Number markings font...

[Tim Sullivan]

All,

Was talking with a buddy last night about the numbering on vehicles and we got talking about the actual font the numbers were in. Looking at Commonwealth numbers they seem to have a bit of.....style to lacka better term, rather than just being basic block letters.

Does anyone have any idea of a font that is close to or exactly the font used by Commonwealth vehicles in WWII? Any help or input would be graetly appreciated.

Thanks a million,

Tim

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by Tim Sullivan

Does anyone have any idea of a font that is close to or exactly the font used by Commonwealth vehicles in WWII?

Tim,

On British vehicles of the period, many were in the style of attached photo. This is one of the Dingos which I have restored. On one of them, after rubbing down, an original number was found and traced, it was Stencil font, on printing the number on the computor and sizing it, it matched the tracing exactly. Note the letter is of a plain bold font and does not always appear in Stencil font.

Richard

[Tim Sullivan]

Thanks for the reply, that again is different than what I've seen as well Methinks then that there was no hard and fast rules as to "this is the font".

Thanks again!

Tim

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Tim Sullivan
Methinks then that there was no hard and fast rules as to "this is the font".

Well, in asmuch that the military issued standard stencilling kits.

H.

[Crewman]

Originally posted by Tim Sullivan
Does anyone have any idea of a font that is close to or exactly the font used by Commonwealth vehicles in WWII? Any help or input would be graetly appreciated.

Hi,

Sometimes the rule is lack of rule…

Here it is "Polish style" from the MTO. For example selected AFVs of the Polish 4th Armoured Regiment "The Scorpions" can be seen with this lettering. The same goes for the Polish 7th Anti-Armour Regiment -- both regiments of the Polish 2nd Corps fighting at Italian fronts.




The other type of the Polish style AoS can be seen below. This is modern reenacting photo none the less it shows very well the jeep that belongs to 12. Pu³k U³anów Podolskich (12th Podolian Ulan Regiment). The regiment belonged to the Polish 3. Dywizja Strzelców Karpackich (3rd Carpathian Rifles Division) and it was divisional reconnaissance unit. The 3rd Division was an element of the Polish 2nd Corps in Italy.


Photo source and more information http://www.12lancers.com/


Best regards

C.

[Crewman]

Small BTW to this thread but I also have always been interested in such a detail as the WWII fonts in various markings. This time something about the US Army.


US Library of Congress LC-USE6-D-001325

[servicepub (RIP)]

Although I did not copy the reference I have read in documents found at Archives that, when numbers are applied using a stencil, the 'gaps' were to be filled in by hand.
I also have, at home and therefore I cannot post until tonight, a copy of the 1943 instructions which show, in 1:1 scale, the number style for each digit. It also shows the spacing for signs that consisted of 2 or 3 digits. The font for these signs is close to "Arial" or "Helvetica".

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally posted by servicepub
Although I did not copy the reference I have read in documents found at Archives that, when numbers are applied using a stencil, the 'gaps' were to be filled in by hand.
I also have, at home and therefore I cannot post until tonight, a copy of the 1943 instructions which show, in 1:1 scale, the number style for each digit. It also shows the spacing for signs that consisted of 2 or 3 digits. The font for these signs is close to "Arial" or "Helvetica".

I'd like to see that too, Clive, if it wouldn't be too much trouble.

[Crewman]

Hello,

Originally posted by servicepub
Although I did not copy the reference I have read in documents found at Archives that, when numbers are applied using a stencil, the 'gaps' were to be filled in by hand.

As always at the wars…

… sometimes yes…


US Library of Congress LC-DIG-fsa-8e10717

… sometimes no.



Best regards

C.

[servicepub (RIP)]

Crewman,

My comments were directed to Canadian Army. I never attempt to understand how the US Army works.

[servicepub (RIP)]

The specific instructions refer to these numbers for AoS signs and not for WD numbers. However, I think that they were used both ways.

[servicepub (RIP)]

Here is a photo of the stencil lines being painted in by hand. This was required by Routine Orders although it was often ignored.