanks.

 

Updated accordingly:

 

Also a note on the 6th Abn listings. RASC was one Airborne Light Company and two Divisional Composite Companies (as you've got for 1st Abn Div). Air Landing Atk Regt only applicable from circa March 1945, prior to that it was two Btys with no RHQ. There was also a Forward Observer Unit in the RA element.

Gary

 

Ah. Nothing's ever simple, is it?

 

Updated again, with designations of constituent units as well.