clayj Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Some vehicles pictures show bumpers with white stripes or white bars on the very end of the bumpers, was this a D Day marking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodge Deep Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 They were (in the case of WWII vehicles) for greater visibility when being driven in blackout conditions... so oncoming drivers had some indication of the width of the truck that was about to drive over them!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon_M Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 The amount of white paint varied during the war, but the basic reason is visibility as apparently more people were killed in accidents in the blackout than the blitz ( true? not really sure ) Let's take a Dodge truck that was shipped to the UK in '42 and follow it through to '45. 1. It left the factory with neatly painted serial numbers, maybe basic stars in accordance with AR850 if that was part of the supply contract. 2. It shipped, maybe from Virginia, at which time if it was shipped as a single unit it would get the shipping stencil. 3. Unloaded in the UK, checked over, supplied to using arm and marked up with their bumper codes, unit marks, and the CAUTION- LEFT HAND DRIVE sign. 4. Some white paint added to bumper ends and bumperettes for visibility in the blackout. Standard at first was 1" wide 5. Overpainted with even more white paint (2" ?) on bumper ends, plus maybe fender and tailgate edges included. 6. Painted with invasion star in broken circle - the breaks just being stencil marks. Lots of them, everywhere, but quite neatly as there was time to be used up. 7. Repainted markings after D-Day, very approximate, breaks in circles disappear, more and more white paint used as Axis air power (can't spell Luftwaffe) is overcome and friendly fire becomes a big issue. 8. Post war, tidied up, painted green again with neat numbers. If it is staying in mainland Europe the CAUTION -LEFT HAND DRIVE isn't re-marked. So the basic principle is that white paint markings start off small and neat, more and more are added with less and less care just to make sure it is identifiable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joris Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Good post, Goran! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Good post, Goran! Goran? Its Gordon...:n00b: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon_M Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Goran?Its Gordon...:n00b: I don't care, I'll take the intention over accuracy any time. I do get fed up when people get markings wrong, particularly when it is normally quite obvious what it should be. An example (he's off again, everybody duck....) at no time, in original photographs, were US bumper codes EVER carefully applied and neat. Bumper codes were army, unit, company, vehicle number, and were applied in fuel-soluable white paint, to be wiped off (for secrecy) before any unit shifted location and re-applied when at destination. I'll bet they were wiped off and re-applied much less often than they were supposed to be, but find me a photo of a US WW2 vehicle in service in WW2 with NEAT bumper codes (Sits back and waits for flurry of replies ...) Gordon, that's GORDON, the Sno-Cat and Dodge person:coffee: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Did you know witchcraft was becoming a problem on the pro tennis circuit? That Croatian, Goran, even he's a witch. Sorry. The old ones are still the oldest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott9643 Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 I don't care, I'll take the intention over accuracy any time. I do get fed up when people get markings wrong, particularly when it is normally quite obvious what it should be. An example (he's off again, everybody duck....) at no time, in original photographs, were US bumper codes EVER carefully applied and neat. Bumper codes were army, unit, company, vehicle number, and were applied in fuel-soluable white paint, to be wiped off (for secrecy) before any unit shifted location and re-applied when at destination. I'll bet they were wiped off and re-applied much less often than they were supposed to be, but find me a photo of a US WW2 vehicle in service in WW2 with NEAT bumper codes (Sits back and waits for flurry of replies ...) Any room up there on your soapbox? :argh: ...... and another thing ...... what about string? Why has every MV got a length of string tied round the bumper -- some owners have it tied off so neatly, it could be mistaken as a boat fender! I know! -- tell me all about the reason being they could easily be dragged off a beach after floundering in the surf. Quite right! When I was waterproofed by HM Queen though, the loose end always had to be in the cab or over the top of the windscreen ready to attach -- what ever would be the point of having 20 foot of the stuff wrapped round and round the bumper which would probably be under water and out of sight! It's a fashion accessory isn't it! ...... goes nicely with the flag hanging off the fishing pole! Yet another combat must have for that exceptionally rare 'one off' MV as used by Easy Company. Hello -- look at me -- I'm over here! That's right -- the green thing hidden under the camouflage net! :yay: ...... and that's exactly how it looked in the war mate!!! -- I've seen the film! Oops! you should have a hand rail round this box Gordon -- I could have slipped off and done myself a nasty injury! :sweat: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon_M Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Any room up there on your soapbox? :argh: ...... and another thing ...... what about string? It's a fashion accessory isn't it! ...... Plenty of room up here, up you get. I had a full set of kit on my DUKW, (Dusty) but a DUKW is a big vehicle and came with a lot of kit originally. I did hand-make the fenders (not difficult) and you're right, they do look like that string the jeep owners love. I remember one original wartime image I saw of two jeeps in service with no headlights. In the accompanying text it said the using troops took them off and used them to light up their tents at night. When I interviewed a WW2 DUKW driver, he told me that the DUKW canvas was absolutely wonderful and that it made a great tent - it was removed on day one and neither the hood nor the canvas was ever refitted while he drove one. Mind the step down from the soapbox, you'll trip over that canvas waterbucket ..... oops, too late. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodge Deep Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Yeah don't get me started on uber perfect stencils... hate 'em hate 'em Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Cubed Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Ah stencils and water buckets hmmmmm What about the style of font used, then, for the Bumper codes, unit, company and the vehicle number does anyone know what it should be rather than what looks nice!!!!!! Did not know the white paint was fuel soluble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Ah stencils and water buckets hmmmmm What about the style of font used, then, for the Bumper codes, unit, company and the vehicle number does anyone know what it should be rather than what looks nice!!!!!! Did not know the white paint was fuel soluble. There was a manual covering the subject of stencil fonts and sizes, Portrayal do a copy I think. Most enamel paints were/are soluable in petrol. In many of the TMs it states to thin the paint with gasoline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clayj Posted September 30, 2009 Author Share Posted September 30, 2009 Thank you for your help. clayj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big ray Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Yeah don't get me started on uber perfect stencils... hate 'em hate 'em You may have to go and lie down now, Oops, sorry, ........ I do know where you are coming from, but I have this thing about doing things well. If its worth doing and all that jazz. (Surely out of all those thousands of military bods involved in applying stencils, somebody must have had an artistic bent.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haybaggerman Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I've only recently tied some rope round the front of the ferret, oh and hung a canvass bucket there too. I'll get me coat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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