Pre & Wartime Indian Army Vehicle Registration Numbers

Discussion in 'Indian Army' started by Roddy1011, Feb 27, 2021.

  1. Roddy1011

    Roddy1011 Senior Member

    Hi to all...

    Does anyone have any details on how the Indian Army armoured units - prior to and during WW2 - numbered their military vehicles ?

    Each VRN included a Military Department Arrow pointing vertically. Then - depending on the date - many vehicles had four, five or six figure VRNs...

    but -

    I also have examples that include a large B. (used on the initial Med Mk 1s sent out in 1925), G., H., K., M, & W. preceding the number. H, K & M appear to have been used for RTC Light Tanks (a letter for each Coy ?) while the Ws were perhaps only used on Carriers (the examples I have seen were filmed in Singapore in 1941). Evidence might suggest that the letter variants were British Units stationed in the Far East. These all seem to be initially pre-war...

    All of the above said, the majority of British armoured units deployed to the Far East during the war used the standard T number.

    However there is evidence that British tanks handed over to the Indians in 1947 for Partition, lost their T number and were then given a standard Indian six-figure number...the two examples I have seen were captured in the 1965 Indo-Pak War - (T)147224 crossed out and replaced with 800252. A second example was (T)148785 replaced with 800253.

    Any help would be most useful...

    With thanks

    Roddy
     

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