Hello, I am in need of a bit of help. While restoring my AEC Matador I stumbled across a little bit of red paint on the RH side. After a few hours of sanding I uncovered a few different tac signs. The main one is what looks to be a 74 on the RA red and blue. Over the top of that looks to be a gold coloured 75 and a few other gold markings. Below this is a light blue tac sign about 8inches square, I cannot find any reference to this. The paint height of the 74 RA and the light blue is the same height or very close. The colour scheme is AEC primer, Drab green, RA marking and light blue, Black/dark green with the golden 74, Drab green then civilian primer and colours. The other side of the cab is the same colour layers and yes I have a regiment marker or a few all on top of each other. Main backing is red/white and contains black with some gold paint in. I suspect I have a few different things going on. Any help is much appreciated.
A long shot and very wild guess. Maybe 74 Medium Regt RA as they would probably use Matadors to tow the guns. But would they have brought them back from Italy to the UK? Maybe via Germany. Where would it have been for the last 70+ years. Try researching post war RA Medium Regiments. Possibly Anti Aircraft or even Radar units. Larkhill might be worth contacting if there is anyone there. Home - The Royal Artillery Museum Last heard of (2021) they were restoring a Sexton there so the team might have a few ideas. 74 Medium Regiment RA - The Royal Artillery 1939-45 Matadors were popular with Circus and Fairgrounds in the days of my youth, late 50's early 60's. Cant remember what the Mediums used at Sennybridge in the 60's. There are several Military Vehicle enthusiasts on here who probably know of past and present collections.
I think this is from 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division going by part of what you have uncovered. Do you know what the census number for the Matador is? Cheers Kevin
British vehicles didn't have their own regimental number on their vehicles. It would make it FAR too easy for the enemy to identify which units were where. A number like that would be an "Arm of Service" marking - the background or field would identify the arm of service, and the number in conjunction with a table for the division or corps would tell you what position the regiment had within that larger formation. For instance, the senior field artillery regiment in an armoured division in NWE in 1944-45 had the number "74". AoS Markings – Armoured Formations But I think you are right in thinking about larger guns. I don't think it could be from an armoured or an infantry division because they would just be using FATs to pull their guns. One possibility would be: 174 was used by the senior medium gun regiment in 9 AGRA Med Regt RA in 21 Army Group. (Maybe 9 Medium Regt based on 9 Army Group RA - The Royal Artillery 1939-45) An army group level Arm of Service marking would have a diagonal white bar bottom left to top right. I'm not sure whether that helps make sense of what looks like a crossbar on the 7? edit: it seems to have also been used by a field reg't RA in 2nd Army.That would have a white bar below the sign. But again, that'd be a field regiment... not medium.
Hello, Thank you so much for you help with this much appreciated. I have the chassis number, I know the contract number also that’s all. It was built April 44. Well this AEC didn’t come back to the U.K. after the war. It stayed in Belgium for quite a while with another truck/remains. I have tried the RLC they have the records for the truck before and after not mine and the same story for the other one. The base of the cab is Matador but all the wood was replaced in the 50’s seems to me that the original wooden cab frame had either rotted out very fast (I am sure this isn’t the case as I have two more on original cabs) or could it be the cab was damaged at some stage. Other modifications had been carried out also as I found parts from a MK2 AEC armoured car fitted. I suspect this as I found a tax disc 1962 dated in the cab. So one theory was maybe the British army gave the Matador to the Belgium military post war, But I can find no reference to the Belgium military using Matadors, Or it was damaged and left and was repaired but whoever found it. The unit markings definitely appear to be a number of them on top of each other. There is something in front of the 7 but could just be the white border. Also the way the numbers have been painted with the fluted ends I would assume that’s not military protocol, and who ever painted it added a bit of flare. Is the light blue a Royal engineer colour at all? I did read fd units had RE attached also, and some FD units had Matadors with 25pdr in the back. sorry for the long reply. would love to get to the bottom of this and then I can share some more pictures of my other WW2 one with a different past.
Hi Scott, Not sure if it helps at all but these are the last 3 batches of AEC 4 x 4 Medium Tractors, not 100% sure that the contracts were completed though. Which one does the Matador come from? H5470203 - H5470702 Contract S2201 H5470703 - H5471202 Contract S2263 H5471203 - H5472702 Contract S4264 Are you registered with HMVF? Historic Military Vehicle Forum can be found at www.hmvf.co.uk There are members that frequent this site and vice versa. There are posts for restored Matadors. If you can get the key card that should answer some of your questions. Cheers Kevin
Hello Kevin, I am a member of quite a few clubs and groups will check if I have tried the HMVF. Mine is from contract S2201 I just don’t have the last few of the military reg.
