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Notes on British Vehicle book numbering systems :

The British authorities seem to have used several different series of numbers for their publications. At the outbreak of the war in September 1939 most vehicles were issued with an active service log book (Army Book AB 412) and a handbook for the driver. The handbook was produced by the manufacturer of that vehicle and usually carried a huge rubberstamp across the cover and the title page specifying the contract under which the vehicle was ordered. For example :-

1127/32/1 Humber Light recce Car mk II spares list

Where the contract number is 1127, contract reference (for the army) is 32, and 1 denotes spares list. A /2 suffix would denote a handbook and a /4 suffix would be a driver’s handbook.

Mainly due to too many vehicles, and likewise equipment, being out of service the general lay-out of all maintenance through Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Royal Army Service Corps and the Royal Armoured Corps was centralised through a new organisation, founded in 1942: The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, abbreviated to REME.

This new organisation was involved in improving maintenance, and started making their own manuals and handbooks, containing a schedule of maintenance for each driver: the daily task system. This system is described in some late 1941 publications.

REME vehicle publications were no longer using the contract and reference in their number but only a 100 or 101 prefix and a makers initials and actual book number, for example :

100/HR3 Humber Car 4x2 7str limousine driver's handbook (1942)

100/ stands for driver’s hanbook, a 101/ pre-fix would be the much thicker maintenance manual. HR is the abriviation used for Humber and this comes back in the spare parts labelling. HR3 is the third book produced for driver maintenance for Humber vehicles.

A complete book on all ‘B’ vehicles driver’s handbooks, maintenance manuals and spares lists is available at the reading rooms of the Imperial War Museum, London. This book lists in alphabatical order of manufacturer per category Driver’s Handbook, Maintenance manual and spares list.

A different series book vehicle book numbers is given out by RAOC Chilwell, the exact meaning is unknown, but the pre-fix number seem to indicate either a make or make and specific type, the second number is probably the actual book number.

60/49 Humber armoured car mk IV instruction book (1943)

British and Canadian Re-print manuals :

  • GB British and Canadian War Department Vehicles
  • GB British War Department Motorcycles
  • GB Royal Army Ordnance Corps & Royal Army Medical Corps
  • GB British Royal Corps of Signals
  • GB British War Office publications, miscellaneous British publications and paperwork (incl. WD Forms) for re-enactment.
  • GB British Military Training Manuals and British Field Service Pocket Books
  • GB British Small Arms Training Pamphlets etc.

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    Version 1.3 Updated 4th January 2001. © copyright 2000, 2001 Groucho Publishing, The Little Farm, Ivychurch, KENT, TN29 0AL, UK. Please send your comments / queries to : Groucho Publishing

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