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Forums - Research / WW2 |
This WW2 forum is intended for asking and discussing reference or historical related issues pertaining to WW2 (1939-1945) subjects. |
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| Subject: | Re: License Plate Unit discriptions/designations???? |  |
| Date: | Aug 16, 2005 |
| From: | Jerry Plettenberg | |
Hi Greg,
In the German forces during WW-II there were no unit-linked license plates for military vehicles at all.
Fully tracked vehicles did not carry any license plate.
Or at least very very rarely.
Half tracks and wheeled vehicles were carrying plates with one of the following prefixes
WH- "Heer"- Army
WL- "Luftwaffe- Airforce
WM- "Marine"- Navy
SS- represented by a double runic S- All SS forces
OT- "Organization Todt"- The org for building the Atlantik Wall
WT- "Organization Todt"- after late 1944
POL- "Polizei"- Police forces
Besides this, you had another group of plates for local military commands and civ administrations for many of the occupied countries eg MB-Belgium, MD-Denmark, MH-Holland, MN-Norway, MR-Rumania and so on.
In the early years of the war some requisitioned civil vehicles, mostly small trucks and luxury cars, were kept their civil plates.
Civil plates were city-located ie "1A" for Berlin.
In all cases both mil and civ was the prefix followed by a series of numbers.
This numbering started in 1939 with 4 of 5 numbers and progressed into 1945 with 6 numbers or more.
There seems to be some "logic" in the numbers but very little of that is found in documentation. Apart from some hints that this was manufacturer based.
Hope this helps you along.
Jer |
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