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Identifying vehicle markings


Tim hudson

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Hello there new to all this and was after a bit of advice! 

I am currently restoring a 1945 Leyland hippo and trying to work out the unit marking under the bridge plate on the front, it looks to be blue and yellow with a number on it but it’s not clear, could any one tell me what it means?? Many thanks 

Tim 

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4 minutes ago, Tim hudson said:

Hello there new to all this and was after a bit of advice! 

I am currently restoring a 1945 Leyland hippo and trying to work out the unit marking under the bridge plate on the front, it looks to be blue and yellow with a number on it but it’s not clear, could any one tell me what it means?? Many thanks 

Tim 

 

 

 

Hi Tim,

The blue and yellow square denotes RASC, Royal Army Service Corps (later on the Royal Corps of Transport,  I think the last Hippos in service might just have been in on the title change). The sign colours are postwar, the WW2 colours would have been red over green diagonally.

regards, Richard

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17 minutes ago, Tim hudson said:

Many thanks Richard, from the key cards it was originally supplied to the baor in 45 so I’m guessing it would have had a different sign there

If it was issued a transport unit in Germany in 1945, then it is highly likely it was RASC and the sign at the time would have been red over green diagonally. As for the number on the sign it would depend on which division/formation the unit was assigned to.

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28 minutes ago, Tim hudson said:

That’s great thank you for the swift response i can’t tell you how great-full I am!  so looking at the card it should have number 16 on it? The bottom one with asterisk (52 yy98)

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Hi Tim,

The number 16 relates to the location of where the vehicle was disposed from, in this case 16 B Vehicle Depot in Belgium. Unfortunately there is no disposal date showing.

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20 minutes ago, Tim hudson said:

Thanks for the replies there’s another card for it and it says it was disposed in the Uk? So does this mean no one had it there and it came home? (Asterisks 52yy98)

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This was one of a small number of Hippos taken out of storage in Belgium in mid-70's and issued to Ordnance TMP (Training Materiel Park) in the UK when there was a shortage of 10 tonners. I know some were sent to the TMP at Ashford, yours was at Taunton and disposed of in 1977. A TMP was like a rent-a-truck depot in the army and units drew extra vehicles from there when needed. It was disposed of at a Ruddington disposal auction.

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Thank you all so much it’s lovely to get the history of it when it came to me it had a white roof driver training? I know it’s not particularly rare but I love it and feel it’s a piece of history that I’m just a custodian of and it’s One of the family , even got the manual! Thank you all again 

Tim 

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Some of these survived in service until at least 1980.  I was at Gibraltar Bks then and we received a small number of them for issue to RE(V) units deploying to BAOR on Ex CRUSADER.  I remember looking at the vehicle docs of one and seeing that it had been in storage pretty much since build - with only flashing indicators having been fitted at some time.  In the event, they remained at Minley and the Volunteers deployed with Militants taken from our own stock while we used the Hippos in their place - the Hippos were thought to be simply too slow.  As I recall they were accompanied by some fixed-fork motorcycles (Triumphs, perhaps?) but, not being interested then in motorcycles, I didn't pay enough attention.  Incidentally, at the same time there were Lister towed generators dated 1937 issued to the Movement Light Squadron which still retained "Micky Mouse Ear" camouflage - though faded - on their tilts.  They were at Minley for the RE Musical Extravaganza of that year for which the finale was either the 1812 or The Royal Fireworks (I can't remember which now) and they provided the lighting.  Those were the days when the Sappers still had two staff bands - Aldershot and Chatham!

 

10 68

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10 minutes ago, 10FM68 said:

Some of these survived in service until at least 1980.  I was at Gibraltar Bks then and we received a small number of them for issue to RE(V) units deploying to BAOR on Ex CRUSADER.  I remember looking at the vehicle docs of one and seeing that it had been in storage pretty much since build - with only flashing indicators having been fitted at some time.  In the event, they remained at Minley and the Volunteers deployed with Militants taken from our own stock while we used the Hippos in their place - the Hippos were thought to be simply too slow.  As I recall they were accompanied by some fixed-fork motorcycles (Triumphs, perhaps?) but, not being interested then in motorcycles, I didn't pay enough attention.  Incidentally, at the same time there were Lister towed generators dated 1937 issued to the Movement Light Squadron which still retained "Micky Mouse Ear" camouflage - though faded - on their tilts.  They were at Minley for the RE Musical Extravaganza of that year for which the finale was either the 1812 or The Royal Fireworks (I can't remember which now) and they provided the lighting.  Those were the days when the Sappers still had two staff bands - Aldershot and Chatham!

 

10 68

We had some come through the workshops at the time, the soldiers were unaccustomed to the slow gear changes with gearboxes and clutches suffering. I recall they found a gearbox at a dealer in Scotland. There was even a brand new windscreen assembly in the stores. I remember doing some work on the brakes of one .......crikey that must have been around 40 years ago now.......

I think the Triumph motorcycle was a TRW as there were still some in service at that time, they had tele forks but a rigid back end and sprung saddle.

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