"Two questions about the British in Op Granby/Desert Storm" Topic

First off, is there any breakdown of the tactical markings applied in the Gulf? They appear quite different to the (very minimal) ones I've seen on BAOR tanks.

Second, is there a good, detailed account of the British contribution during the ground phase of the operation?

From what I recall, they either used exactly the same system of geometric shapes identifying squadrons/companies, with callsigns painted within the squadron/company sign or they painted the callsign in very large characters, separate to the squadron sign.

They also carried the Allied quick-recognition chevron symbol and most units also painted on some sort of unit and/or brigade sign (my favourite being the Staffords' sign of an Africa Korps palm tree, with the Staffs Knot replacing the swastika of the original).

Thanks! Those chevrons had me confused.

you don't happen to have a pic of the Stafford badge do you, the thought realy makes me smile. The thought that some one out there has a knowledge of history and humor.

I couldn't find it online, but it's in the Armies of the Gulf War Osprey. It's exactly as I described – Afrika Korps palm with Staffs knot.

Aha! Here's the same design from Gulf War Mk 2:

By the way, the castle badge pictured above belonged to the Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards. You can also just see the black jerboa badge of 4th Armoured Brigade painted on a turret stowage bin on that last Challenger photo. Those filled-in 'A' Squadron triangles on the second-to-last photo are also an interesting variation (squadron signs are normally 'hollow').

Awesome!

Somebody needs to make decals of that (or a stencil set)…

It'd be very easy to do simply by painting out the Swastika in an Afrika Korps decal.

It looks like a giant pretzel, which of course only makes it more wonderful.

Yup, pretty much: