1944WC52 Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 I admit I am much more familiar with the practice of naming vehicles in the American military. Nose Art is probably the most common example. A practice that has been discontinued for Political correctness. How common was the practice for the British during WWII? Does anyone mark their vehicles now? My WC52 is named "Debbie Doo" after my wife and fits her "personality" perfectly. Brent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 Both mine have got names. The Dodge is Ruby Baby after my Mum, the 101 is Elusive Lady after the many ways she can think of to break down. RAMC did officially name some 101s after VC holders from the Corp, and of course the now famous SNAFU from the first gulf War. Also notice we always refer to them either as specific makes and models or 'Vehicles'. I never call any of mine 'cars'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 Mine all have names - none of them seeming to relate to the vehicle. For example - the Stalwart is called "Maud" even though they usually had names beginning with "S" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marmite!! Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 and of course the now famous SNAFU from the first gulf War. I thought SNAFU was from WW2 :dunno: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 OK so why let a good name go to waste? :dunno: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marmite!! Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 OK so why let a good name go to waste? :dunno: Ok maybe I missed the point... was you referring to a specific vehicle the name is on :dunno: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 Ok maybe I missed the point... was you referring to a specific vehicle the name is on :dunno: Yes mate, there are several shots about of a 110 with black block SNAFU under the drivers window. Though the good names do seem to keep recurring. anther one I like is Ohell , Oh Hell whats gone wrong this time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 The Morris is going to be called Winnie, after Mr Churchill, from what I can gather all the ones Ive seen have a name in stencil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 One of the most inventive names I have seen, was on a Centurion ARV, "Lucozade". Because as the slogan went "Lucozade aids recovery". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morris c8 fat Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 :-D My 101 in the gulf was" The Truck With No Name" from I went t the desert in a truck with no name or was it horse? and It was Pink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john wheatley (R.I.P.) Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 Mine is called Bertha 'cause she's an ugly beast, she puts the fear of god up men and you wouldn't want to meet her coming the other way down a country lane after dark. Seems quite apt I think. A strange coincidence is that all the 15cwts in The Battery with whom Bertha has been known to play all have girl's names that begin with B spooky :schocked: :shake: John. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashley Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 :-D My 101 in the gulf was" The Truck With No Name" from I went t the desert in a truck with no name or was it horse? and It was Pink. It was "i went through the desert on a horse with no name" Ashley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andreadavide Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 My 109" is called "The Scoutmobile" because is usually infested by a Scout troop. Name for the 88" is still to be decided. The Civilian Discovery Series II is called "culona" that, translated from Italian, would sound "Big arsed lady" Andrea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 I thought SNAFU was from WW2 :dunno: In the mid-70s I bought and read Hitler's Last Offensive by Peter Elstob (ex-3RTR, part of the relief column: oh yes, contrary to what Hollywood tells you, The Ardennes Offensive wasn't just about Americans getting cheesed in the Schnee Eiffel). In it, he explained the meaning and popular use in 1944 of SNAFU, FUMTU and TARFU. On first read, I didn't get the impression that the acronums had been new in 1944. A later addition (maybe about the time og Op Granby) was FUBAR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 WRT named vehicles. It was common in the Royal Armoured Corps during the Second World War to name all tanks in sabre squadrons with a name beginning with the squadron letter. Anybody familiar with the old Airfix M4 Sherman will remember the name CHARGER. Unfortunately, it also came with an A Squadron triangle (C Sqn = circle, B Sqn = square, HQ Sqn = diamond). I never saw this practice applied in the 1970s and 80s, but apparently when 15/19H reverted to tanks from recce in the late 80s, some bright spark decided to re-introduce the practice. I tell a lie. In Tidworth in 1976, A Squadron's command Saracen bore the name GARFORTH VC in commemoration of the last recipient of a VC for actions performed on horseback. (See this day in history, 24 Aug, 2 - 3 Sep 1914) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoranWC51 Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 My WC51 has been called "Popeye" since I bought it in 1994. I thought the name was fitting as the Dodge is strong :-) I will mark my WC51 as an ambulance of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force, under Gen Clark and 5th Army, Italy 1944-45, for the 2009 season. I'll mark it "TIAOZHIÑO", nickname for Sebastian (my 9 year old son). Marking will probably go on the top of the radiator. I plan to go back to Normandy with my Dodge in 2009. Last time I was there was in 1994, a looong time ago now.... As always, Goran N Sweden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toner Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 My ferret is called "Ferretus Metallica" because it's a ferret and well, it's made of metal... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 The first Dodge was named by me as "Section 8". I was in military service for only a few weeks and people asked if I got section 8...so I thought the name was appropriate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazz Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 My landrover used to be called "Mutt", as i had a picture of Snoopy on kennel on the drivers door, I'll try and find a photo. Barry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andreadavide Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 My WC51 has been called "Popeye" since I bought it in 1994. I thought the name was fitting as the Dodge is strong :-) I will mark my WC51 as an ambulance of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force, under Gen Clark and 5th Army, Italy 1944-45, for the 2009 season. I'll mark it "TIAOZHIÑO", nickname for Sebastian (my 9 year old son). Marking will probably go on the top of the radiator. I plan to go back to Normandy with my Dodge in 2009. Last time I was there was in 1994, a looong time ago now.... As always, Goran N Sweden Here is a nice souvenir from the Brazilian Forces in Italy. It's inside the hall of an ancient palace in Italia Street, Pisa: Andrea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snapper Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 I am of a mind to call my MUTT Askari, because it's in desert colours and I have an affinity towards the african soldiers who fought for the colonial powers in WW1 and then through the 30s and into WW2. Tough buggers. At work weare just trying to sort out negatives of Italian askari fighting in Abyssinia in the 1930s and the marvellous book Tip and Run will tell you about the German, British, Portugese and Belgian askari fighting in East and south west Africa in the Great War. The Iltis we called Ferdinand, because the registration was FDE and in my strange mind I remembered that all German warships from the Kaiser's time were HE rather than SHE. It kind of made sense at the time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Curiously just today I found a picture of a 15/15H Centurion from the mid-60s bearing First Troop B Sqn tactical sign and the name BISHOP AUCKLAND on the side. Seems it was from a KAPE tour to the town. I'd post it here but it's on a private Facebook group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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