New Tank and Armoured Vehicle Data Plate Sharing Website

[AlexGreen]

Hi all,

I've set up a website to share photos of WW1 and WW2 Tank and Armoured Vehicle Data Plates (like the Matilda tank one below) . Either on or off tanks and the information around the plates.

https://militarydataplates.com/tank-plate/

It has a few data plates from my own collection on there at the moment, but I'd love if anyone has any photos of data plates they'd be willing to have shared on the website. Please post them as comments or email me at: militarydataplates@gmail.com

For each plate if you could mention the tank it is off, any history about the plate/tank and if the plate is still on the tank, a photo of the tank itself with the plate visible as well would be great.

Cheers,
Alex

[AlexGreen]

New Article on what are Tank Data Plates and their role on a tank.

https://militarydataplates.com/what-...k-data-plates/

[Mike Cecil]

Thanks Alex, I posted the website address on the Great War Forum, and several people have indicated they found the site and plate collection of interest, as I have.

The problem with the British method of using a nice brass plate with the data on it was that the data was not stamped into the hull anywhere as well. As the plate was a nice curious, both when in service and after, they are more often than not missing, which makes identifying a particular vehicle quite difficult once the painted-on registration has been rubbed off or over-painted.

Australian vehicles like the MG Carrier have the hull number stamped into a discrete place inside the hull at the rear, so are still identifiable. A Matilda tank, for example, does not: no plate, no identity.

Mike

[AlexGreen]

That's great to hear Mike and thanks for sharing the website, hopefully it means more information and pictures of data plates can be added to the website.

That's very interesting to hear about the lacking of stamping information into the hulls and difficulty in identifying them. I'm writing a article on British tank data plate specifically at the moment so ill definitely include this.

From a practical sense not stamping the data doesn't make much sense as the plates were often souvenired by the crews after a tour or the ones on the out side of the hulls fell off when damaged or knocked. The dragon light IIc plate being a prime example as it was found near Salisbury plain and presumably fell off during a exercise.

[Robin Craig]

Good day,

Alex we have already exchanged emails about post WW2 data plates.

Both of you have identified what is an incredibly weak point in the system as it was then.

So when you couple the removal of the data plate and time removes the painted on VRN then all you are left with is a hull number or perhaps a casting number.

Sadly for some series of British armoured vehicles the hull number is not carried over onto the data cards which may have survived at Bovington or a RLC. Couple that with no factory surviving records in some cases the vehicles are lost for any genuine chance of identification by anyone restoring them.

It can be frustrating.

[AlexGreen]

New Tanks Plates added:

Centurion Mark III -*https://militarydataplates.com/centurion-mark-iii/
Centurion Mark V -*https://militarydataplates.com/centurion-mark-iii/
Centaur Mark IV CS Seawolf -*https://militarydataplates.com/centa...iv-cs-seawolf/
Churchill 75mm Turret plate:*https://militarydataplates.com/churc...ret-gun-plate/
Cavalier Lubrication Chart -*https://militarydataplates.com/caval...ication-chart/

[tankbarrell]

I think that Centaur IV plate is a fake. It was offered for sale on ebay and appeared on here but the seller later admitted to faking it. It's possible it's genuine and not the one that was for sale but that seems extremely unlikely. Afaik, all the RMASG Centaurs were left in France.

[AlexGreen]

Originally Posted by tankbarrell

I think that Centaur IV plate is a fake. It was offered for sale on ebay and appeared on here but the seller later admitted to faking it. It's possible it's genuine and not the one that was for sale but that seems extremely unlikely. Afaik, all the RMASG Centaurs were left in France.

I remember seeing that post before and that the evidence for it being a fake didn't seem convincing. Do you have a link to where the seller admitted to faking it?

[Lynn Eades]

I assume Alex, that you have no interest in carrier plates, as you have none listed?

[tankbarrell]

Originally Posted by AlexGreen

I remember seeing that post before and that the evidence for it being a fake didn't seem convincing. Do you have a link to where the seller admitted to faking it?

The admission did not appear online but is well known amongst those who know him. All a bit of fun, apparently.

[AlexGreen]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

I assume Alex, that you have no interest in carrier plates, as you have none listed?

No Lynn definitely interested in carrier plates too. We have a Dragon Light Carrier on the website at the moment https://militarydataplates.com/dragon-light-mark-iic/ and a Universal Carrier Mark Ia* plate is going on soon as well as section just for carriers.

[Mike Cecil]

Centurion Mark III -*https://militarydataplates.com/centurion-mark-iii/
Centurion Mark V -*https://militarydataplates.com/centurion-mark-iii/

Hi Alex,

Did you mean to link both of these plates to the same address, or is there a MkV plate lurking on the site somewhere?

Some nice additions - keep them coming, please.

Regards

Mike

[AlexGreen]

Will do, some more plates including a Centurion are coming soon! Yeah my bad copy and pasting.

https://militarydataplates.com/centurion-mark-v/

All the tanks plates currently on the website are listed here too
https://militarydataplates.com/tank-plate/

[Mike Cecil]

Thanks Alex,

You'll notice the feint "/1" adjacent to the "V" - it's on the main plate, not the raised section. Indicates the tank was upgraded at some later time to Mk5/1 standard ie the addition of an extra armoured plate to the upper glacis plate.

Nice header image too - is that a Brit Army photo or some other country like Denmark?

Regards

Mike

[AlexGreen]

Originally Posted by tankbarrell

The admission did not appear online but is well known amongst those who know him. All a bit of fun, apparently.

That is sad to hear if it is indeed true as he was selling forgeries knowingly.

The plate itself appears to be genuine from its quality and age however he could have re stamped an original plate off another Centaur. I'll have a further look into the stamping and type style of the plate.

[AlexGreen]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Thanks Alex,

You'll notice the feint "/1" adjacent to the "V" - it's on the main plate, not the raised section. Indicates the tank was upgraded at some later time to Mk5/1 standard ie the addition of an extra armoured plate to the upper glacis plate.

Nice header image too - is that a Brit Army photo or some other country like Denmark?

Regards

Mike

Great spot thank you for the information I'll add that to the post.

I believe its actually from a video game although it looks deceptively real.

[tankbarrell]

Surely the BA series tanks were new build. Any tank that had been a Txxxxxx would have become a xxZRxx, would it not?

[Mike Cecil]

Alistair & Adrian,

I think you will find that 35707T is the part number of the early pattern gunmetal plate, the much larger later pattern Aluminium plate being 44521T.

Registrations had a T prefix, rather than a suffix, whereas many Centurion (and other UK AFVs?) part numbers have a T suffix.

I agree with Adrian: this is a new build, model K tank. Not sure when the switch to the Mk V (ie co-ax .30cal M1919A4) from the Mk III ie co-ax 7.92mm BESA) occurred in production, but Nov 1951 seems too early. If I'm correct then this tank started life as a MkIII.

Regards

Mike

[AlexGreen]

Added some new plates that have been sent in:

Canadian Built Grant M3 Medium – https://militarydataplates.com/m3-grant-plate/
M3 Lee Medium Tank Plate 2 – https://militarydataplates.com/medium-m3-lee-plate-2/
M4A1 Sherman Tank – https://militarydataplates.com/m4a1-sherman-plate/
Panzer IV Ausf F Plate 2 – https://militarydataplates.com/panzer-iv-plate-2/
Panzer III – https://militarydataplates.com/panzer-iii-plate/

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Hi Alex, you wrote:

built by Montreal Locomotive works known as a Grizzly, went to Russia and Libya ,first combat Sherman

The Grizzly tank was built in Canada, retained for training there, a number were supplied to Portugal after WW2. That’s it in a nutshell....

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Where did you get this information? It is full of mistakes...

ank: M3 Grant Canada built

Tank Serial Number: 25005

Tank Builder: Baldwin Locomotive Works

Tank Build Date: March 1942

Additional Markings: Traces of Stone colour paint on edges so located on outside hull

plate made from bronze rather than brass

Plate

Plate Bring back from western desert , these Grants were shipped straight to Egypt from Canada hence no WD plate. The T serial number 25005 is very close to a known El Alamein Grant of 25016 called Robin Hood II

[Mike Cecil]

Hanno,

The Centurion MkV/I entry has not been corrected either (see my post 24/2/2020, above re the 'registration' number actually being the part number).

Mike

[AlexGreen]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Hanno,

The Centurion MkV/I entry has not been corrected either (see my post 24/2/2020, above re the 'registration' number actually being the part number).

Mike

Yes thanks for the information I thought I had updated it but have corrected it now

[AlexGreen]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Hi Alex, you wrote:



The Grizzly tank was built in Canada, retained for training there, a number were supplied to Portugal after WW2. That’s it in a nutshell....

Yes thank you for the correction. Could you elaborate further about the wrong information on the grant plate?

[tankbarrell]

Grants were all built in the USA to UK orders, they were not Lend Lease so likely the plate was in the British style. The other M3 plate you show was to a US order.
There is no such thing as a Canadian built M3 Grant.

[AlexGreen]

Originally Posted by tankbarrell

Grants were all built in the USA to UK orders, they were not Lend Lease so likely the plate was in the British style. The other M3 plate you show was to a US order.
There is no such thing as a Canadian built M3 Grant.

Ah I see I think I was getting confused with the Grizzly when I was typing the information.

[Ed Storey]

It might be worthwhile to also amend the Tank Data Plates list to reflect the corrections as the M3 Grant is still recorded as being Canadian manufactured.