Le Prof

Mr Prof

I am intrigued with the West Midland Regiment, in fact never heard of it (that is not a disrespectful comment) but from what parentage did it come from ?

Hi Bob,

I would have assumed no disrespect intended, it's a little known bunch.

The main Midlands TA units that were amalgamated were the Staffordshire Regt, The Worcester and Sherwood Forresters, The Shropshire Light Infantry and the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (where I came from). It existed from 1999 to 2007, before amalgamating into the Mercians (with whom I still serve).

It was an odd regiment. Looking back, I think it was always intended as a 'place holder', with no regimental capbadge, we all wore the badges and uniforms of the regiments we'd come from. Parades were strange, since we had to allow for the drill differences between Light and Heavy Infantry. But, despite that, it did it's job, we sent soldiers to the Gulf and Afghan, and lost some too. One of our privates won the MC also.

I hope that helps?

Best Regards,

Prof

https://en.wikipedia.uz/West_Midlands_Regiment

It was a standardised late-1990s thing...........the trial CS95 gear didn't feature it......later production did........earliest pre-90s use was by UK Forces on arctic deployments.............

 

Realistically.....? Late 1990's.........well after GW1 and possibly GW2 too..............

Certainly, as a member of the least known TA Infantry unit ever (W. Mids Regt.), our first issue of CS95 didn't have it, and it was some time (probably Camp 2002) before we were issued the union flags separately, and told to sew them onto everything "by tomorrow morning".

Best Regards,

Prof

Hi Steveo578,

again, Thanks for the information on 37ZR79, it all helps.

Should my third Churchill plate resurface, I'll ask again, if you don't mind. However, it was a nice shiney thing, and it may have been souvineered during a recent move. :-(

Best Regards,

Adrian

Hi Steveo578,

Thank you, that is a very pleasant surprise!

I'd forgotten that I'd asked the question (it was some time ago), so to see a detailed reply, complete with footage of the vehicle is something else.

I have three Churchill plates (though I can't find the third at the moment :red: )

Do you (or anyone?) fancy the challenge of telling me something (anything!) about this post war plate.

The plate is marked V11, Makers N° TBP, WD N° 251644K, 1/53 37ZR79.

Thanks for your help.

Best Regards,

Adrian

Hi All

 

I have just discovered the following numbers on my 1944 Willys bonnet. Not sure they make sanse as the serial appears a little short for the Biritish Army, but I would be grateful for any help, please.

 

Chassis number : MB321545 (Build date 27APR44)

Bonnet Number : M2352401

 

Many thanks

 

Don (aka Juggernaut)

Hi Don,

Good news and Bad news.

M2352401 is long enough for a British Army number.

However... the block it occurs in is 1800000 to 3710132, which are marked 'Not Taken Up', i.e., there were no vehicles in this series.

Following Pete's suggestion, it's not M5352401 either, that's a 'Truck 15cwt 4x2 GS'.

You perhaps need to check again.

How confident are you that it is the original number? Old time restorers often used random numbers, or those with personal significance, such as birth dates (it's not that), or Army Service Numbers as Davey089 says. If that were the case, it would be in the WW2 block for Royal Corps of Signals 2303001 - 2604000.

Let us know what you find.

Best Regards,

Adrian

Hi Tom,

All I can tell you is that 74YJ08 was struck off (sold) from the British Army in June 1959.

The Key Card will tell you the wartime M registration number (or, at least the number it had in 1949). If you decide to get a copy, then let us know what the M number is, since there is more info that can be gleaned from it, such as, was it originally delivered to the British new, or was it an American vehicle delivered second hand. Was it rebuilt, or a recaptured vehicle.

By the way, you've posted the same jeep plate on your question about your airborne trailer too. Do you have the dataplate for the trailer? If it's the postwar plate (probably in the YK series), then there should be a keycard for that too.

Thanks,

Adrian

Looks like a Beldray bucket, the company also made very nice ironing boards, among other things.

 

trevor

Hi All,

Originally Bradley and Co of Albion Works, Mount Pleasant, Bilston, Staffordshire. According to this page:

http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Bradley_and_Co

"WWII. During the War, the company was heavily involved in munitions work. Hollowware continued on a much smaller scale and attention turned to bomb tails and other components, mortar bomb casings, small smoke floats (used to generate smoke screens at sea) and countless other things."

1945 Publicity

I had one of their boards, which traveled the world helping me keep my uniform flat, until someone tried surfing on it in a billet one night...:cry:

Best Regards,

Prof

[ATTACH=CONFIG]100856[/ATTACH]

Hi All,

Oooh T31064R - there was a slight 'lottery' moment there for me, but then I realised that I had all the right numbers, but in the wrong order!

In my collection I have the dataplate from Churchill IV T31640R 'Lucifer', which has a great D-Day history as a Hobart's Funnies Bobbin that I'll write up here at some point.

So near...

Incidentally, who was the manufacturer of this Churchill?

Best Regards,

Adrian

Dear All,

the link is to some photos taken from a private soldier's recently developed film from WW2.

I will let the website tell the story....

http://petapixel.com/2015/01/16/31-rolls-undeveloped-film-soldier-wwii-discovered-processed/

Best Regards,

Prof

Interesting it has a "ministry" London wartime registration

Hi All,

not much more to add except the GYO 1 to GYO 999 number block is London, Sept 43 to Nov 46.

Best Regards,

Adrian

Hi Arcot, Paul Bish and Tony B, and Thanks for your responses too.

Best Regards,

Prof

Hi Tim

Welcome...

 

Nice part of the world. Had a very nice parapente trip there last summer, but boy that traffic!!

That would be Forclaz, or Mouxy? I was up Forclaz (walking) on Sunday, shortly before joining our local "Je Suis Charlie" march in the city center. 30,000 people certainly made an impressive sight!

Apart from gatherings like that, it's normally far better traffic at this time of year, but jumping off cliffs would be too cold now, I guess? :laugh:

Certainly too cold for jeeps.

Best Regards,

Prof

Hi Wally

HI ADRAIN

First welcome to answer your question on the pioneer thread the sectioned MB it was taken out of storage and refurbished

by a young trainee girl attached to the workshops as part of a practical project for her course work it was put on display

and the last l heard it was at the NATIONAL ARMY MUSEUM were you a member of 39/45 SORRY to post on here but did not want to side line the pioneer thread.

Well remembered.

Yes, I was one of the 39/45MVG, though possibly not the Adrian you remember best (there were several of us!). Adrian S with the (genuine) British Airborne jeep was the guy you had most contact with. He's still around, living in Derbyshire, still has the same jeep.

You very kindly entertained us on a couple of occasions, for which I thank you.

Nice to know the sectioned MB was finally restored. From what I remember, it was a no glove box slat grill, possibly ex-Canadian since it had lifting rings.

Good to know that you are still sharing your knowledge and experience.

Best Regards,

Adrian

Hi Both,

Thank you for your welcomes,

and Merci for the :tup::

Cordialement,

Prof

Hi Both,

Thank you for your welcomes,

and Merci for the :tup::

Cordialement,

Prof

12 AB 34 is a RAF number the ARMY sequence started in 1949 with BB all wartime B vehicles which stayed in service after the war were renumbered in sequences with R Y X and Z

Hi Wally,

Thanks for the clarification. I only meant the 12AB34 as an example of the layout, but I see how now how that sequence could cause a little confusion.

Thanks for the further information.

My own jeep went from M1550911 to 20YH56 during this period, something you confirmed for me 20 years ago!

I enjoyed meeting you at your museum at the time. Do you know what eventually happened to the early sectioned MB that was in external storage at Beverley?

Best Regards,

Prof

Hi All,

Neil, DEA 768 was issued as a civil registration in West Bromwich in 1948.

The first number in the series in January that year was DEA 560, and DEA 999 was issued in August 1948, so yours is somewhere between the two.

This is likely to have always been this vehicle's civilian registration number from first registration after disposal. Because of this, there will be no postwar 'rebuild ' plate with the army sequence 12AB34, since it was disposed of before this numbering system was introduced (1948?).

Best Regards,

Prof

Hi All,

My name is Adrian, originally from the UK Midlands, but settled in Annecy, France for ten years now.

In the UK I was quite involved with re-enactment (in the pre Saving Private Ryan/pre Ebay era), with few repros available then. Some may remember my name as Prof from then. (-:

Vehicle wise, I still have a 1941ish Willys MB, ex British Army, and an SS cars 'Airborne' trailer, though they are little used now.

I also have large collections of documents and original vehicle dataplates, which I hope to use to contribute here.

Thanks,

Best Regards,

Prof