Humber Mk.IV markings WW2

[Roman Schilhart]

Gentlemen,

I have received the 1/72 Zebrano Humber Mk.IV  kit as a birthday present, and it will be my very first full-resin vehicle.

While the resin parts are okay, the instructions are poor.

There's a small decal sheet included, but no placement guide.

(Interestingly, the other Zebrano release - the Daimler AEC - has exactly the same decal sheet in the box, and no instructions either.)

All there is, is the boxtop "artwork":

 

 

 

After a quick online search, I'm a bit suspicious about the authenticity of the markings and their placement.

On most pictures I've seen the unit markings on the fenders are placed the other way round (the small yellow insignia on the left side).

Does anyone have reference material on these vehicles and their WW2 European Theater markings?

Thank you in advance, with best greetings from Vienna,

Roman

Edited September 10, 2019 by Roman Schilhart
picture added

[stevehnz]

Roman, that yellow badge looks like the Black Bull of the 11th Armoured Division & yes, usually worn on the left. The Armoured car unit might have been the Inns of Court Regt which was attached to the 11th Armoured Div so a google on those units may get you some better info, or wait till the real experts show up.

Steve.

[John Tapsell]

There's no Arm of Service marking present and the red/white/red AFV recognition marking wouldn't be placed on the mudguard - generally central on the nose of the vehicle if indeed it was even carried (very rare in NW Europe). As Steve says, the unit badge appears to be 11th Armoured Div. Can't see a bridging weight circle either. The census numbers were often carried front and rear rather than on the turret but either location is feasible.

 

So yes - the artwork appears to be 'fantasy'.

If you do a Google image search on something like 'Humber Mk IV' it will return loads of images of period and restored examples and show the wide variation in markings.

 

Regards,

John

[Roman Schilhart]

Thank you for replies!

I knew that something was smelling funny here, regarding the artwork!

 

 

[Mike Starmer]

Your image was blocked by my PC but from what you have written it sounds a fantasy job for markings.  For NWE the colour on a Mk.IV would be either SCC.2 brown or the later SCC.15 Olive Drab, the British colour not US shade.  Before January 1944 the  red/white red flash would be on the front plate and below the intake louvres but not all units applied them.  For NWE after June 1944 a white star inside a circle was mandatory on top surfaces applied to the large armoured intake cover behind the turret.  There may also be a plain star on the front below the WD number but not always.  There should be one on each side too but agin not always carried.    WD number on front plate just below the drivers position and the rear over the louvres.  Sometimes this was on both sides of the turret on the bottom edge of the front side plates.  The unit sign on left mudguard front and rear, unit code on right mudguard front and rear.  The bridge sign should be a 7 in black inside a yellow circle but may also be a yellow 7 or a black 7 on a yellow disc .  This should be on the lower right side on the front plate but might also be central on the lowest front plate..  Squadron markings. diamond, triangle, square or circle should be white in reconnaissance units.   

[Kingsman]

Somewhat confusingly, an Armd Div in NWE could have had both an Armoured Car Regiment and an Armoured Recce Regt.  Either might have had Humbers.  The Armd Car Regt carried the AOS of 44 on a green over blue halved square background with a white top stripe.  The Armd Recce Regt would have carried 43 on the same background without the white top.  The Armd Car Regt would have been Corps troops attached to the Division, and this was the role that Inns of Court filled.

 

Inns of Court Regt certainly had earlier model Humbers earlier in the war.  But they had been at least partly, if not fully, re-equipped with Daimlers before D Day. 

 

Dan Taylor Modelworks have a 1/76 decal set for Corps Recce Unit Vehicles in NWE, covering Staghounds, Daimler a/c, Dingo and M3 Scout Cars.  The artwork above is from that set.  The AOS are blank with separate numbers and the squadron/troop markings are usable, but the bridging plates and vehicle serials won't work for a Humber.

https://www.dantaylormodelworks.com/corps-reconnaissance-regiments-nw-europe-326-p.asp

 

I know the RAF Regiment had some MkIV Humbers in NWE because I was talking to an elderly Regiment veteran the other day who had been the driver of one.  In British service I believe they were most often found in Armd Recce Regts (AOS 43).  They were used in Italy, where the red/white flash would have been carried.  The Canadians had some in NWE, including the 17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars.

 

Portugal, Holland and Denmark had them post-war, the former deploying them to Angola.