British military vehicle markings of World War II

The use of markings on British military vehicles expanded and became more sophisticated following the mass production and mechanization of armies in World War II.

Certain other marks were however made more visible in front line areas, such as aerial recognition signs to avoid friendly fire.

Attempts were made to standardise the size, colour and location of marks, with varying degrees of success.

The broad arrow used by the British Board of Ordnance to mark government property dates back from the 16th century.

It was of similar size to the Arm of Service (AoS) 9 inch square sign, and was not supposed to be carried on motorbikes, but was sometimes painted on the sides of their fuel tank.

[2]: 10–22 Only vehicles attached to the headquarters of an Army and Corps would carry an insignia in place of regimental markings.

[2]: 11 The Army and Corps vehicles carried normal Arm of Service markings, but with a white top bar.

The 21st Army Tank Brigade in North Africa painted the Infantry Division sign (4th) they were supporting, alongside their own.

Discussed in detail from May 1939, the system was summarised in a War Office letter of 12 April 1940[4] updated in 1941, 1942 and 1943.

Troop-carrying vehicles may use removable plates with the AoS sign as they were regularly moved between divisions.

[6] Headquarters, provost, medical, training & postal units in a division used a black panel with white numbers.

Motorcycles used half-sized numbers on either side of the fuel tank or on plates front and back.

[2]: 29 Each War Department allocated a sequence of numbers to paint onto the vehicles as they were built and left the factory.

Then, in the middle east vehicles used WD instead of a prefix letter and often had the numbers repeated in Arabic.

Pre-war civilian number plates on military vehicles continued during 1940 in the UK and in the BEF.

There were no formal instructions before the war, but experiments included: In January 1942, an RAF style roundel was introduced.

It was 31 inches wide, to be placed on the cab roof or bonnet of lorries and the turret or engine deck of armoured vehicles.

British tanks rarely had stars on the front or sides, normally just one on the rear of the turret.

[2]: 30 The number equated to the bridge category, very roughly based on weight with adjustments for axle loading and impact factors, rounded up.

[2]: 32 A small light shining on the rear axle, the centre of which was painted white, assisted night time convoys.

[2]: 33 Requisitioned vehicles, before receiving their full markings, displayed WD in 6 inch letters on the nearside front and back.

[2]: 33 Temporary 5 or 6 digit number chalked or roughly painted prior to shipping overseas.

Two or three colour horizontal stripes in a rectangle were sometimes painted next to the number, being specific to a vehicle movement order.

Vehicle size and weight were chalked on a square painted black panel with a white edge.

[2]: 29 Slogans and graffiti were on occasions added, sometimes inspiring – Berlin or Bust, wishful thinking – Home by Christmas, mottos – Death or Glory, poetry, a person's or place name, crude slang, comic etc.

Conforming with international recognition, a white square of maximum size for vehicle on roof and both sides with a red cross.

The official air recognition symbol for RAF vehicles was the roundel, which was normally placed on the sides of the body.