I posted this on the MAFVA forum so I hope I'm not doing the wrong thing by 'forum shopping'.

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

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...