Finding Unit and tactical markings from vehicle number

1941 - 1945, MB, GPW Technical questions and discussions, regarding anything related to the WWII jeep.
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wynnski
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Finding Unit and tactical markings from vehicle number

Post by wynnski » Wed Feb 14, 2018 11:22 pm

Hello
I expect this has been covered before but I cannot find it. If it has please point me in the right direction.

Is there any away of telling which regiment, battalion etc a Jeep ended up in by either the chassis number or the hood number so that the correct markings and unit numbers can be applied during restoration.
GPW #106837


Fabrizio
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Re: Finding Unit and tactical markings from vehicle number

Post by Fabrizio » Wed Feb 14, 2018 11:25 pm

Hi!
Unless you find period pictures, or some extraordinary archive, no there is no way, sadly!
GPW #3606 “LIBBY”
"Jeep is America's only real sports car." - Enzo Ferrari

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Chuck Lutz
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Re: Finding Unit and tactical markings from vehicle number

Post by Chuck Lutz » Thu Feb 15, 2018 8:42 am

1) is the jeep in the US or Europe or ?
2) even with that info, it may have crossed the Atlantic once or twice
3) based on the DOD, you can probably eliminate some destinations
4) from there, you need to determine the EXACT USA NUMBER
5) then start looking at LIFE or other magazine photos for a jeep with that hood number and some info on the unit
6) also, there are personal histories from units in all theaters which might actually show a jeep with that hood number

The most obvious is a painfully slow search of the jeep in question for unit marks or tac signs or something that might give you a clue to where it served and thereby narrow the search.

Basically though, you are probably better off putting a couple bucks on the lottery to win Powerball than you will have odds of finding what you are looking for. However, your search will be both informative and possibly give you SOME indication of the Theater of Operations (or if it stayed in the USA) and from there you can make some decision about how to mark it up after restoration.

To answer your question about using the Serial number (or frame number) in the search....forget about it for anything beyond dating WHEN the jeep was produced. The USA number is the way to find info if it exists...
Chuck Lutz

GPW 17963 4/24/42 Chester, PA. USA 20113473 (USA est./Tom W.)
Bantam T3-C 1947

wynnski
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Re: Finding Unit and tactical markings from vehicle number

Post by wynnski » Thu Feb 15, 2018 10:44 am

Thank you both for your replys.

My GPW is number 106837, which puts about April 1943 and at a guess I suspect it may not have come to the UK. It probabley went where they were fighting at that time, which would have been North Africa or Northern Mediterranian like Italy. That is only my thinking.

When I put the chassis number into the calculator the hood (bonnet) number came back 20370395.

I have rubbed down the hood (bonnet) and the numbers are gone, it has been rubbed down in the past. There is a faint echo of numbers where the paint has been drawn up by whatever numbers were there.

If anyone is interested my paint layers were from the metal.....yellowish primer, red (presumably red oxide) and then a dark green, on which I think the numbers were painted. Then it had been rubbed down painted in grey primer then a top coat of cammoflage paint.

Does anyone out there have a jeep close to my number and know what their hood number is. I will put this question up as a sperate topic
GPW #106837


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