The tyres don't look new. Is this a Reserve Vehicle Depot ? 1A might relate to to the 'Reliability Class' - based simply on vehicle age / expected life-span.

hello all
on the entire picture ( IWM H37318) there are also RE WDCO, all seam to be the same contract ,yes it's a storage depot!! and about the 1a also think about an inspector marking, maybe... Like the "C1a" found on some flea tanks..




if someone got the answer?? i've paint the C1a on my flea tank but don't know what really it is but it look good

Arnaud

email (option): leger-arnaud@wanadoo.fr

Yes I was thinking of putting the 1A on my ML.....Just because I've seen it in an original picture Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Its a very very longshot but it could be "1st Airborne".

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Did they use ML's in those quantities Rob?

Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Ron, like I said its a very long shot.

We know that lots of MLs and Fleas were manufactured, and that they were too flimsy for continued long term combat use, the book Commando Despatch Rider mentions a temporary issue during the run up to D-Day but even that was replaced by a Welbike on the day due to the type of landing craft used.

In the airborne role, I assume that many of the lightweight machines used in training would have been damaged or destroyed, so on the rare occasion that an Airborne mission happened its quite possible that new equipment would be drawn from stores to guarantee reliability. So maybe an airborne Corps depot would have MLs earmarked for specific Divisions? A shortage of gliders which certainly happened at Arnhem could also mean a substitution of heavy motorcycle mentioned in the sub unit war establishment's for a larger quantity of lighter machines?

However the "CIA" or "C1A" shown on the petrol tanks in the other picture may mean something different, "Certified In Air" perhaps for a machine which had a special modification so it didn't leak petrol, or "Carried In Air" for a machine which had done a Glider landing and was decreed to be no longer suitable or a combat mission, much like the "DP" you find stencilled on worn out Bren Guns meaning "Drill Purposes Only".

All just guess work though.

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com