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  #1  
Old 08-03-13, 04:55
rob love rob love is offline
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Default WW2 Canadian Artillery Vehicle Markings.

We are changing some of the signs on some pieces at work, and there is some conflicting info about what is the correct format.

So I have looked at a few sites on the web trying to decipher what is correct for markings on the artillery tractors. The Brigade and unit markings are fairly constant, in that the various sources agree on what is correct. Where my puzzle comes in is on the Battery/Troop/Gun marking.

Basically, the blue square with a 1/4 of it in red to denote which battery is understandable enough.

But a few sites quote that for the 8 guns in the battery (2 troops of 4 guns) one troop's guns are identified with A, B, C, or D, and the second troops tractors and guns are ID'd with E, F, G and H. That means for the first gun in the first troop in the first Battery, you would have the smaller red square in the top right corner, and a large letter A superimposed over it.

Another site shows the guns ID'd by troops. So the first gun in the first troop on the first battery would be ID'd by a Blue square, small red square in the top corner, and the letter A with a 1 superimposed on it. Some sites and photos show a smaller 1 next to the A. Still other sites show another format of AA for the same gun.

So which is correct, and if it's all, were there certain time periods for each?
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  #2  
Old 08-03-13, 19:22
rob love rob love is offline
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Attached are some examples of what I am talking about. All would seem to indicate the same gun in the same battery, but different formats. Which is correct? Does anyone have a manual on vehicle markings for the WW2 time period?
Attached Images
File Type: jpg tac sign arty WW2.jpg (29.0 KB, 7 views)
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  #3  
Old 09-03-13, 03:16
Ed Storey Ed Storey is offline
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Default Royal Canadian Artillery Tactical Markings

The information you are looking for is in Barry Beldam's self-published book on Royal Canadian Artillery Tactical Markings from 1995.
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  #4  
Old 09-03-13, 03:43
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Dan Martel Dan Martel is offline
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Default Identified by Troop

Rob,

What I've always understood it to be, and this would be for the mid to late war War Establishment of a three battery field regiment with 24 guns, is that the six troops of the regiment were lettered independently from A Troop to F Troop. A and B Troop would belong to the senior battery through to E and F Troop in the junior battery. (Battery seniority was solely dependent upon the battery's number and not its history.)

Each gun within a troop was also allocated a letter; from A to D. So, gun AA was the first gun in the first troop of the senior firing battery. Gun CB was the second gun of the first troop of the intermediate battery. Gun FD was the fourth gun in the second troop of the junior battery.

However I think you are correct when you state that at different time periods, and maybe even in different theatres, the system could have been different. I know you wanted documentary proof which, if I find, I will pass on.

Cheers,
Dan.
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Old 09-03-13, 05:24
rob love rob love is offline
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Dan (and Ed): It is documentry proof that I am looking for, as opposed to modern books.

I went through a lot of the google images of Canadian Artillery during WWll, and found primarily the Apla-Numeric style, such as B1. But I have not been able to see enough photos of guns or tractors to form a solid opinion.

I did not see any photos of the single letter type, where the battery would be indicated by the small red square, and the guns identifier would indicate which troop (1 troop =A,B,C,&D, 2 troop=E,F,G,andH). This format is shown on Micheal Dorosh's canadiansoldiers.com site: http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/vehi...ticalsigns.htm

Hoping for more input from those in the know.
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  #6  
Old 09-03-13, 12:44
Ed Storey Ed Storey is offline
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Default Artillery Markings

Beldam's book does describe how the markings changed over time and according to which theatre they were being used.
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