What the well-dressed 'Wasp' crew wore
 

From DND archives, PA-190811. I'll wager those weren't nomex flame retardant masks although they would have some (minimal) value if they were wool. Does anyone know the signifigance of the 'T' and '10' inside the 'V' on the driver's plate? 10th test vehicle, perhaps?

Cheers, Dave

Carrier Marking
 

Hi there

It's the remains of a standard tactical marking for carriers:

white digits painted on a yellow-edged black diamond.

T-10= tracked(?) vehicle No.10

There were such tac signs prepared for all vehicles, but they are rarely seen except on carriers.

Tac signs for RCA and RCASC vehicles were much used, however.

Steve

Hi Steve
 

I see it now, what I took to be a 'V' is the lower portion of the diamond. Thank's for clearing that up.

Cheers, Dave

Dusty conditions........
 

Sounds like the crew was protecting itself from a lot of dust and fine gravel...... moving at high speed following other vehicles.....wearing googles...oops goggles wrong century!!!

Look at all the dried dust/mud..... and the gravel trapped inside the angle iron on the front glacis.......

Tailgating another UC perhaps??????

Or perhaps it's Halloween and they are trick and treating..??

What is the driver wearing there are no "epaulettes" on the shoulder of his top........ the other seems to be wearinga battle dress???

Bob

Bob

He would appear to be wearing the standard collar-less shirt.
You can see the lighter colour strip round the collar.

Clothing reproduction....
 

Thanks Neil.....must be a fashion consultant....

Does anyone have leads were one might have a period tunic or period work clothes amde to fit the now more "mature" North American wellfeed block....?????

I am personally leaning towards a coverall that seemd popular in or around motor pools.... have seen some kind of fade green cotton cloth with a small 1/4 inch woven herring bone pattern..... in most cases with a early Khaki berret or black berret......

....would most likely be eazy to wash to maintain...sleves are usually seen rolled up to the elbow......

Somehow driving around in a dusty greasy cab 11 doesn't lend itself to a Maj. Uniform!!!!!

Any suggestions?????

Buck private Bob!!

Note the heavy leather gloves on the driver and that the operator is complelely covered up. Surely the goggles were more for flame splash-back than anything else, hence the lack of helmets (nothing to trap and hold the fuel against the head). A high-risk job for sure.

Cheers, Dave

Bob

I can recommend an expert individual who makes repro British BD but not Canadian.

Hopefully there also be supply of repro Demin Tank Suits coming on to the market.

Obviously depends on what you want.

Re: Dusty conditions........
 

Think you got it smack on Bob!! A Wasp Carrier was seldom driven slowly!! They were driven goggles pushed against face fast!! If I was the enemy guess which carrier I would target first! The only other difference the crew uniforms had were the colour. They were brown. lol

Joking aside. As a carrier man they are the elite carrier crew in my estimation.

Nigel

It would be interesting to know how many units were issued with Wasps before the end of the war, and how many actually used them.

The book making tracks refers to most infantry battalions in 21st Army Group Group receiving an issue before the end of the war.

Certainly 43rd Recce received an issue but no training took place before the end of hostilities.