I’ve managed to borrow the original prints and take some higher resolution scans, which I hope I’ve uploaded here.
Luckily there are three group photos taken from slightly different angle, so I’ve managed to piece together some of the markings. I’m not sure whether the resolution will be preserved by the upload process, but under a magnifier some details become quite clear.
Looking at one of the photos with 5 bikes:
The two bikes at left and 2nd from left are too indistinct to read anything certain.
The centre bike has the number C4861029 and the name Mary painted on the headlight blackout cover.
At 2nd from right, Sergeant Kendrick, the number is C4861020 and the tank badge is 404 upon white over presumably blue, as Ron suggested.
At far right, the number is C4861311, 404 on tank and the name Kit on headlight cover.
Additionally, helmets have the Air Formation Signals triangle on the front, with a numeral (illegible) at the apex.
The sign clearly reads 121 DR over 404. Another photo is annotated ‘121 DR Section’. Sgt Kendrick served with AFS at least from 1941 through to his post-war service in Singapore, 1950, so it seems that 404 was an AFS unit at the time of the photo, circa September 1943.
That’s about all I can read from these photos.
Interestingly Sgt Kendrick related a story of despatching some Germans with ‘figure of 8’ bursts from his Tommy gun. He was awarded a medal for the episode, so no reason to doubt his memory, but obviously he didn’t go armed with just the usual DR’s pistol.
John
