anti-freeze stencil
 

In the photo, is this an anti-freeze stencil, or possibly something else?

Attachment 113451


regards,
Jack

nevermind...i was off track.

I have a hard time making that out as an anti-freeze warning. It's about where the bridge class would be, maybe a scuffed up one?

Have a look at the stencil to the right of the driver's visor. It seems to have letters on the left then chalked in somethings on the right. Weights? For recording ammunition amounts? Tire pressure possibly but that would be a strange way of doing it.

The Vehicle is a Humber Mk.IV. Do you know if this is in Italy or NW Europe? The car has squadron name (CIGAR) which seems to be an early thing long gone by 1944 NW Europe, at least for armoured cars.

Bruce.

If the engine/rad assembly is in the rear of this vehicle, it would make more sense to have the warning in that area to alert crew, would it not?

Also, on the theme of odd markings, why the ‘1102/1’ at the top of the right front fender? A ship loading code?

David

It looks like a stencil face of a lion to me. Ron

Interesting. A lot of armoured cars had honourary or presentation markings on them as donated from an organization or representing some royal person.

Looking at the marking by the driver I'm tending towards how many 37mm rounds of each type, AP, explosive, etc. It's about the only thing that would need to be updated like that. Any 37mm gun experts out there?

The bottom image looks like a lions face. I hadn't picked up on Rons post when I said this either
Up by the drivers hatch, see image. Some variation of this? Top one maybe WT?
The carrier TCQL Tons, Hundred weight (cwt = 112lb), Quarters (q=56lb), L = Lb (pounds weight) Simple aye! (for the young people)

If the photo was just that much clearer you could make out the letters. Weigh kind of makes sense but then I wonder why the writing on the right looks to be hand drawn as if it would be replaced with new data from time to time. Weights wouldn't need that. Still, it could be WT, HT, BR, LTH and those were stencilled the same on all vehicles then the particulars for each were chalked on, perhaps for loading on a landing craft.

But I have to chuckle over your carrier example. It almost looks like they went through all the tonnage figures then on the lower right gave up and just conceded that it is "HEAVY".

And it does look like a cat, with a striped tail out the bottom? Is there any divisional flash that looks like that? Was I just assuming this is a Canadian car?

Bruce, the "Heavy" might be for the lowest common denominator regarding which way it is loaded or by who? There is clarity, so no excuses.. This is a Dunkirk era image (early war)

Oh, I know it's there and legitimate. I just think, if you indulge your warped sense of humour, it could give you a chuckle (or maybe I've been 'working from home' just a few days more than is good for me). Sort of like:

:) Bruce we move to level 3 on Tuesday. Not that things will change much as far as human contact goes. The new cases are continuing to decline, which is a good sign. I see the borders staying closed for quite some time after life goes back to some kind of normal.

Oddly, there are two figures, "Tonnage, Heavy" which is recorded in TCQL at just over 3 1/4Tons, and above that there is "Tonnage, Light" which is strangely listed in Tons, Feet and Inches! This carrier's "Tonnage, Light" is 10 Tons + 6 Ft. Who can explain that? Is it related to the shipping space occupied?

Not a clue, maybe they were engenirs. On the other hand forward of that they stenciled on "CARRIER, BREN No.2 Mk.II" just in case the data plate failed you.

I am in the second hardest hit province in Canada and the best I can say is our rate of increase has slowed. It's taking a devastating toll on our elderly in old folks homes. One of our last remaining local D-Day vets just passed because of it.

The picture was a posed picture taken in Normandy

https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discov...?IdNumber=931&

Gentlemen, thanks for all the interest.

The photo is of a Humber IV belonging to the 17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars (7th Canadian Recce). It is found in the album 75 page 56 entitled Vaucelles France, July 18 1944.
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/l...=-1&MaxDocs=-1

The unit's HQ vehicles, as indicated by the tactical marking (though I've yet to decipher the meaning of 11/4 within the diamond) came ashore only July 16. So that would explain some of the typical markings for shipping are still present. 1102/1 is the regiment's mobilization serial.

To the side of the driver's visor, is the weight/measures card that was mandatory to be carried before embarkation. The pertinent info was either chalked or stenciled in place, but the sticker was usually ripped off not long after landing. I've put together a large example here, though the values may not be totally correct as am unfamiliar with weights expressed in imperial tons and cwts.

Attachment 113471

regards,
Jack

It took a few minutes, but now I see the lion's face, but at the same time where it's eyes and nose are located, there looks to be three numbers, like 543.

Considering the nickname CIGAR, it could be a caricature that is smoking, as the bottom right corner has something going on there?

There seems to have been some deliberate thought put into the outline around whatever it is. Almost resembles the shapes of the flower petals of their cap badge?

Attachment 113472

As you can see, am entertaining all ideas since it does not make sense to have that particular warning stencil at the front of the vehicle (thank you Dave).

regards,
Jack

Posted the question over at WW2talk, and I think was given a good lead. A member recognized 1543 as a "number of a Ferry Service from LSI J32 HMS Duke of Wellington to Juno Beach".

Though I don't believe that is exactly it (LSI only landed troops?), I think it's correct to assume the marking immediately below the census number is indeed the loading codes, presented in a vertical format.

regards,
Jack