Dan Taylor Modelworks

8th Armoured Brigade

& Gold beach

The couple of Sherman III kits I’ve bought to represent vehicles used in Normandy, didn’t have the decals I wanted. Sadly the kit makers apparently neglect the French summer of 1944. So I bought this set dedicated to vehicles seen on Gold beach on D-Day. It is printed for 1/76 vehicles, but the difference being very little (about 5%) the markings can also be used for 1/72 scale models. It is a mixed set with generic markings and some specific vehicles.

The generic part gives markings [unit badge and Arms of Service (AoS)] for eight 8th Armoured Brigade (AB) vehicles, four 2nd CLY 79th Armoured Division (AB) vehicles and four 6th Assault Regiment 79th AD vehicles.
The specific vehicles are five 8th AB Sherman tanks, a 31st AB Churchill tank, a 50th Infantry Division (ID) Humber utility vehicle, a 50th ID universal carrier and a 50th ID ambulance (although the last two don’t have a WD number or a specific marking, Mr. Dan Taylor wrote me they correctly depict two photographed vehicles plausibly repainted in SCC15).

Mk V T147308, 8th Bde HQ VIRGIN.
The markings are correct as depicted, but the original tank was a Mk III.

Mk Vc T148496, 24 Lancers A Sqn.
Correct as depicted [IWM B5416], but the triangle should be also on the rear turret bin (in the original tank photo, it is hidden by some personal items, but it is visible on another Firefly of the same unit). See notes below for the glacis.

Mk I T152081, 24 Lancers HQ.
The original tank [IWM B6218] was a Mk III. I’ve found it with the WD number reported as T152881, anyway Dan Taylor wrote me it could be “081” with the “0” dirtied. For sure it had the turret bin. It should have the rhomboid marking also on the rear turret bin. See notes below for the glacis.

I don’t have specific info about the 8th AB tank markings and I’ve seen few Normandy photos of them. In these few pictures there are some features which I think could be useful to correctly depict an 8th AB tank in Normandy:

• The 4/7 Dragoon Guards A Sqn tanks had red and white large squared numbers on the turret sides (see: 21 and 27 [IWM B6133] for examples). For D-Day, B and C Squadrons had the Sherman Mk II DD with the numbers (see: 54 and 71 [IWM B5897]) in a rounded font. As far as I’ve found these Mk II DD didn’t have the WD numbers; they had the US serials. Number 50 [IWM B6130], a B Sqn Mk III at the end of June, had the same rounded font of the number already seen in the Mk II DD and the red square in front of it. Number 5? DINGAAN [IWM B6133], if it wasn’t again 50, is another example.
• About the 24 Lancers: on A Sqn ARMAGEDDON and on a HQ tank the tactical sign was also on the port side of the transmission cover, while on the starboard side there was the combined divisional sign/AoS, between these markings there was the name. The 24 Lancers were replaced by 13/18 Hussars on July 29th, 1944.
• The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry (SRY): on the tank that follows ABERDEEN in the landing photo the combined divisional sign/AoS is carried on the middle of the cast transmission cover. It is the only photo I have which shows this marking in position. I didn’t understand the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry numeral system: ABERDEEN, an A Sqn tank, had 52 or 62. In other photos of anonymous tanks I’ve seen the same unique font, like a Mk III photographed on August 1st, 1944 which had the 46 and a Mk II DD which shows the number 64 on the bustle. Due the unique font I think both were part of the SRY. The number 47 [IWM B9749] was on a plate hanging on the bustle of a hessian tape camouflaged Sherman Mk III turret on 28th August 1944. B and C Sqn’s had Mk II DD’s for D-Day, these amphibious tanks also having the US serials.
  

About the Churchill tank:
Mk VII T252033, a Crocodile from 141st RAC.
I don’t have a photo; however it is so listed in the MAFVA site “Tank Names” article. It should have blue tactical signs (possibly filled in black?) and troop numbers (sorry, I don’t know which one). No name is given; anyway a word beginning with “S” should be required.

For both tank types, the witnessed use of camo nets could be useful to hide the missing/unknown markings. About the differences I’ve found, Mr. Dan Taylor wrote me that the next set reprints, they will be corrected.

The instructions suggest some particular kits, all in 1/76 scale.

Conclusions

Overall, I’m satisfied with this set. The majority of those points where I feel this set is not 100% correct, can easily be solved if the manufacturer adapts the instructions.
Yes, I also think a few tactical markings of specific tanks are missing; anyway, the personal spare decal box or a friend could provide help to complete our models, should someone doesn’t like the use of hessian tapes…
Despite my remarks this set still is, in my opinion, highly recommended.
What I really found difficult (for my taste) was to find a sufficient number of 8th AB tanks photos, taken in Normandy.

Preview sample purchased by the author.

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Article Last Updated: 01 August 2015