Need help with AOS (arm of service) identification.

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CmdNomad
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Joined: 19 Jun 2018, 17:11
Location: Germany

Need help with AOS (arm of service) identification.

#1

Post by CmdNomad » 19 Jun 2018, 17:24

Hello,
im at my witts end and really need your help.
I've looked into all the books i currently have about the british units of 1940+ and couldn't find anything.

Im trying to find the Unit to which this Vickers Mk.VI AA belonged.
Especially the arm of service on the left (171) and the div. sign (two triangles point towards each other) + the colors of both decals.

Image
Image
Image

If anyone could help me or point me into the right direction i would be really happy.
Best Regards,

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Inselaffe
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Joined: 29 Jul 2008, 00:46
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Need help with AOS (arm of service) identification.

#2

Post by Inselaffe » 21 Jun 2018, 03:32

Hello,

Have a look at http://www.petergh.f2s.com/flashes.html. It's a great resource. A quick check seems to indicate either 25th Tank Brigade or if later, 25th Armoured Engineer Brigade.

Cheers.
"It was like Hungary being between Germany and the Soviet Union. What sort of choice was that? Which language would you like your firing squad to speak?" Tibor Fischer 'Under the Frog'.


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Andy H
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Re: Need help with AOS (arm of service) identification.

#3

Post by Andy H » 29 Jul 2018, 19:03

Hi CmdNomad

The first decal would suggest that its a Royal Artillery unit and maybe one (the 2 triangles) from an Armoured Brigade, with the circular encased 7 maybe a tactical sign though pre 1945 as they had been standardised into different coloured squares, Also doubtful a Vickers would have been in front-line service then, unless maybe serving in a AGRA for HQ defence be it in NW Europe or the ME etc.

Regards

Andy H

Typhoon66
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Re: Need help with AOS (arm of service) identification.

#4

Post by Typhoon66 » 05 Jun 2020, 21:10

After Dick Taylor (Warpaint Vol. 3) the number 171 was used for an Army Tank Brigade HQ Unit in the Middle East in 1942. At this time, there was only 1st Army Tank Brigade. Their insignia was a red diablo (the two triangles you see on the pics). The white bar says it was used by GHQ troops, which correlates to a tanks brigade, too. 21st and 25th Tank Brigades arrived in Tunisia Spring 1943, they may have used the same numbers, although they used different ones later in Italy. 21st used a blue diablo, 25th a black one.

25th Armoured Engineer Brigade was created in January 1945 in Italy, I´m quite sure they didn´t use these Vickers Tanks then. It used number 166-169 in a blue square. The number 7 is propably "only" the bridge classification.

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