Army defile markers

[Jerry B]

Picked this pair up today for a fiver. Post war issue but pretty cool with luminous marker strips on them. Both are dated, 5/79 and 10/01. The mount on the back rotates so they can be set at different angles and also have a belt clip.

Typical applications for both are: arc of fire marking, trench identification, path and spot marking and mine marking. Self-luminous route and defile markers can be mounted to almost any object along roads and through forests. Typical applications are minefield safe lanes and bridge defiles for vehicles and troops, where secure route marking is needed in daylight and darkness.



I will use them as North arrows in photographs for my archaeological work instead of the homemade wooden I use at the moment.

[SteveR]

Archeological work ?
What do you do buddy ?
I would love to find another Saxon hoard.

[Jerry B]

Archeological work ?
What do you do buddy ?
I would love to find another Saxon hoard.

I've been an archaeologist for 20 years Steve. Dig wherever the work is which is mostly in response to developer threats, mostly boring but sometimes something good turns up.

[Gwar]

That's very interesting... I never knew such devices were used for that...G

[Jerry B]

That's very interesting... I never knew such devices were used for that...G

I assume they are an upgrade from the taped lanes used in both world wars to allow passage through minefields, but the other uses though they n]make sense I had not heard of before. Any ex British squaddies will probably be very familiar with these.

[Gwar]

Very cool nonetheless... !!

[karkee]

Neat find Jerry! Why does the 2001 example lack a broad arrow? Did the Army stop using it?

[Jerry B]

Neat find Jerry! Why does the 2001 example lack a broad arrow? Did the Army stop using it?

Thanks. Not sure about the WD arrow, or rather the lack of it on the newer one, but I don't remember seeing it on modern uniform items either so yes, perhaps it is no longer used.

The same question asked here.

The Broad Arrow mark | Army Rumour Service

[Ubique]

I love finding these obscure bits of kit, especially if there is an Engineer connection (minefields, bridges).
I have some markers probably from the 1960's or 1970's. They are flat metal signs around 50cm long painted half red and half white with one pointy end (reminds me of railway signals) which were used for safe lanes and bridges. I wonder if these were also used in the UK?
Interesting thing about the NATO number is the second group of numbers which indicate the country of origin. 99=UK, 66=Australia. There is probably a list somewhere.
Broad arrow still on Aussie military gear.

Oz.

[Jerry B]

List of nato numbers here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_Stock_Number