please help me out with my jeep markings

[Indian]

Hello G-members,

I'm studying about one of the most difficult issues in restoring a wartime jeep (that's what I think)
I would like to mark my Willys for the 2nd infantry division 2nd signal corps. I would like to have the markings for the "telephone repair" compagnie (as I have a reel unit at the back of my jeep) and for exemple the third vehicle

Is it correct if I use the following marking:

2I-2S * TRP-3

Thank you in advance for helping me out.
Kind regards
Indian

[Bob N]

I will take a stab at helping you. I'm using AR 850-5, August 5, 1942.

Page 7 "Division (Infantry)...Arabic numeral

2 2S *

Page 8 agrees with "2S" for signal corp

Page 8 "'Name' company (other than headquarters company, headquarters and service company or service company).....Nonconflicting letters assigned for identification purposes, preceded by the battalion number, when necessary.

2 2S * TRP-3

Looks like it would work or TR. Have you not come across any photos of telephone repair company vehicles?

Looking at page 9 there is:

1 X 1S 10 ---10th vehicle, 1st Sig Co, 1st Inf Div.

maybe you would go with

2 X 2S TRP-3

or maybe

2 X 2S A-3 (which every company the telephone repair unit is and then on the windshield paint TELEPHONE REPAIR).

X? "When indicating headquarters and headquarters companies or special companies of units identified in the first group, the second group will consist only of the letter "X".

At any rate I couldn't spot an exact match in the AR 850-5 to help you.

Good luck.

[Milo 42 GPW]

Indian,
Here is a picture I found on the web that goes along with Bob's info.

Click on picture to get a better view

[Lars]

Indian,

as I know you should use the following markings on the front:

_______________________________
[_2_I__-__2_S___*_______TRP_-_3_]

and these on the back of your Jeep:

_____ ------------- _______
[ 2 I ] ------------- [ TRP - 3 ]
[_2_S_] ---------- [_______]

The first element (2 I) shows the Army Group, the 2nd (2 S) shows the Unit, the 3rd (TRP) stands for the company and the 4th (3) is your vehicle number.
So that should be correct...

Lars

[Milo 42 GPW]

Lars,

Should the vehicle number be under the TRP and not next to it?

I am referencing AAW V1 page 120

[Lars]

Milo,

perhaps under the TRP, because TRP is quiet long...
In the example I know there is shown: C-4 for Cavalery, vehicle no 4.

So you might be right but I do not know exactly.

Lars

[Bob N]

In the regulation it appears that you do not use an "I" for an Infantry Division only the numeric.



I believe putting the trucks number under the unit is the typical way.

[Indian]

Thanks guys for all the help.

I will paint them as follows:

2-2S * TRP-3

Kind regards,
Indian

[Bob N]

One last thought. If you are not in a hurry keep looking at pictures. Regulations were the rule but open the various jeep books and you will find rules to the contrary. Just like the SIZE of the lettering. Generally from the factory it is 2 inches high. Why? The regulation clearly seems to say it should be 4 inches as I recall. That may be why you see some rather large lettering on jeeps repainted in the field.

[Kent Chipman]

good info here:
http://www.lonesentry.com/panzer/jeep-markings.html

Kent

[Johan WILLAERT]

Infantry Divisions only had ONE Signal Company within the Division....
No separate TRP Company was part of the Division....
The only Signal Company attached to the 2ID was the 2nd Signal Company

The Divisional Signal Company was attached to the Divisional HQ....

It consisted of:

*Division Signal Officer Section
*HQ Platoon (Adm & Mess Section-Supply & Tpt Section)
*Construction Platoon (Pl HQ- 2x Construction Sections-Service Section)
*Operation Platoon (Msg Center&MssgrSection-Radio Section-Telephone&Telegraph Section)

A total of 16 Jeeps were alloted to the Divisional Signal Company...


Typical markings would be

2-X * 2S-21 (Front)

2-X (Rear Left) and 2S above 21 (Rear Right)


(21st vehicle of the 2nd Signal Company attached to Divisional HQ of the 2nd ID)

The above is well explained in

Shelby Stanton's Order of Battle in WW2
US Infantry Divisions 1943-1945 by Yves Bellanger

If you need more help, send me a PM and I'll send you my phone number....
I live near the coast...

[Johan WILLAERT]

The picture by Milo gives a clear view....

The 12AD (like on the photo) had the 152nd Armored Signal Company!! thus the markings 12/\-X * 152S-3 which was 3rd vehicle of the 152nd Armored Signal Company, attached to HQ of 12th AD...

Johan