British Army Formation Sign ??
 

Hi we have had a question from an unregistered user:

"I currently own a ww2 1943 Norton War Department motorcycle, I have sent details of the service number etc to the Royal Logistical Corp who responded with no details available.
I am now trying to discover the origin of the 'military crest' painted on the sides of the fuel tank.

Description;
Red shield, Light Blue diagonal stripe up from left to right, White sword vertical with sword tip at top."

It's probably an army formation sign:- swords and shields being common components of a number of these. (see couple of examples below)
thing is there are hundreds of them, army corps, brigades, etc.

I am sure someone will have a text on the subject and be able to ID yours from the description above.


http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/ima...0807patch1.jpg

http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/ima...0807patch2.jpg

And we now have a few snaps sent in of the bike>>>

(& big pic here)

http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/images2/210807bike.jpg


http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/ima...10807bike2.jpg

...wow... it's nice.....

Possibly a variation of 6th Guards Tank brigade.

The closest sign I can think of would be RAOC Army Emergency Reserve, but the stripes on it are vertical rather than diagonal. Wondering if there is a tac sign on the other side of the tank - that could help to narrow it down a bit...


Dean

Just seen this.

The crossed swords on a blue cross on a red shield was the sign of HQ 21st Army Group, and from August 1945 HQ BAOR.

The sword on a three coloured background could be a variant of 33rd Guards Bde???

from a french motobike policeman .....;)

i fall in love ......very very nice :cool:

Possibly 33rd Guards Ind Inf Bde, some times the vehicle sign is different to the uniform badge. A square with horizontal bars of Red Blue Red with a white Crusaders sword in the centre point up.

I agree, looks like a variation of the Guards brigade badge, possibly done before official pics had come through??? Or a proposed design never adopted but used by some one not knowing the correct badge???

Tom

check this one on ebay!
 

http://cgi.ebay.com/WW2-BRITISH-BADG...QQcmdZViewItem

it looks like it were the same pattern of insignia!

I`m wondering if this painted up as a film prop, thats why we cannot ID the sign.

British Army Formation Sign.
 

The sign depicted on the Motor Cycle is not a representation of any British Army Formation sign that existed during WWII or in the early Post War Years.

Whilst there were tactical formation signs that included Shields, Crosses and Swords - the one shown on the motorcycle includes elements that were never on any British Army Tactical Formation Sign - In particular the incorrect elements are - 1. A single diagonal stripe, 2 Incorrect Shade of Blue, and 3. Incorrect Sword Pattern (in particular the Hilt shape).

I was born in 1936 and collected Formation Signs and Cap Badges as a wartime/post war child and have never seen such a sign. I served in the British Army for 37 years.

I remember a book I purchased from Messrs Gale & Polden (a publisher that specialised in Military Books) entitled Badges on Battledress. If anyone still has a copy of that excellent book - it will confirm that the sign depicted on the motorcycle is completely erroneous.

I would agree 100% with Pegasus. I think whoever did the (excellent) restoration of the bike, contrived a formation sign to add supposed authenticity. The words "spoil", "ship" and "tar" spring to mind!