Infantry Division Recce Regiment Unit Signs

[Michael Dorosh]

In December 1940, an enclosure to War Office letter No. 57/Overseas/273 (S.D.11.) noted that the Unit Sign for a “Reconnaissance Unit” in an infantry division was the number 41 on a black square.

By 1942, the standard "41" on a green-over-blue square was the norm. I am going through my copy of Dingwall and also Beldam's magnum opus but I don't see it - do we have any idea when the coloured background changed from black to green/blue?

I'm also aware that the Divisional recce battalions (later named as regiments) were not formed until early 1941, so am not sure what the "reconaissance unit" being referred to in 1940 is - this was a British War Office document, and I know they created their own Reconnaissnce Corps slightly ahead of the Canadians, so perhaps this does not apply to Canadian units?

That being said, did the brigade reconnaissance squadrons use the Unit Sign of the brigade headquarters to which they were assigned?