BEF Vehicle Arm of Service Markings (GHQ and others)

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

  1. JCB

    JCB Senior Member

    A Bedford WTH from straight off the production line with Bedford dropside body , AOS 72 double stripe above.
    Does anyone know where this is ? Assume its outskirts of Dunkirk maybe a canal line . Building in left background has something like Garage Minier in big letters on gable end . I think its an area for destruction, a lot of recent pics have shown this area .There is a massive structure being built in the right background , 10-12 storeys high , a steelworKs ? power station ?
    Craig
     

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  2. chrisgrove

    chrisgrove Senior Member

    Did anyone ever have an opinion (or has anyone) on the unit of this Morris CDF? AoS 20, and, presumably, the tilt rolled back so all these guys can look out at the front.

    Chris

    [​IMG]
     
  3. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Chris, the scene is one of a series taken at Herseaux on the French / Belgian border on 10th May. 4th RNF were photographed there early on the 10th and we know that they were detailed to act as traffic control for 3 Div. My vote is for HQ 9 Inf. Bde.

    Rich
     
  4. chrisgrove

    chrisgrove Senior Member

    Thanks Rich. I thought it might be them!

    Chris
     
  5. morrisc8

    morrisc8 Under the Bed

    One more, nice ford wots.
    Keith
     

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  6. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Keith, that is a nice unusual picture. They're marked up to 12th Division who fought mostly south of the Somme so the vehicles are probably abandoned in Normandy somewhere. One of them looks to have artillery colours but no arm of service serial.
     
  7. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Chris, the scene is one of a series taken at Herseaux on the French / Belgian border on 10th May. 4th RNF were photographed there early on the 10th and we know that they were detailed to act as traffic control for 3 Div. My vote is for HQ 9 Inf. Bde.

    Rich

    Shall I check the diary?
     
  8. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Shall I check the diary?

    You know that you want to ! :D

    I'm not sure if Chris is conducting any specific research or just interested generally.
     
  9. chrisgrove

    chrisgrove Senior Member

    Hi Rich

    Many thanks for your offer, but I am only making a model and I do not feel that the average modeller is likely to know the correct markings any more than me, so I am happy to go with HQ 9 Inf Bde.

    Chris
     
  10. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Chris, it was Drew's offer and he loves looking things up. Who knows what else he'll discover ?
     
  11. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Just for you Rich...
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  12. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Ooopps and Chris...
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  13. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Thanks Andy. These diaries all make it clear that HQ 9 Inf. Bde didn't move until the late evening of 10th May but those photographs from Herseaux date from earlier in the day (4 RNF crossed the border early).

    I have seen no reference to another division on the same route (it would be hard to imagine, considering the narrowness of the roads there).

    Presumably this vehicle formed part of an advance unit from the Bde. HQ. It's a shame that the diary doesn't confirm though.
     
  14. May1940

    May1940 Senior Member

    Thanks Andy. These diaries all make it clear that HQ 9 Inf. Bde didn't move until the late evening of 10th May but those photographs from Herseaux date from earlier in the day (4 RNF crossed the border early).

    I have seen no reference to another division on the same route (it would be hard to imagine, considering the narrowness of the roads there).

    Presumably this vehicle formed part of an advance unit from the Bde. HQ. It's a shame that the diary doesn't confirm though.

    I have come to this party a bit late having been away for a few days. It may be helpful that I have seen a higher definition version of this picture and the formation sign on the white mudguard is the red segmented circle of 4th Division. That would make this Morris CDF part of 225 Field Company Royal Engineers. Is their diary available?

    Andrew
     
  15. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I have come to this party a bit late having been away for a few days. It may be helpful that I have seen a higher definition version of this picture and the formation sign on the white mudguard is the red segmented circle of 4th Division. That would make this Morris CDF part of 225 Field Company Royal Engineers. Is their diary available?

    Andrew

    Yep :)
     
  16. chrisgrove

    chrisgrove Senior Member

    I have come to this party a bit late having been away for a few days. It may be helpful that I have seen a higher definition version of this picture and the formation sign on the white mudguard is the red segmented circle of 4th Division. That would make this Morris CDF part of 225 Field Company Royal Engineers. Is their diary available?

    Andrew

    Thanks for this, Andrew. Happy to go with 225 Fd Coy RE for my model (which is causing me more problems than I expected!).

    Chris
     
  17. JCB

    JCB Senior Member

    On German ebay clear pics of a Bedford ( ML ? ) aos no. 25 with white bar above and a grainy pic of Highland Divison ? aos 19 ? truck at Cherbourg
     

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  18. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    The Cherbourg picture shows 52nd (Lowland) Division's St. Andrew's cross. Therefore 2nd BEF which fits with the location. The '19' would probably be on green and I'd suspect that it is 7th Cameronians.

    The Bedford looks to be displaying the 2 Corps insignia which means that once again they don't seem to have conformed with the published lists which indicate a different scheme from the other Corps - if the lists were correct, there would be an RA horizontal colour change visible and this looks to be the RE cobalt blue - 222 Field Company RE ?
     
  19. JCB

    JCB Senior Member

    Fine set of numbers here , two Morris 15 cwts both AOS number 25 with white bar below and a Morris CDSW AOS number 20 white bar above and the 3rd Division fig leaf symbol, on Ebay D . Middle truck has unusual body -radio?
    Craig
     

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  20. chrisgrove

    chrisgrove Senior Member

    Hi Craig. It is even more unusual - an office truck. In theory there was one of these in every battalion, but the only other action pic I have seen is in one of the 3 Div histories which I do not own.

    Chris
     

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