American to British

[Mark]

I might be overlooking something here and it has been nagging at me for some time, the British used a lot of American vehicles during WW2 and apart from markings how could you tell they were with the British, take for example the Jeep the Americans had the star as on their planes, the British as far as I know did not have the roundel on the Jeeps.

 

So what was the distinguishing tell, tell signs.

 

Anyone.

[N.O.S.]

A stenciled marking next to "CAUTION LEFT HAND DRIVE" which says "IF IN DOUBT BREW UP"? :dunno:

[Rick W]

Rear lights on the jeep, different set up for Brit jeeps. Sometimes the Brit jeeps mounted their sidelights out of the rad grill onto the front mudwings.

[Rick W]

Occasionally they just plonked a yank tub on a decent British frame.....

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o72/rik242_2006/jeep001.jpg[/img]

:shake: :shake: :shake:

 

[N.O.S.]

Looks like we need a new BITSA Board in Vehicles section :whistle:

[LeeEnfield]

Occasionally they just plonked a yank tub on a decent British frame.....

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o72/rik242_2006/jeep001.jpg[/img]

:shake: :shake: :shake:

 

 

 

:-D :-D :-D.......... :naughty:.............. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[N.O.S.]

This week, on Scapheap Challenge............

[Bodger Baz]

Brits had stars on thiers as well later on, officially they should have had the butler type sidelights on the wings, but it didn't always happen. many british vehicles still had yank markings on them, guess thay were long term :-Dborrowed

 

and dont forget the most complicated markings ever imagined!! :shake:

 

Baz

[ashley]

Hi all,

the easiest way was that British vehicles had Divisional,regimental,Corps insignia on them. Also believe most of the British vehicles (as in jeeps) removed the pioneer tools.

The side lights were moved to the wings, and probally had canvas buckets in the rear pintle hook :-D :-D

 

Ashley

 

[Great War truck]

I have seen plenty of pictures of Jeeps and other sofkskins in the desert with the roundel on them.

 

Tim (too)

[Mark]

I have seen plenty of pictures of Jeeps and other sofkskins in the desert with the roundel on them.

 

Tim (too)

 

I have never seen that Tim, was that a common thing for the desert??

[Tony B]

Actually on Dodges most British vehicles had the pionner tools inside the tailgate. Normally they also mounted British pattern easy pour Jerrycans. The numbering system for the vehicles is diffrent, otherwise not a lot.

[Degsy]

The Roundel was used by the 8th Army for aircraft identification before the Yanks came into the war. By the time of the Normandy landings the white star had been adopted for all Allied vehicles but although I have the info somewhere I can't remember exactly when this was promulgated.

[ford 369]

Occasionally they just plonked a yank tub on a decent British frame.....

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o72/rik242_2006/jeep001.jpg[/img]

:shake: :shake: :shake:

 

 

proof of how important it is to have a workshop manual and take plenty of photos prior to disassembly because you can never remember exactly how things go back together or perhaps this is a LRDG special vehicle?

[abn deuce]

I think its missing the forward jeep tub to make it a five passenger monster truck style Morris Jeepsterish kindathingamabob very rare indeed

[Tony B]

Put it on Epay, someone will belive you. :evil:

[abn deuce]

Canadian markings on Jeep still looking for simular British

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff35/abndeuce/775632637_59f42d197a.jpg[/img]

French caption

Un aumônier aide un infirmier canadien à évacuer un soldat blessé à bord d'une Jeep.

Il s'agit de l'évacuation du blessé de la p010007

Jean-Pierre Benamou dans Bataille de Caen (page 187) chez Heimdal, 1988; situe cette scène à Marcelet (hameau de Saint Manvieu Norrey) à 2 km à l'ouest de Carpiquet le 3 juillet à la veille de Operation Windsor.

Jeep ambulance du Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Machine Gun) de la 3rd Canadian Inf. Div.

A noter la référence du LCT ayant transporté la jeep d''Angleterre en Normandie

[Snapper]

I'm pretty sure the same star was used by both the Anglo-Canadians and the US; but the difference is the ring round it. Can't remember which way round it goes, but one of t'other has a solid ring while the other is broken into segments. I'm sure the US is the latter. Can't think why I can't remember this stuff.

[Rlangham]

If anyone's got the book 'the wartime jeep in british service' or something similarly titled, you'll see that there's no such thing as a standard British jeep! As for roundels, I believe the white circle around the star on the bonnet was complete on US jeeps, but had gaps in it on the British ones? I normally just look for a serial number beginning with 'm' and any divisional insignia

[woa2]

I'm pretty sure the same star was used by both the Anglo-Canadians and the US; but the difference is the ring round it. Can't remember which way round it goes, but one of t'other has a solid ring while the other is broken into segments. I'm sure the US is the latter. Can't think why I can't remember this stuff.

 

Solid ring around the star on the bonnet is British & Canadian, the broken ring is American. That is the official explanation, but it did get miss-interpreted as the stars were applied by the unit that had the vehicles. It was just to help aircrew see who the troops were on the ground.

[pop larkin]

Solid ring around the star on the bonnet is British & Canadian, the broken ring is American. That is the official explanation, but it did get miss-interpreted as the stars were applied by the unit that had the vehicles. It was just to help aircrew see who the troops were on the ground.

 

 

Does that only apply to Jeeps? As I have seen plenty of pics of the American D-Day beaches after the invasion with GMCs, halftracks and DUKWs with the solid circle around the star.

[Snapper]

No - anything they could paint it on - even large trailers. Jack would probably have one on his head.

[Matt Rimmer]

Solid ring around the star on the bonnet is British & Canadian, the broken ring is American. That is the official explanation, but it did get misinterpreted as the stars were applied by the unit that had the vehicles. It was just to help aircrew see who the troops were on the ground.

 

The solid ring around the star was as widely used by US units as the broken ring,and in the case of USAAF units in the ETO the sold ring was more common than the broken ring.

 

I have seen pictures of Canadian and British vehicles with the solid ring,but never the broken ring. The subject of stars on Canadian vehicles has been covered over on the MLU forum in the past.

 

Matt.

 

 

[Rolf S. Ask]

My two cents....

 

The broken or the solid ring arround the stars I think just was depending on if they used a stencil or not. A stencil when applying the paint needs to "hold on to" the rest, therefore it was broken. Have seen pictures of both types on US, English and Canadian vehicles. Also a few that had the star "broken". Don't think a pilot passing by would notise if the ring was broken or not, unless it was really big gaps betweene... And if you was to refresh the markings in the field you seldom had a stencil, so you just brushed away in a hurry so you could have your cup of tea me was thinking :-)

 

 

 

Rolf

[Tony B]

Went the other way as well. just prior to D-Day most American Airforce bases lost their 4x4 WC54s and got 4x2 Austin K2s as well. Pionner tools on the British WC 51/52 were moved to the inside of the tailgate.

[Ben Rippingham]

My american truck (fwd har-1) which was produced primarily only for british contracts had the following british modifications before being dispatched to british units:

* semaphore on the R/H

* 'Caution left hand drive' stenciled on the back

* British army reg no' stenciled sides of bonnet and back

* Diff painted white for convoy recognition, but no convoy light

* American marker lights moved further out to width of vehicle

* Bridge plate fitted to L/H side

* In some cases removal of headlights and fitment of blackout lamp on R/H side.