I recently read Patrick Dalzel-Job’s ‘Arctic Snow to Dust of Normandy: the extraordinary wartime exploits of a naval special agent’ and the photographs of 30th Assault Unit Jeeps, Humber scout cars and C-15TA armoured 15cwt trucks (and the mention of a Staghound) suggest a good 1/76 modelling project.

Robert Lockie spotted scenes of RN C-15TAs on British Pathe film 1994.09 and these clearly belong to 30 AU too.

The Humbers are in overall SCC 15 (presumably) with the circled white star on the glacis (if scout cars have a glacis) and an RN tac sign on the left mudguard. However, it’s not clear how the RN tac sign is configured. Some of the photos seem to show the RN painted directly onto the mudguard, others appear to show the usual rectangular sign with RN stencilled on it. If the latter is correct, what colour would the sign be (I assume the RN is white)?

One of the Pathe stills shows a formation(?) sign on the right rear of a C-15TA. It isn’t very clear but may be a two colour sign. Could it be a Royal Marines formation sign?

There is also the number 30 on the rear of the C-15TA and that seems to be yellow.

Any tips the correct markings for 30 AU vehicles would be most welcome.

David

My new site all about 30 assault unit has many photo's, soon to be more, some if which show vehicles of the unit.
http://www.30AU.co.uk

Alan,

Thank you!

David,

I'm also researching 30AU (for a 1/35 dio).

Attain by Surprise (ISBN 0 9526257 2-5) edited by Sqn Ldr David Nutting MBE RAFVR (one of 30's pet crabs) is well worth a look. There are a couple of pics of Humber's (one named "Sasanach") as well as both armoured and unarmoured jeeps.

Sadly none of the pics are good enough/the right part of the vehicle to show the Tac Signs (although all the ones in this book were crewed by RM rates, not RN) so I would go with the RM formation sign (at a guess).

Sorry I can't help you more.

Please drop me a note if you have found anything else...

It's a while since I posted this question and I haven't made much progress.

Allan's 30 Assault Unit website is a great source of information. It's a pity the troops didn't think of the requirements of modellers when they posed in front of their vehicles and obscured the markings

There is one advance; the price of Attain by Surprise has skyrocketed! I should have followed John's advice and bought one at the time

I will just keep plugging away.

Cheers

David

This is becoming a long-running thread!
I recently purchased a copy of 'Attain by Surprise' (P/B) for a mere £8.00 from Amazon. It even had a letter from the author to a friend inside.
It included a photo of a Humber Scout car called 'SASANACH'.

Sometimes you get lucky!

A Merry Christmas to all our readers.

Paul Middleton
President, MAFVA