Saladin bridge plate

[gordonb]

I am helping titivate a museum's gate guard Saladin and I have seen that it does not have a bridge plate. On looking around the web I cannot find any pictures of Saladins with bridge plates apart from a couple of models. Did they not have them and if not why not? If they did, what number wold have been used, I have seen 11, 12 and 13 on the models.

 

Gordon

[wally dugan]

To find a in service photo or film of a SALADIN with a bridge plate is rare as to why  l do not  know but l have over hauled three of them in the past and none showed signs of a bridge plate. The laden weight was given as 23530 pounds or 10680 kgs

 

[fv1609]

It is indeed rare to see a Bridge Class displayed, they look to be painted on.

The Mk 2 UHB give the Bridge Class as 11

Seems you have a choice of location if you decide it needs to display one. These are all in service shots.

 

 

[BlueBelle]

Oh. I feel compelled to do a little Saladin Bridge Plate thing here. Last four photos are of 2RTR, 14/20 and 3rd Carbs in the deserts of..... yes, Libya. All four Saladins shown were first issued to 2RTR in Aug 1959 and all had yellow bridge plates painted on the right hand wing with the same Romanesque number 11. All had the RTR cap badge on the other wing. No RAC AoS flash, no Formation flash (Trip Dist Dhow). Within weeks, the bridge plates had been painted out, never to be seen again whilst the Saladins, all 36 of them, remained in 2RTR's hands. The RAC cap badge was repositioned on the LH side of the mantlet and bright new RAC AoS flashes (with white headers and black stencilling 2 R TKS) and Trip Dist Dhow Formation flashes (shield-shaped but later became a mix of shield and rectangle shapes) were applied. When the Saladins were handed over to succesive regiments (14/20H, 5RIDG, poss 17/21L and finaly 3Carbs) each painted the bridge plate on again! Good job we're just 'doing' bridge plates as I could go on and on about Libya Formation flashes and 2RTR Saladin (and other vehicle types) names. Top three photos are on the web, bottom three are mine.