Hi there
I have a question regardin the options for the Bedford QLR wireless truck.
Were these trucks used in all british division HQ's? Or am I stuck with the two options, which are provided from the IBG kit?
Thanks
Jacob

Well, one interesting option would be this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtG6niRiRXk

That's really cool looking, but I still think, that it's going to be a military vehicle, though.
Jacob

Jacob,

You can depict your QLR in any of the British formation HQs (I've assumed NW Europe c.'44) of the period as the vehicle would have been present at all levels of command ie Brigade, Division, Corps, Army and even Army Group HQs.

The trick will be to identify (and procure) the necessary markings but there is a wealth of information out there, of mostly quite colourful markings - so the world is pretty much your oyster!

I've often thought about modelling these myself, alongside a couple of Dorchester ACVs; it would be quite interesting modelling a Div HQ.

'Hope this helps.

Brian

Brian: thank you so much. I'll try to find more information, by doing my search though the divisions.
Thanks again
Jacob

Hi Centauro,

Thanks very much for posting the video - I enjoyed watching it. Quite a journey in that truck, across what appears to be every conceivable landscape and condition. Who knows, maybe I’ll try building the truck one of these days!

Cheers
Nick

Jacob,

A pleasure; if it's the Divisions - Infantry or Armoured - then it's relatively straightforward: the identifying number is a white 40 on a black square (on the left as you look at the front of the vehicle) and on the opposite side the badge of the Division concerned eg the black bull of 11th Armoured, the Wyvern of 43 Wessex Div and so on. These markings will be repeated on the vehicle rear.

I'm no WW2 expert but I think other markings would be a bridge classification plate, a vehicle serial number on the vehicle's doors, presumably a gas detection plate somewhere and I should think that's it.

Once parked up and forming part of the HQ complex, ie functioning in its actual role, a small sign indicating the respective Staff Branch would be displayed, either lodged on the vehicle itself, or, more likely, staked into the ground appropriately (near the access steps). Such signs would be, for example, "G Plans", "G Int" and so on. This is assuming that the HQ was the Main HQ (Formation HQs were divided into 2 components, "Main" and "Rear" - physically separated. The Main HQ contained the Commander and his immediate planning Staff, concerned with the actual warfighting operations.

Amongst the many Staff functions would be "Plans" or "Intelligence" as abbreviated above. The "G" prefix merely reflects the "General Staff" nomenclature.

I suspect such signs would be white on black.

Rear HQ was the component concerned with logistics and Administration etc.

The British Staff system at the time was - by today's relatively simplified NATO standards - horribly convoluted and reflected an historical development almost across the centuries. If you do need further clarification I'll gladly help.

Brian

This should be a link to a QLR from the 12th Manitoba Dragoons, a Canadian armoured car regiment.
Cheers
Bill Inglee

Off on a slight tangent, the R A F used these vehicles as well as the army

Thank you all, the respons' have all been very helpfull.

Jacob