BEF Vehicle Arm of Service Markings (GHQ and others)

Discussion in '1940' started by Rich Payne, Oct 30, 2010.

  1. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Unfortunately, the careless colouriser has failed to research his arm of service colourings. The senior brigade in an infantry Division (in this case 7 Guards Brigade) used a red background, for the serials 13,14 and 15. (plus the Brigade a/tk Company with 33). There is a surviving original colour image of 1st Coldstream Guards showing '15' on the bright red.

    AoS 15 1 Coldstream.jpg
     
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  2. rolfi

    rolfi Member

    The bridging disc and divisional sign are also incorrectly rendered. This sort of thing is why I dislike colourised photos; they add little to an image.
     
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  3. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    There should, as far as I'm concerned simply be a law against it ! The anonymous colouriser has also decided that green gas capes may have been used by the BEF and that the gas detection brassards weren't brown. Individuals should be free to bastardise history in the privacy of their own homes, but it should be a criminal offence if they inflict it on the rest of us.
     
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  4. rolfi

    rolfi Member

    In a similar vein Orson Welles begged ″Don’t let Ted Turner deface my movie with his crayons.″
     
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  5. morrisc8

    morrisc8 Under the Bed

    Number 28 on front carrier with 3 on the side and they have names on the front. 28 might be 4th inf Div. 5 Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards ? Dunkirk on back of photo.
    Keith
    carrier 28 aos 1940. bef kb.jpg
     
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  6. LondonNik

    LondonNik Senior Member

    Keith - You are spot on with 5 Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, they are Scout Carriers from A Squadron (ARTICULATE) and C Squadron (C something but can't quite make it out). I like that the bridging weight markings are different styles and maybe even colour! Thanks, Nick
     
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  7. KevinT

    KevinT Senior Member

    Still trying to make out C......... It looks like CAMP..... but the other is ARTICULATION

    Cheers

    Kevin
     
    Last edited: Oct 21, 2020
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  8. JCB

    JCB Senior Member

    Never know whether to put these here or on BEF vehicle thread .
    Anyway can just make out bent AOS 6 ( I think ) and 5th infantry division Y sign on the front of ancient impressed Morris Commercial 30 cwt truck in the centre of both photos which gives 52 Anti Tank Regiment RA .
    Vehicles appear to be stores type with very makeshift wooden tilt frames and are all abandoned in a farmyard. The 'looters' are throwing gear around which must have occupied many during and following the evacuation looking at the mess on every photo. Notice the resting dog and man cooking in background pic 2 .
    Two other vehicles have numbers H5 ( Austin K3 ? dropside civvy type ) and A1 ( Morris 15cwt) which may help RA theory .
    Craig
    s-l1600 (32).jpg s-l1600 (10).jpg
     
    Last edited: Nov 3, 2020
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  9. morrisc8

    morrisc8 Under the Bed

    I wonder what was in the WD box. I did buy the two photos and am looking forward to getting them in the post. Looks like A3 ?
    Keith
     
  10. morrisc8

    morrisc8 Under the Bed

    Well the photos arrived .
    Keith
    truck bef Y A3 kb.jpg trucks Y on front 1940 bef aos 6 kb.jpg truck Y bef 1940. kb.jpg
     
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  11. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    The chest looks to have had a contents list papered on the inside of the list. I'll try to find out what it was for.

    "A3" was an RHQ 15 cwt..I can't locate an 'H5', but 'H' was an HQ 8cwt.
     
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  12. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    The toolbox, as suggested by the MT2 designation is a Motor Transport artificer's toolbox.

    Lex toolbox 1.jpg

    Lex Toolbox 2.jpg
     
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  13. JCB

    JCB Senior Member

    Must have been some weight in that !
     
  14. JCB

    JCB Senior Member

    Many photos appear of this street and trucks in I think La Panne.
    Morris Commercial civvy type 3 ton ( ish ) probably impressed dropside truck on left with makeshift canvas tilt has AOS 27 .
    May be 3rd Division AOS sign = 7 Field Ambulance.
    Craig
    s-l1600VVV.jpg
     
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  15. Hello this is rue de Flandre in Malo les bains
     

    Attached Files:

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  16. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    It's not very often that a 44th Division vehicle turns up, and then two come along at once...A Bedford with the '26' of 44 Div Supply Company RASC and a Thornycroft bearing their sign too. The crate in front of the Bedford shows '333' which will be the abbreviation of 44 Div Supply's Movement serial '15333' I'm not sure what the bell- or hat-shaped sign with a disc relates to. It's on both vehicles though.
    44 Div AoS 26 Div Supply Co RASC Bedford OY & Thornycroft.jpg
     
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  17. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    https://www.facebook.com/veteransfoundation/photos/a.1200798683281243/5603989212962146/?type=3

    FB_IMG_1648129597503.jpg
     
  18. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    A recently captured Bedford MW displaying the stag's head of 51st (Highland) Division rather oddly half hidden by the '17' arm of service plate (on green) indicating 4th Battalion, Black Watch.

    Bedford - 51 HD AoS 17 - 4 Black Watch (2).jpg
     
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  19. battleofassche

    battleofassche Well-Known Member

    4/7 Royal Dragoon Guards Command Scout Carrier, May 1940

    I noticed this recently on ebay.

    3 Troop C Company 4 7 RDG command scout carrier 2LT Gill.jpg

    Looks like it might be the KOed 3 Troop C Sqd 4/7 RDG command scout carrier of 2/Lt. Gill. Cross keys on left front mudguard.

    Here is the WD entry...

    P1490503, 2 lt Sewell C Sqd May 19.JPG


    P1490504.JPG
     
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  20. Terance Wong

    Terance Wong New Member

    Hi Guys,

    May I know the colour of this AOS 36 please?

    Thanks

    [​IMG]
     

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