285th FAOB Posted August 27, 2010 Share #1 Posted August 27, 2010 Are there and references to the three horizontal bars I have seen painted on various pieces field equipment? Are they just for the ETO? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scmcgeorge Posted August 27, 2010 Share #2 Posted August 27, 2010 Yes it was ETO only..... the color stripes are coded to coincide with the 5 digit unit serial number assigned to every unit, down to company level in the ETO. The directive covering the system is contained in HQ ETOUSA document entitled " European Theater of Operations, Preparation for Overseas Movement, Long Sea Voyage" dated 21 July 1943. I searched for years but have never been able to find the complete directory listing of unit serial numbers. It must be the size of a phone book. I published an article on the subject in 1993 or 1994 in Army Motors. Color codes are as follows : 1= buff 2=OD 3=Yellow,bright 4=green, bright 5= grey 6=blue, dark 7= maroon 8=red bright 9= white lead 0=brown dark Color for last digit in unit serial number is middle stripe, next to last digit in unit serial number are top and bottom stripes . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scmcgeorge Posted August 27, 2010 Share #3 Posted August 27, 2010 More info : one of the V Corps movement directives for Operation NEPTUNE states that equipment was to be marked as follows: Color bars reflecting the higher unit ( Regiment or separate battalion) with the company 5 digit code stencilled above the bars. An earlier version of color bar marking was used in Italy in 1943, but never found complete documentation on the earlier system. It seems a differnt system from the one prescribed in the ETO-POM Long Sea Voyage directive. The only unit serial number data I have is from Movement Tables for units landing on OMAHA beach. Steve McG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Willaert Posted August 27, 2010 Share #4 Posted August 27, 2010 The only unit serial number data I have is from Movement Tables for units landing on OMAHA beach. Steve McG Hi STeve, Could you share that with us??? Or at least the units of the 29ID??? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
285th FAOB Posted August 27, 2010 Author Share #5 Posted August 27, 2010 Great information! Do you have any information on the five digit code of 42781 with the bars underneath that look like bright green,dark blue, bright green? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Willaert Posted August 27, 2010 Share #6 Posted August 27, 2010 Great information! Do you have any information on the five digit code of 42781 with the bars underneath that look like bright green,dark blue, bright green? Thanks Most 427xx numbers were given to 2ID units.... http://www.med-dept.com/pom/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
285th FAOB Posted August 28, 2010 Author Share #7 Posted August 28, 2010 Here's a pic of the unit number and color bars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
285th FAOB Posted August 31, 2010 Author Share #8 Posted August 31, 2010 So this would definitely not be a 29th ID item? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
285th FAOB Posted September 7, 2010 Author Share #9 Posted September 7, 2010 Anyone?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scmcgeorge Posted September 8, 2010 Share #10 Posted September 8, 2010 have not been able to find 42781 in my documents, but 42783 ws Hq and HQ Btry 2nd Div Arty - suspect 42781 may have been 2nd Div unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinb Posted September 9, 2010 Share #11 Posted September 9, 2010 I have two pieces in my collection with the bars painted on them. This one is on a M1935 bed roll issued to Lt. Mel Cummins. He was in an artillery unit in Southern France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinb Posted September 9, 2010 Share #12 Posted September 9, 2010 And this one is on a duffle bag named to an Lt. This bag has the bars painted on the bottom and the side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Army_Brat Posted September 24, 2010 Share #13 Posted September 24, 2010 Hi everybody, a few weeks ago I bought a duffle bag here in the area of Kitzingen, Germany. I found the enlistment information on the page of the national archive were it said that he served in the Air Corps. Now I was trying find out more about the unit. The number I found on the bag is 52290, the bars are so faded away that you can't tell what colour they were because the guy who I bought it from used it as a cover for his opening hours sign. And the duffle bag is stamped 1943. I already looked on the website that was posted earlier but I didn't find anything with this number. So if anybody has some information I'd be very greatfull. Thanks already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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