British Tank Markings - A Guide

[Jemima Fawr]

Ah yes, that's a rabbit hole I haven't yet dared go down. I'm hoping the pile of books I've amassed over the last couple of months will have all the info, but as for turning it into a coherent picture for the website... ever feel like you've bitten off more than you can chew?

Speaking of which, I've been wondering about getting into decal printing. Now I've done all this design work on the markings it seems a shame not to put it to some practical use.

Absolutely!  I think there is a demand for them since Dom's Decals started having troubles and then disappeared altogether.

[SquireBev]

Absolutely!  I think there is a demand for them since Dom's Decals started having troubles and then disappeared altogether.

Indeed. That was partially my inspiration for kicking off this project in the first place.

I'd dug out some old sheets from Dom's Decals and noticed they all came with a helpful little key to the AoS numbers and bridge classes - something sorely lacking from the official Flames of War decal sets - so I thought I'd make myself a little reference chart, and before I knew it I'd launched a blog. Whoops.

[Jemima Fawr]

Indeed. That was partially my inspiration for kicking off this project in the first place.

I'd dug out some old sheets from Dom's Decals and noticed they all came with a helpful little key to the AoS numbers and bridge classes - something sorely lacking from the official Flames of War decal sets - so I thought I'd make myself a little reference chart, and before I knew it I'd launched a blog. Whoops.

Nice one.  Dom certainly knows his stuff.  Such a shame that it all became a bit too much for him.

Here's a list of transfers and marking changes for NW Europe.  I'll have to dig for the Italy info:

4 Armd Bde
No organisational changes other than the remnants of 4 CLY from 7 Armd Div being amalgamated with 3 CLY on 29 July 1944 to become 3/4 CLY.  4 Armd Bde changed their serials to the new standard scheme at some point late 1944/early 1945.

5 Guards Armd Bde
No changes.

6 Guards Tank Bde
No changes, except for changing their serials in 1945 (an order that seems to have been only partially applied).

8 Armd Bde
24 Lancers disbanded 29th July 1944 and replaced by 13/18 Hussars from the disbanded 27 Armd Bde.  They filled the same seniority-slot in the orbat, so 13/18 Hussars just adopted the markings of 24 Lancers.  8 Armd Bde changed their serials to the new standard scheme at some point late 1944/early 1945.

22 Armd Bde (7 Armd Div)
4 CLY transferred to 4 Armd Bde on 29 July 1944 (amalgamated with 3 CLY).  Replaced by 5 RIDG, who became the senior regiment, forcing 1 RTR and 5 RTR to go down the list and repaint their markings.

27 Armd Bde
Disbanded 29 July 1944.  13/18 Hussars went to 8 Armd Bde, 1 ERY went to 33 Armd Bde and Staffs Yeo went to 79 Armd Div to become a Sherman DD Regt.

29 Armd Bde (11 Armd Div)
No changes.

30 Armd Bde (79 Armd Div)
Equipped with Sherman V Crab flail tanks.  Orbat remained unchanged throughout the campaign: 22 Dragoons, 2 CLY (Westminster Dragoons), 1 Lothian & Border Yeomanry.

31 Army Tank Bde
The brigade was broken up in late August 1944, with 9 RTR going to 34 Army Tank Bde and 7 RTR for a time becoming an independent tank regiment.  The brigade was then re-formed as an all-Crocodile brigade in September 1944 as part of 79 Armd Div (141 RAC had already been working semi-independently as the Army Group Crocodile Regiment).  141 RAC was eventually reunited with 7 RTR and in November was joined by 1 Fife & Forfar Yeomanry.  The order of seniority was 7 RTR - 1 F&FY - 141 RAC.

33 Armd Bde
148 RAC was disbanded on 29 July 1944, being replaced by 1 ERY from 27 Armd Bde.  1 ERY filled the middle seniority slot, so bumped 144 RAC into junior place, forcing a repaint of markings.  The brigade repainted its markings in any case at some point between August and October 1944, to comply with the standardised serial scheme (50-53).  The brigade was transferred to 79 Armd Div during the winter of 1944/45, was re-equipped with Buffalo II & IV and was increased to four regiments with the addition of 11 RTR.  The markings scheme became VERY complicated (especially as 30 Armd Bde was already using the 50-53 serials in 79 Armd Div)... Seniority then was 4 RTR (renamed 144 RAC), 11 RTR, 1 Northants Yeo & 1 ERY.

34 Army Tank Bde
153 RAC was disbanded on 28th August 1944 and was replaced by 9 RTR from 31 Army Tank Bde.  9 RTR became the senior regiment and bumped 107 RAC and 147 RAC down the orbat, forcing them to repaint their markings.

[SquireBev]

Thanks for all that. Helpful and informative stuff as ever!

[fred]

If you can do decals that would be great - the biggest challenge seems to be in printing the white bits.

[Jemima Fawr]

Thanks for all that. Helpful and informative stuff as ever!

No worries!  I'm glad to help you do what you do, so that I don't have to!

I'll stick all the RA stuff on my blog (been meaning to do it for ages).

Something else re the 1st Polish Armoured Division is that they invariably painted the national 'PL' motoring sign (in black on a white oval) somewhere on the rear of the vehicle.  The 2nd Polish Armoured Brigade didn't.  The 1st Czechoslovak Armoured Brigade had the same style of marking with 'CS'.  The Belgians instead had a national roundel.  The Cloggies don't seem to have bothered with a national marking.

[SquireBev]

If you can do decals that would be great - the biggest challenge seems to be in printing the white bits.

I'm hoping, pipe-dream though it may be, that if I get all the design work done I may be able to get an actual decal manufacturer interested, and leave the actual technicalities of printing up to them.

Anyway, I've added Higher Formation insignia to the blog. I'm sure someone will tell me where I've gone wrong! It's mainly NW Europe so far - I haven't dared cover the CBI theatre yet.

https://tank-markings.blogspot.com/p/formation-insignia-higher-formations.html

[SquireBev]

No worries!  I'm glad to help you do what you do, so that I don't have to!

I'll stick all the RA stuff on my blog (been meaning to do it for ages).

Something else re the 1st Polish Armoured Division is that they invariably painted the national 'PL' motoring sign (in black on a white oval) somewhere on the rear of the vehicle.  The 2nd Polish Armoured Brigade didn't.  The 1st Czechoslovak Armoured Brigade had the same style of marking with 'CS'.  The Belgians instead had a national roundel.  The Cloggies don't seem to have bothered with a national marking.

Keep it coming!

I'll be keeping a close eye on your blog - your post about the Churchills was a very interesting read.

[Jemima Fawr]

I'm hoping, pipe-dream though it may be, that if I get all the design work done I may be able to get an actual decal manufacturer interested, and leave the actual technicalities of printing up to them.

Anyway, I've added Higher Formation insignia to the blog. I'm sure someone will tell me where I've gone wrong! It's mainly NW Europe so far - I haven't dared cover the CBI theatre yet.

https://tank-markings.blogspot.com/p/formation-insignia-higher-formations.html

Nice!  Hey, you've got IV Corps there, so that's a start!    If you want them, I've drawn the XV Corps and XXXIII Corps signs on my Burma guide (which has now been updated) here: http://www.fireandfury.com/painting/burmaarmypaintingguide.pdf

The XIVth Army sign is also there - note that they used a circular form when painting it on vehicles and a shield when used as a uniform badge.  For some reason they always used the Roman numerals when referring to XIVth Army.

Re the ones you've done: XII Corps' sign was normally on a black rectangle backing - vehicle sign and uniform badge the same.

[Jemima Fawr]

Keep it coming!

I'll be keeping a close eye on your blog - your post about the Churchills was a very interesting read.

It's ok now I've corrected all the mistakes... 

That said, I've since found pics of 6th Guards Tanks vehicles still using the old markings just after the war's end.

[SquireBev]

It's ok now I've corrected all the mistakes... 

That said, I've since found pics of 6th Guards Tanks vehicles still using the old markings just after the war's end.

Bloody typical. "Fractal research", somebody on another forum said. Sounds about right.

[NTM]

Great stuff 👍

I believe it was 34th Tank Brigade that used the 2nd Army badge rather than 6th Guards though.

[SquireBev]

Great stuff 👍

I believe it was 34th Tank Brigade that used the 2nd Army badge rather than 6th Guards though.

Aye aye, already spotted that and updated accordingly. 

[Jemima Fawr]

Great stuff 👍

I believe it was 34th Tank Brigade that used the 2nd Army badge rather than 6th Guards though.

It was late, I'd been drinking, I slipped in the shower... 

[Jemima Fawr]

Bloody typical. "Fractal research", somebody on another forum said. Sounds about right.

It certainly is.  It's something of a 'forever task'.