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British Tank and Vehicle Markings - A Guide


SquireBev

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https://tank-markings.blogspot.com/

 

For the past few weeks I've been working on a guide to British Tank and vehicle markings - particular the arcane system of colours and numbers used for Arm of Service markings.

With help from people on other forums and social media I've been able to track down enough sources to come up with a vaguely coherent overview of the systems used throughout the war.

 

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Apologies if this breaks any rules about shameless self promotion, but I'm hoping the usefulness of the resource outweighs any potential distaste!

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This is very useful information to have all in one place. Are you going to do further table(s) with the changes to the divisions/Indy brigades as the campaign went on as the independent brigades in particular underwent numerous changes in units and markings after Normandy as this info is much less well documented. I’ve been doing quite a bit of research into 31, 6 guards and particularly 34 tank/armoured brigade markings in late 44 - 45 recently.

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31 minutes ago, bigfoot said:

This is very useful information to have all in one place. Are you going to do further table(s) with the changes to the divisions/Indy brigades as the campaign went on as the independent brigades in particular underwent numerous changes in units and markings after Normandy as this info is much less well documented. I’ve been doing quite a bit of research into 31, 6 guards and particularly 34 tank/armoured brigade markings in late 44 - 45 recently.

Yep, I'm trying to put together a visual timeline of the changes, with regiments swapping between brigades and the changes in seniority and markings that came with it. I've got a couple of books in the post that I hope will have the information I need!

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Thanks for this - came across your website the other day.

 

Appreciate the early war European info as this isn't as commonly found as the D-Day period

 

All the best 

Ben

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23 hours ago, SquireBev said:

Yep, I'm trying to put together a visual timeline of the changes, with regiments swapping between brigades and the changes in seniority and markings that came with it. I've got a couple of books in the post that I hope will have the information I need!

Unfortunately the book I was primarily relying on was never posted, and I've been issued a refund.

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3 hours ago, SquireBev said:

Unfortunately the book I was primarily relying on was never posted, and I've been issued a refund.

What book was that? I may have it!!

 

P

 

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1 hour ago, PDH said:

What book was that? I may have it!!

 

P

 

It was British Tanks and Formations 1939-45 by Malcolm Bellis. I already have his Divisions of the British Army and Brigades of the British Army and they've proven very useful.

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23 minutes ago, SquireBev said:

It was British Tanks and Formations 1939-45 by Malcolm Bellis. I already have his Divisions of the British Army and Brigades of the British Army and they've proven very useful.

Yep, I have a copy!!

 

This is the cover of the copy I have

 

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/i3Ebx6JRANVLhSBeGblq6IPo78fl-07sDTwV3oAJj8p3UUU7pmRLsdiBres5TnYZ1MJhwFkyYgis4ZbE0zJ2f_696hTQvO5pPwy9qSxrUyr268B4OH_sAVcsG9ekliSevJM38zDB4Tb18TUbPxZSaK8FHRPb_hzFF7HpbzoAOX1qb58lUswuwF5YTDRGnFeOHqO5PYkwwTBKt_jqCYTaowlfa43um8gD6HYySLlIBkqrJ1vkdzM1vtbbpbRiIRlkAKvv0Go2wYRpj2nWtxfH_c2iJz3XjqREG_PlrvAckBESVBDwK9HyTVnlz0R3sSiB8qj4FrgWNyeO49NueWjYt4iUH2jP_MLTY_jW1xVX_jJBt1EwqoY-djnai2ajdyNDElV9pR5Q7D3Qy0lATmm3kxRimNZMVSTTCYLJ9yywsATnr3prhxKNvkQVqJVK8kr-MilsKBiBbcbkFEokeo8ZBgpQU0M9lA44NRz55e_z2fbKusDT68zUPSN6XFgEXSOrvDR6nqjQda9-nKHrWeIg-TfIBN5SoZ8-S1FbHag2ft0n62ZFkdYlOrdKHaaozrmtzxrs2hnP5wzCjoVz9sqv19UrprEqeROpXLnjmqWrK9u_hZTVFhKDf8XHy9Avy0tXz5n8feSBIwNK473cuuU7QwxbtTUKBuF6r1w-qYmNGcX2VMhHsYSVs_3fh48=w300-h215-no?authuser=0

 

Very difficult to find. There is one on Amazon UK at £30-00 plus £2-80 at the moment and that is cheap. I'd be happy to scan it for you if it helps and send pages via email or possibly Goggle docs.

 

PM me with your details and I'll see what I can do. It may take a few days to scan it all.

 

HTH

 

P

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22 minutes ago, PDH said:

Yep, that's the one. I'd found it for £15 plus P&P - should have known it was too good to be true! 

 

If you could send me some scans that'd be fantastic. I'll PM you this evening, hopefully!

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7 minutes ago, SquireBev said:

Yep, that's the one. I'd found it for £15 plus P&P - should have known it was too good to be true! 

 

If you could send me some scans that'd be fantastic. I'll PM you this evening, hopefully!

I'll look forward to the PM.

 

P

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Hi

 

Random question but I'm trying to identify the unit the jeep in the photo belongs to.

 

On the left is the unit sign of 2nd Army but I can't identify the unit that aos 846 belongs to. I have a feeling it's on a green background but could be wrong.

 

https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:An_AFPU_(Army_Film_and_Photographic_Unit)_jeep_displaying_a_large_union_flag_drives_down_the_Champs_Elysees_in_Paris,_26_August_1944._BU89.jpg

 

Any help appreciated 

 

Ben

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Excellent - many thanks. 

 

That makes perfect sense as the jeep in the photo is from the Army Film and Photographic Unit which came under RASC control.

 

Kind regards

Ben

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And now, at the risk of opening a massive can of worms regarding errors and omissons, my first attempt at diagrams for the 79th Armoured Division. Just snapshots for now - I'm still working on a timeline to show regiment and brigade movements, like the one for independent brigades posted higher up the page.

 

If anyone can offer any more sources regarding regiment movements, please do! I'm getting bogged down flicking between Bellis booklets, with some regiments either being in two places at once, or disappearing completely!

 

https://tank-markings.blogspot.com/p/79th-armoured-division.html

 

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Wow, this is great information. I have recently purchased Dick Taylor's 4 volume softcover set of "Warpaint - Colours and Markings of British Army Vehicles 1903-2003, and been impressed but there is so much to digest and I'm struggling a little with the format. 

 

You wouldn't happen to have a similar graphic showing the formation signs and markings on vehicles of  British and Commonwealth units in the Western Desert would you? That would be immensely handy for a few kits I am looking to build soon, and hopefully use some spare decals.

 

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11 minutes ago, P-3s rule said:

Wow, this is great information. I have recently purchased Dick Taylor's 4 volume softcover set of "Warpaint - Colours and Markings of British Army Vehicles 1903-2003, and been impressed but there is so much to digest and I'm struggling a little with the format. 

 

You wouldn't happen to have a similar graphic showing the formation signs and markings on vehicles of  British and Commonwealth units in the Western Desert would you? That would be immensely handy for a few kits I am looking to build soon, and hopefully use some spare decals.

 

Only what's already on the website, unfortunately. Sources for North Africa are much harder to come by than those for NW Europe, and it only gets worse the earlier you go!

 

https://tank-markings.blogspot.com/p/middle-east-armoured-divisions.html

 

https://tank-markings.blogspot.com/p/middle-east-infantry-divisions.html

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