Naming vehicles

From Tank Alert by Ivor D Astley RA.
He was in 59 AT Regt 43 Wessex Div.

page 88.

Our vehicles had some original names; here are a few from BHQ. The battery commander's carrier was 'British Lion' ; the Jeeps "London Pride" and "Welsh Harp"; the 15-cwts "English Rose" and "Portsmouth Lil"; the 3-tonners "Barmouth" and "Nelson" and last but not least in the BHQ convoy , the fitters' truck "Scotch Mist".

Can anyone tell me the structure of this regiment.
For example would the 15 cwts be Bedfords or Morris-Commercials, the 3 tonners Bedfords or Austins and what would the Fitters' truck have been?
Thanks for any details.

cheers
Kevin

 

Here's an example of markings on a Royal Engineers bomb disposal vehicle. Unfortunately I don't know who, where or when, but I believe this photograph may have been taken in East Anglia.
Does anybody know what the sign is on the drivers side front wing, as it looks more of an official insignia than the art work on the other wing?

 

ChrisR,

I'm fairly sure it'll be the RE Corps colours, two royal blue stripes on a red background.

Although red normally shows up lighter in B/W photography and the dk blue stripes look very light I have come across this effect before on a B/W photo of the Corps colours - I believe it's due to whatever colour correction filter was used when the photo was taken.

Regards, Paddy

 

Back in 2010 a forum member known as Slaphead was building a model vehicle and asked me for some info about tac signs
http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/veteran-accounts/29318-%22my-stuart-honey-tank-i-remember-65-years-later%22-2.html

At the time I replied
It's your model mate !...... you do whatever you want want with it, but, perhaps just to annoy Owen, what about putting the 41 tac sign & the 78 Div Flash ?

Please do me one final favour.

If you can possibly paint a name on the side, please call it "Semper in Excretum".

For the benefit of those who's dog Latin is not up to scratch that translates as "Always in the shit" and I've always considered this aptly summed up my Army career :smile:

Best regards

Ron
The name Semper in Excretum was quite popular in Italy in 1945

 

plang876 - that certainly makes sense. Thanks.

 

There's a ref. at least in "None Had Lances" p29 to...



After saying goodbye to their Valentines, at the end of June, the 24th L then moved to Rottingdean, to a camp called "Harvey's Cross" on 1st August 1942.

 

My Dad told me that his 11th RTR amphibious Buffaloes were all named after Durham pit villages

 

Your Dad might have meant some of the B Sqn Buffalos? Because we know the names of almost all A & C Sqn Buffalos. A Sqn were all names of animals or Ancient characters, and while C Sqn were town names, but they do not seem to match Durham pit village names:
SALISBURY
SANDRINGHAM
SCARBOROUGH
SEDGEFIELD
SELBY
SEVENOAKS
SHAFTESBURY
SHEERNESS
SHEFFIELD
SHREWSBURY
SIDCUP
SKEGNESS
SLOUGH
SOUTH SHIELDS
SOUTHAMPTON
SOUTHEND
SOUTHPORT
SOUTHSEA
SOUTHWARK
STAFFORD
STAINES
STAMFORD
STEENDORP
STIRLING
STOCKBRIDGE
STOCKPORT
STOKE
STROUD
SUTTON
SWANAGE
SWANSEA
SWINDON

Few B Sqn names are known, but it looks like they were not town/village names:
SHARPSHOOTER
SWASHBUCKLER
SAILOR
SABOTEUR

As you can see, all names started with a 'S'.

Michel

 

Sedgefield is in Durham and South Shields is at the mouth of the River Tyne. I suppose to someone not from the north it would be an easy mistake to assume they were 'pit villages'.

 

An old one - but with the IWM caption cards - now seen -

These are "50" - so a part of the Brigade "HQ" of the 29th Armoured Brigade, 11th Armoured Division...

THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 1939-1945



TANKS IN A SUSSEX VILLAGE



And see - Naming vehicles