28th BCC of the 1st DCR
Most tanks had turret identification numbers and Playing card symbols on turrets .
Some tanks had letters on the hull sides and rear.
1st company large blue card symbols outlined in white
2nd company large white card symbols
3rd company large red card symbols outlined in white
For each section within the company the following symbols were used
Echelon tanks
1st section
2nd section
3rd section
Clubs
Spades
Hearts
Diamonds
Each of the 9 sections were identified by a large white letter that appeared on the
turrets and sometimes on the hull sides and rear as well.
1st company
Section 1 “D”
Section 2 “Ԑ” (like a Greek epsilon)
Section 3 “F”
2nd company
Section 1 “G”
Section 2 “H”
Section 3 “I”
3rd company
Section 1 “J”
Section 2 “K” (probably)
Section 3 “L”
Tanks within each section were identified by a dot to the left of the sections letter or
to the right of the letter or no dot at all
37th BCC of the 1st DCR
The tanks of the battalion used a system of coloured playing card symbols within
the white outlines of geometrical shapes representing the three companies painted
on the turret sides or rear
Echelon
1st company
2nd company
3rd company
none
Square
Inverted Triangle
Circle
Playing card symbols within the above outlines were
1st company Blue outlined in white
2nd company White
3rd company Red outlined in white
Each of the 9 sections were identified by a large white letter that appeared on the
turret and sometimes on the hull sides and rear as well.
Section Letters
1st company
Section 1 “M”
Section 2 “N”
Section 3 “O”
2nd company
Section 1 “P”
Section 2 “R” (probably)
Section 3 “S”
3rd company
Section 1 “T”
Section 2 “U”
Section 3 “X”
The commanders tank of the 3rd company had the identification 3B on it . Possibly
the other 8 echelon tanks used a similar system as yet not identified.
15th BCC of the 2nd DCR
tanks had few hull markings apart from serial numbers and tank names on the front
glacis and no roundels seem to have been used.
Company Identification markings were displayed on the turrets
1st company
2nd company
3rd company
large blue card symbols outlined in white
large white card symbols
large red card symbols outlined in white
For each section within the company the following symbols were used
Echelon tanks
1st section
2nd section
3rd section
Clubs
Spades
Hearts
Diamonds
Additional markings
1st companies 3 sections were identified sequentially with letters A , B and C on
the turrets
2nd company Tanks were marked with numbers 0 to 8 on turrets but not
sequentially
3rd company Tanks had no letters or numbers with the exception of the
company commanders tank " Mistral" which had a letter D on the turret left over
from the time when this tank served with the 8th BCC.
8th BCC of the 2nd DCR
The tanks of this battalion had elaborate lined multi tone camouflage patterns but
very few identification markings. Hulls were plain and only half had turret names
displayed.
41st BCC of the 3rd DCR May 1940
Turret markings
1st company: tightened blue wavy ribbon edged in white
2nd company: stretched out blue wavy ribbon with edged in white
3rd company: stretched out blue wavy ribbon without edge.
Each section of the company was identified by a small white geometrical symbol
painted either solid or in outline and positioned on or near the blue ribbons on the
turret.
1st section: disc,
2nd section: square,
3rd section: triangle.
Another identification was painted on the two rear faces of the turret .
These two faces were divided into 3 equal sections. The middle section was white
with a large dark coloured identification letter painted on it indicating the company
(possibly A for the first company B for the second and C the third)
The outer two panels were painted in an unknown dark colour and framed in white.
The panels were sometimes left blank or had one or two small geometric section
shapes in solid white painted within them to indicate the position of the tank within
the section.
1st tank single shape on the center of the left panel only. The right left panel blank.
2nd tank two shapes positioned vertically on the left panel only. The right panel left
blank.
3rd tank two shapes positioned vertically on the left panel and one on the center of
the right panel
A few tanks of the 41st DCR had roundels on the hull sides but this was unusual. At
least 3 tanks and probably more did not comply with this scheme as they probably
moved from other units following the schemes adoption .
49th BCC of the 3rd DCR
The tanks of the battalion had very plain hulls but adopted a colourful turret paint
scheme.
1st company had Sky Blue bands round the top of the turret sides, these bands
extending one third of the way down the side of the turret. Some tanks had the
bands painted all the way round the turret while others had just the front half
painted
2nd company had Light Grey bands painted all the way round turrets extending from
the base to half way up the turret while some tanks had no bands at all.
3rd company had Vermillion bands painted all the way round turrets extending from
the base to half way up the turret while some tanks had no bands at all.
The sections within the three companies were indicated by playing card symbols
1st company 1st section Sky Blue band around the top of the turret with small white
spades painted within the band , the number of spades none, one or two perhaps
indicating the position of the tank in the section
2nd section Sky Blue band around the top of the turret with small white hearts
painted within the band , the number of hearts, one, two or three perhaps indicating
the position of the tank in the section
3rd section Sky Blue band positioned for the front third only with no card symbols l
2nd company
1st section had a Large white Spade symbols on turret and at least one tank had a
Light Grey Band around the base while another only had the symbol with no band.
2nd section had a Large white Heart symbols on turret and at least two tanks had a
Light Grey Band around the base. One tank has a dot positioned to the right of while
another has it positioned to the left which possibly indicates the position of the tank
within the section. The third tank might not have had a dot at all.
3rd section tanks had a Large white Diamond symbol on the turret but there is no
evidence of a Light Grey Band around the base.
3rd company
1st section, one of the tanks had a small red spade positioned above the Vermillion
band
2nd section had no markings on the turrets
3rd section tanks had a mixture of bands and symbols . One tank had a Vermillion
band only , a second had a small red diamond only while the third had a Vermillion
band and a small red diamond above it.
46th BCC of the 4th DCR
The tanks of this battalion had no proper identification system in place but there
were distinguishable features for two of the three companies
1st company
A number of tanks in this company had big tricolour roundels on the turrets and on
the hull sides which was unusual in a Char 1 Bis battalion outside the independent
units. The names on the turrets were also distinguishable in that they were angled
upwards on the turret sides.
2nd company
No distinguishing markings within this company
3rd company
There seems to have been a numbering system for each tank within the company as
several have numbers on their turrets
47th BCC of the 4th DCR
The Battalion only had two companies in May 1940
1st company
Some tanks had numerals inside white outline Triangles on the turrets but it wasn’t
a feature common throughout the company.
3rd company
There seems to have been a lettering identification system for all the tanks in the
company positioned on the hull or turret..
Commander “M”
Section 1 “N” “O” third tank probably “P”
Section 2 “”R” “T”” third tank probably “S”
Section 3 “Z”
the other two tanks probably “U” and “X”