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Remembered Today:

British & Dominion Formation & Unit Vehicle Signage, 1914-1918


BSM

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Following a lengthy period of research we have finally produced the book. First off we would like to offer our special thanks to those GWF members who contributed to the end result and trust that they and the membership who are interested in such things find this publication something that they would consider adding to their library.

“British & Dominion Formation & Unit Vehicle Signage, 1914 – 1918” contains in excess of 1,300 identified Unit signs (in colour) with 120+ supporting period images and coloured drawings, most of which being unpublished to date. This limited edition book (10”x8”) is soft cover with 160 pages that record what we believe is most of what is available in the public domain at this point in time. Regards, Rod & Mike.

FlyerPicWeb.jpg

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Chris thanks for the interest. Will PM you....cheers.... Rod

Edited by BSM
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  • 5 years later...

After seeing this old thread, I immediately contacted the author to purchase this book, British & Dominion Formation & Unit Signs 1914-1918 by Rod Dix and Mike Hibberd, published 2017, ISBN: 978-0-646-98584-8.  Wow!  Clearly a labour of love, superb period images and colour artwork for each unit sign on good quality gloss paper covered with a good quality card stock.  Every formation and unit sign is beautifully reproduced in colour in this landscape format, soft-cover book.  

The book would benefit from a bibliography and more detailed image referencing (ie: IWM reference numbers) of images sourced from institutions.  To increase its longevity, a hardcover would be more durable, but as a self-published book the format is understandable.  If it hasn't already done so, I believe it could do well in the broad international market. Pen & Sword or Naval & Miitary Press perhaps?

British and Dominion Formation & Unit Vehicle Signage 1914-1918, by Rod Dix and Mike Hibberd is a tour de force.  A fine book that would appeal to the military modeller, vintage military vehicle enthusiasts and to the many historians, researchers and history buffs that could use a unit sign almanac to identify units in images.

Cheers,

Chris Henderson

 

 

 

 

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  • 5 months later...

Can anyone help me understand what may be learned from bonnet markings, such as this one?

Are they just inventory marks, or do they signify use/attachment/date etc?

Do records of these numbers still exist? National Archives? Digitised?

Many thanks in advance.

Robin

Sunbeam - M^1499.jpg

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Can't help much but it is something I have looked at before. Not a lot of information available about these numbers but they relate to the vehicle. Have seen them referred to as military registrations and vehicle census numbers.

The M refers to motor car followed by the government arrow and the identifying number of the vehicle as it came into service (usually among a batch produced) for a government contract.

Happy to be corrected. I think the problem researching these numbers is that records no longer exist.

Great photograph by the way!

Scott

 

 

 

 

Edited by Waddell
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Thank you Scott. Agree it is a fine photo though the only thing I know about it is the car is a Sunbeam. I have been given a dozen such photos by a Sumbean expert who would like to understand the significance of the markings.

An ambulance with O^54482 and another with A^7564. The latter has 'B14' on the side in front of the red cross. A staff car in India (?) has LC^1980. A car parked beside three motor-lorries, possibly also in India has no 'M' just ^2848.

The most unusual of the photos is this one. It is a Sizaire-Berwick armoured car with an aero engine mounted behind. May be post war?

Sunbeam30b-Sizair-Berwick.jpg.eb8d49b58fe16121176976b3c0b4fd38.jpg

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