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How non-airborne marked Jeeps are out there?


willysmb44
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I just re-painted my 44 MB bumpers for a generic "COMZ" markings. But it makes me wonder how many others have them for non "hard charger" outfits...

 

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3/1/2018

DWIV

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General Apathy

 

 

I just re-painted my 44 MB bumpers for a generic "COMZ" markings. But it makes me wonder how many others have them for non "hard charger" outfits...


Hi Lee, yes we had to laugh as we watched a group of military vehicles pass through St. Mere Eglise this year in Normandy, amongst the group appeared a Chevrolet bomb hoist, with the hoist on the rear complete with large reproduction bombs, and on the front and rear of the vehicle it was marked up ' 506 E. Co.' :lol:

We are now waiting with bated breath for sightings of the first Sherman or DUKW ( Duck ) with airborne markings. :rolleyes:

Cheers ( Lewis )
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Johan Willaert

OK, I admit... Back in 1983 when I bought my GPW, I marked it to the 506th... Inspiration came from the Osprey booklet about the 101st featuring a very nice full color drawing of 506th troopers on the ground in Normandy.

AND I couldn't wait to get those Free French 2AD markings off the windshield... :lol:

 

Mygpw01.jpg

Mygpw02.jpg

 

Since the late 80's it has been marked to the 16IR, but I have been thinking about changing them for a while now.

 

MygpwT3.jpg

 

One possibility I thought about was to mark it as one of the George Stevens' Jeeps (SHAEF SPECOU), but I recently read an article in a MV magazine about an English group already doing that.

 

Maybe I should return to my first 'love' and mark it to the 29ID using the Normandy Tactical markings.... Not a lot of those around.

 

All of these marking issues have withheld me from marking the Harley to a specific unit. No markings fit all occasions. If I ever repaint the Jeep, it will probably end up wioth its blue drab USA number without any other markings...

 

Johan

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Battle For Brest

Beautiful Leclerc's Jeep. :)

 

29th bumper's markings, good idea ! :lol:

 

I shall like seeing it later. w00t.gif

 

Regards, thumbsup.gif

 

Jérémy.

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Hi Lee, yes we had to laugh as we watched a group of military vehicles pass through St. Mere Eglise this year in Normandy, amongst the group appeared a Chevrolet bomb hoist, with the hoist on the rear complete with large reproduction bombs, and on the front and rear of the vehicle it was marked up ' 506 E. Co.' :lol:
We are now waiting with bated breath for sightings of the first Sherman or DUKW ( Duck ) with airborne markings. :rolleyes:
I'm not shocked by that at all. A friend who was in Belgium two years ago for the bulge events swore he saw a M-8 or M-20 armored car with E/506 markings! I really do feel sorry for those who were big into 101st before Band of Brothers came out. You'd think they should qualify for some kind of "Pre-BoB campaign ribbon" or something. I got into 82nd AB only because I grew up close to Ft Benning and was in a climate where the jump suits were better to wear than wool at tactical events. The irony is I really did serve with the real-life 2nd ID but have rarely ever worn that patch for living history events.
Here's a shot of my Jeep taken last month, when it still had 82nd markings:

I'd had these markings on for most of the time I've owned it (since 1999). For a short while, I had 91st BG markings on it. There was a 82nd AB re-enacting group forming in my area but it never really went anywhere. Interest in 82nd has ebbed and flowed around here and I found myself going to less and less events with my jump suit. I also got really tired of people asking me which brigade of the real 82nd I'd served with (because we all know, you can't do living history of a US unit you never served with, right? ermm.gif ). My developing interest in War Correspondents, coupled with the fact I look less and less like a paratrooper with each passing day, made me realize I was covering up the AB markings at events more often than I was letting them be seen. Note here at a parade, my Jeep in the lead:

These "COMMZ" markings will pretty much allow almost any ETO impression with the justification that I "borrowed" the Jeep off some rear echelon guy when he wasn't looking…

post-96964-0-67246200-1519936058_thumb.jpg

post-96964-0-65610500-1519936062_thumb.jpg

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Johan Willaert

Like this one:



A captured Jeep used by the Germans, shown in Michel De Trez' Ste Mere Eglise Book, inspired the British owner of this Willys MB at the Carentan Airborne Festival in 2007

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Mine is marked 2nd ID, but since I quit the reenacting hobby, I am going to remark her to my Grandfathers WW2 Unit, the 308th Combat Engineer Bn, 83rd Infantry Div.

post-96964-0-55249700-1519936124_thumb.jpg

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Hi All,

 

Cheating, maybe, but my 41 Willys is in its original Plain Jane British markings, original Bonnet (Hood) number, but not even a white star painted on it. ;)

 

Here it is, with a little more history, towards the bottom of my Intro post.

 

1941 British Army MB

 

Incidentally, I also have the 1944 British 'Airborne' SS Cars jeep trailer to go with it. This isn't marked 'Airborne' either, since not all were.

 

Sorry, enough Britsh stuff... :rolleyes:

 

Best Regards,

 

Prof

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  • 2 months later...

My two Jeeps are currently "Plain Janes", (I only have a photo of my MB to share). They are both older restorations, as time and funds allow my father and I are going back and re-doing some systems etc.

 

Both have atributed Australian Army use, but I'm in the process of doing a radio fit out for the MB. My Script GPW has US and Australian hood numbers.

 

I went to a local club event in October and saw a MB with Carbine, a side mounted Bren gun, 50cal on a pintle and a french radio mounted on it, that makes me cringe

post-2577-1228803264.jpg

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My '44 is still marked as it was by the WWII Vet who owned it before me. He stated he was part of the 14th Infantry Regt, but his Ordanance Disposal Squad was attached to the 90th Division after he arrived in Europe. His 'Squad' had 2 Jeeps and a Weapons Carrier. He marked this Jeep as he recalled his Jeep had been.

[ 3A 90 ] ________________ [ 14 INF ]

At least, that was his story . . . and I am leaving the bumpers alone for now.
The tire pressure markings were put on by him as well. Were these only 'post war' or found 'late war' as well ?

 

DEAD LINK

3/1/2018

DWIV


Doc

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