L42A1 transit chest mystery markings

[bigduke6]

Was this the one on Guntrader Kev ?

[Peter Laidler]

The UIN's are restricted info but in your case the UIN against the Duke of Boots (as they were commonly known.....) is bleedin obvious I'd say!

[browningautorifle]

a well known exercise called Pond Jump West which was carried out in Wainwright, Canada

Been there, done them.

[chosenman]

Haha! Oh what joy for dismounted troops!

[Thunderbox]

I can't think of an answer to the 5/7 unless there was a 5th Brigade somewhere......... I can't recall one!

It is (or was) a 5 Airborne Brigade unit. I can't remember who 5/7 was (pretty sure it was a Para bn), but my own unit was 5/14 at that time.

[gundoc2112]

It is (or was) a 5 Airborne Brigade unit. I can't remember who 5/7 was (pretty sure it was a Para bn), but my own unit was 5/14 at that time.

I'm of the mind that 5/7 is some kind of embark code. Both Chosenman's and mine have the marking and are both from 10th GR SP Coy. In searching through the archives of this site, I also came across a photo of a chest reading 22SAS that also bears the 5/7 marking.

[Peter Laidler]

While we're on this thread and box markings.......... Is there a chemist out there who can tell the flock of a sure-fire way of carefully removing one layer of paint to uncover what's written underneath, then the next layer and the next and so on. The only known method for the blanket stacker/storemen types I even encountered was one of those harsh belt sanders, an even harsher wire brush or just daub another artistic layer of paint over what is already there.

Any chemists..........?

[Thunderbox]

I'm of the mind that 5/7 is some kind of embark code. Both Chosenman's and mine have the marking and are both from 10th GR SP Coy. In searching through the archives of this site, I also came across a photo of a chest reading 22SAS that also bears the 5/7 marking.

Yes, they were mainly used as movement manifest codes (part of the chalk codes). All vehicles, boxed stores and large equipments carried the mark. 5 Airborne Brigade applied these marks even to personal kit, because of the particular need to sort out stuff on a parachute DZ - e.g. my own Bergans from that era carry my regimental DZ flash, plus the 5/14 chalk code (both permanently painted).

However, I'm pretty sure they were uniquely allocated to specific units, rather than any sort of formation-level organisation that might account for shared usage. I.e. if 5/7 has clearly been linked to 10th GR, then that must have been its 5 AB Bde code (Edit: both 10 GR and 7 GR both formed part of 5 AB Bde OOB at some point). I'm not sure why a 22 SAS item should carry another unit's code in this case, unless they are simply from different issue dates and not removed, or if 10 GR was acting as "parent unit" for the purpose of shipping stores for a major overseas exercise or similar. Unlikely for the SAS to be parented, but it did often happen with other "atts and dets" - non-formation units coming under administration for the exercise or operational deployment.

[DanL96a1]

Chosenman looks like RobD might have a rifle of the same regiment and his shows the uin as well
https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=31327

[chosenman]

Dan, my rifle used to belong to RobD. Same rifle, been meaning to uncover the markings for years. Been busy doing some research and found several former snipers of the period (mid to late eighties) and I think I've found the guy the rifle was issued to. If correct he won best sniper at the UKLF sniper concentration, Otterburn in 87 with this rifle. Furthermore it would look like it's one of the very few L42's inherited from the Royal Anglians that never broke down and went the full distance with 3 RGJ