# Commonwealth Vehicle markings WWII



## Acorn (23 May 2005)

I'm trying to find a source for the unit numbers and colours painted on the fenders of Commonwealth vehicles in WWII. On one side was a divisional badge (or a national/corps badge) and on the other was a square with the unit number in it. The colour of the square would depend on the seniority of the regiment in the brigade/division, or on the branch of service.

What I'm talking about can be seen in these pictures taken from Maple Leaf Up (http://www.mapleleafup.org/), at thse links:

http://www.mapleleafup.org/ A 3 tonner. The second picture clearly shows the marking I'm interested in: red diagonal over blue square with the number 40,

http://www.mapleleafup.org/vehicles/softskin/15cwt.html a 15cwt CMP truck. Look at the pics near the bottom, a water truck with a red over blue square and the number 46.

What I'm looking for is a reference that indicates the colours and regiment/unit numbers for as many Commonwealth units as possible (ideally), or, for the time being more specifically, I'm looking for markings of the 7th Armoured Div (Desert Rats) and the 4th Indian Div in the period late '40 to Nov '41.

Yes, it's a model building question.

Acorn


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## old medic (24 May 2005)

There are many references on the net, both for model makers and vehicle restoring:

Canadian Markings:
http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/

General notes on markings for restoring military vehicles:
http://bcoy1cpb.pacdat.net/markings_on_military_vehicles.htm


Australian Markings:
http://home.austarnet.com.au/screenprinter/Australian_Tac_Signs.html

New Zealand Markings:
http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-badges/tac/nz-tac.htm


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## Michael Dorosh (24 May 2005)

Hmmm- the stuff on my website is post 1941 - as is the stuff at http://britmods.freehosting.net/infdiv.htm (one of my outdated and abandoned sites).

They changed a lot during the war.   Best to see if someone can go to the PRO for you in England and check the Army Council Instructions mebbe.....??

Barry Beldam wrote the book (literally) on the Canadian vehicle regs, and they changed considerably from the early war period, mostly in differing unit serials.


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## Acorn (24 May 2005)

Thanks guys. Michael, your site was the only one I hadn't seen. Very informative. It confirms what I already knew (the colour of the sr, mid and jr bdes, plus colours for RA/RHA, Engr and others). Was the number in the square always the same from division to division? I.e. sr regt of sr bde would be 55 in a red square? Then, of course, I'd have to confirm that this was the standard in '41. I have a ref at home that shows 7th Armd div at Alamein, but some of the units in the formation were different from what the div had in '41. If the numbering is standard, I can probably SWAG the symbol so long as I don't start modelling the trucks of some of the div svcs troops.

I'll have to see if Barry Beldam will answer an e-mail from an old Int Branch colleague. I hadn't even thought about him, despite passing his models in CFSMI (and formerly CFSIS in Borden) every day while on courses.

Acorn


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## klambie (24 May 2005)

Beldam has a site with some stuff here:

http://www.armouredacorn.com/


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## Brad Sallows (24 May 2005)

Which part of 1941?

http://www.btinternet.com/~ian.a.paterson/org.htm


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## Acorn (24 May 2005)

klambie, thanks. I have his old site, which doesn't work anymore.

Brad, I have that one linked. Good order of battle info, but no markings info I could find.

Acorn


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## Acorn (25 May 2005)

In case anyone else is interested, apparently the best, though not definitive, work on the subject is:
_Hodges Peter
*British Military Markings 1939-1945*
London: Almark Publishing Co, 1971._ There's also a reprint, with additional info, from 1994 from a different publisher.

Now I just have to find a copy. Thanks for the help everyone.

Acorn


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