New Tank and Armoured Vehicle Data Plate Sharing Website

[AlexGreen]

Hi all,

I've set up a website to share photos of WW1 and WW2 Tank and Armoured Vehicle Data Plates (like the Matilda tank one below) . Either on or off tanks and the information around the plates.

https://militarydataplates.com/tank-plate/

It has a few data plates from my own collection on there at the moment, but I'd love if anyone has any photos of data plates they'd be willing to have shared on the website. Please post them as comments or email me at: militarydataplates@gmail.com

For each plate if you could mention the tank it is off, any history about the plate/tank and if the plate is still on the tank, a photo of the tank itself with the plate visible as well would be great.

Cheers,
Alex

[AlexGreen]

New Article on what are Tank Data Plates and their role on a tank.

https://militarydataplates.com/what-...k-data-plates/

[Mike Cecil]

Thanks Alex, I posted the website address on the Great War Forum, and several people have indicated they found the site and plate collection of interest, as I have.

The problem with the British method of using a nice brass plate with the data on it was that the data was not stamped into the hull anywhere as well. As the plate was a nice curious, both when in service and after, they are more often than not missing, which makes identifying a particular vehicle quite difficult once the painted-on registration has been rubbed off or over-painted.

Australian vehicles like the MG Carrier have the hull number stamped into a discrete place inside the hull at the rear, so are still identifiable. A Matilda tank, for example, does not: no plate, no identity.

Mike

[AlexGreen]

That's great to hear Mike and thanks for sharing the website, hopefully it means more information and pictures of data plates can be added to the website.

That's very interesting to hear about the lacking of stamping information into the hulls and difficulty in identifying them. I'm writing a article on British tank data plate specifically at the moment so ill definitely include this.

From a practical sense not stamping the data doesn't make much sense as the plates were often souvenired by the crews after a tour or the ones on the out side of the hulls fell off when damaged or knocked. The dragon light IIc plate being a prime example as it was found near Salisbury plain and presumably fell off during a exercise.

[Robin Craig]

Good day,

Alex we have already exchanged emails about post WW2 data plates.

Both of you have identified what is an incredibly weak point in the system as it was then.

So when you couple the removal of the data plate and time removes the painted on VRN then all you are left with is a hull number or perhaps a casting number.

Sadly for some series of British armoured vehicles the hull number is not carried over onto the data cards which may have survived at Bovington or a RLC. Couple that with no factory surviving records in some cases the vehicles are lost for any genuine chance of identification by anyone restoring them.

It can be frustrating.

[AlexGreen]

New Tanks Plates added:

Centurion Mark III -*https://militarydataplates.com/centurion-mark-iii/
Centurion Mark V -*https://militarydataplates.com/centurion-mark-iii/
Centaur Mark IV CS Seawolf -*https://militarydataplates.com/centa...iv-cs-seawolf/
Churchill 75mm Turret plate:*https://militarydataplates.com/churc...ret-gun-plate/
Cavalier Lubrication Chart -*https://militarydataplates.com/caval...ication-chart/