Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Cecil
When the unit was posted to join 23 Inf Bde, they were allocated the unit sign of 53 on a red background, as per NT Force GS Instruction dated 15 December 1942.....Why 53 on red? Hell, I don't know: some officer in higher HQ said so, that's why!
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I think we can make sense of it Mike. It seems there were two separate units formed from 10 and 48 Inf Bns:
1. E Coy, 48 Inf Bn joined 19 MG Regt in late '42, converting them to 19 MG Bn within 23 Inf Bde. Unit sign for MG Bn at that time was 53 on Red, which would seem to explain the December '42 instruction. Vehicle marking system changed in January '43, the new unit sign for NT Force MG Bn being 35 on Red. These Jan '43 instructions also introduced NT Force formation sign (Buffalo on Boomerang) which I assume would be present on all vehicles by March. The earliest appearance in photos I can actually date is 15 March.
2. 10/48 Inf Bn joined 3 Inf Bde in late '42, then joined 23 Inf Bde in March '43. As the last to arrive their unit sign should be 77 on Brown as you say.
Not sure what this means for Darrin's carrier but hopefully it adds to the picture. Info below reproduced from Australia's Forgotten Army Volume 2:
