Early Tac Signs

The Early Tac Signs system seems to have been mostly used by the British Expeditionary Force in France, although there is some evidence to suggest that it was used by at least some Commonwealth countries. It was also being used in the UK and Middle East although only isolated incidences of the latter have been found to date.

 

The following shapes and colour splits have been identified so far:

 

Triangle split vertically Early Tac Signs

 

Triangle split horizontally Early Tac Signs

 

Triangle split diagonally Early Tac Signs

 

 

The above represents the HQ Battery. Different coloured bars were placed below the triangle to indicate the other Batteries. See below for the battery colour system.

 

Triangle green below Early Tac Signs
Triangle yellow below Early Tac Signs

 

Circle split vertically with 2 methods of showing the battery colour.

 

Cicle split vertically
Circle green below
Cicle yellow quadrant below

 

Circle split horizontally with 2 methods of showing the battery colour.

 

Circle green above
Circle yellow below

 

Squares and rectangles also appeared in different configurations.

 

Square yellow below
Square half yellow above
Square green above

 

Battery Identification Colours

 

There are 2 documentary sources for the colours although neither of them apply to the BEF. The first is from a book on the markings of 2 New Zealand Division in the Middle East and the other a document issued by British Troops Northern Ireland in January 1941.

 

The colours given in the first reference are:
Senior Bty – Green
Middle Bty – Yellow
Junior Bty – Light Blue

 

The colours given in the N.Ireland document are:
1st Bty – Green
2nd Bty – Yellow
3rd Bty – Light Blue
4th Bty – White

 

Conclusions

 

Although the first source is for New Zealand units, Commonwealth artillery tended to follow the UK marking systems. The second source used the colours as an additional bar below the Red/Blue AoS plate and not as a separate Tac Sign but they could well have been carried over from the earlier system.

 

As the 2 sets of colours concur it is reasonable to presume that these colours were those used for the geometric Tac Signs.

 

Other Markings

 

Photographic evidence shows that signals vehicles carried a white over blue rectangle above the Tac Sign. Whether this was just attached Royal Signals or all regimental signals vehicles is not clear.

 

Triangle signals bar above

 

Some units used letters and numbers to identify individual vehicles. These followed the same form as used on the later Tac Sign system.

 

Vertical oblong B4
Circle green below B2

 

 

The Royal Artillery 1939-45