Markings of WW II USAAF Jeeps

[Space Ranger]

A friend of mine has a 1/35 die-cast model Jeep and wants to decal it as a Jeep that might have been assigned to his father, a 7th AF B-24 pilot based on Saipan, and is wondering what the bumper markings might have been on such a vehicle. He asked me, but as a committed aircraft modeler, I’m out of my element here so am asking the experts. So what would such a marking look like?

 

This begs the question: Who actually “owned” USAAF vehicles? The base motor pool? The Base Unit? The  Group? The Squadron? Would a Jeep have been permanently assigned to a Group or Squadron? Or would it have have been drawn from the motor pool as required?

And, finally, who makes suitable 1/35 letter/number decals for such markings?

Thanks in advance for the help.

[Kingsman]

Archer and Echelon certainly make standard US bumper code lettering in wet or dry transfer form.

 

Every USAAF squadron had a Ground Echelon of 250-300 personnel commanded by the Ground Executive Officer with a complement of vehicles.

 

I believe, subject to correction by those who know better, that USAAF followed essentially the normal Army format for bumper codes.  This is an example of a bumper code from (right to left) Jeep 7 belonging to 544th Bombardment Squadron in the 384th Bombardment Group in the 8th Air Force:  8 * 384BG            544 7.  This is as seen looking at the front of the vehicle.  The codes would be applied to the rear bumperettes in those 2 groups.  The rear bumperettes were often inverted to make it easier for aircrew to stand on.

 

Hood serials would have been standard USA numbers, not USAAF, and all serials and codes were normally white.  All Jeeps were factory-finished in Olive Drab, although some airfield vehicles were repainted in brighter colours such as yellow or white especially if they had an "air side" operational role.  In that case the codes and serials would have been black.  White front bumper and rear bumperettes with black serials is not impossible on any base colour.

 

USAAF Jeeps were often devoid of tool stowage, jerrycan holder, spare wheel, hood frame and even rifle rack and rear seat.  The rear panel was sometimes cut away to make easier access to the rear bed.

[Gmat]

You haven't mentioned a specific unit but the following units operated b-24s under the 7th AF. The 30th BG operated out of Saipan from Aug 44. It moved there from Kwajalein. I've read in only one place that when the group moved back to Hawaii in 1945, they were to re-equip with B-32s. Another B-24/F-7 unit was the 86th Combat Mapping Squadron which had a detachment flying out of Saipan. I believe that the 7th AF also had B-24s or LB-30s directly assigned to the 7th AF used for transport duties. 

I looked at the Hobby Japan Jeep Jeep Jeep book as the Japanese books often have Pacific stuff and lesser published photos, but in the pictures of jeeps on Saipan, the bumper numbers were too small to make out the unit. 

Sorry that I don't have better information.

[Space Ranger]

Thanks for the replies. My friend's dad was indeed in the 30th BG, and we now have enough info to mark his Jeep model appropriately.