Is there a list of all the different bridge rating numbers for various vehicles ? I'm working on a WC-51 and I have the WWP book on it. In the book one restored vehicle has a 4 and then another has a 7/2, which has a trailor. Are either of these correct ?

Jim Guld

The following is paraphrased from a 3-page article on Bridge Classification Plates thaqt appeared in Military Modelling magazine, May 1976. (The article is quite comprehensive with diagrams and photos and much more detailed lists than given here, but I hope it helps.)

The intention of the classification was to group together vehicles of similar gross weights and identify them by a code number. Similarly bridges, permanent and temporary structures such as folding boats, pontoons and girders were also classified. To achieve this the War Office set out guidelines in pamphlets and and publications for these codes to be displayed on vehicles and trailers, and the approaches to road bridges.

Closer examination of the illustrated pamphlets showed examples that frequently disagreed with te accompanying text. For example a 3-ton Wireless lorry is given as an 8 but the picture shows 9.

It was decided to use a disc of approximately 9 inches diameter, yellow in colour, on which to display the vehicle's number. The positioning of the disc on the front of the vehicle or trailer was to be fixed on the offside between the edge of the radiator and the outer edge of the mudguard. If the vehicle has no mudguard, sign is fitted in position corresponding to offside mudguard.

Variations on the yellow disc appeared, the three most common of these were:

Format A: (Solid colour background, black number) the standard and most widely used, either as a plate or painted disc. Used in all theatres of operation and still fitted today.

Format B: (yellow ring, black number with thin yellow edge) This version was subdued for the purpose of vehicle camouflage and was favoured by many front line units. In some cases the yellow outline was omitted.

Format C: (8-segment dashed black circle, black number) Used in the Western Desert, the class number being painted directly on the vehicle without the yellow colour.

The classes were:
Class 1: Motorcycles with or without sidecars, small saloon cars, jeeps, 10-cwt 2-wheeled trailers.

Class 2: Jeeps, light saloon cars, light utilities eg. Austin 10hp, Humber Snipe, most 15-cwt 2-wheeled trailers.

Class 3: Bren carriers, heavy saloon cars, some 15-cwt trucks eg. Ford WOT2, Chev C15, some 2-ton 4-wheeled trailers.

Class 4: Daimler Dingo & humber Mk. 1 Scoutcars, 2-ton Motor Boat trailers.

Class 5: Most 15-cwt trucks, including Chev C15A, Dodge, Morris C8 portees, Daimler Dingo and Ford Lynx, White M3A1 scoutcars, universal carriers, 4-wheeled machinery trailers.

Class 6: Most 30-cwt 4x4 lorries, Field Artillery Quads, 5-ton 4-wheeled Radar trailers.

Class 7: Some 3-ton 4x2 lorries including Bedford OYD, Commer Q4, Canadian Chev and Ford 3-tonners both CMP Cab 12 and civilian style, Ford F60L 40mm Bofors, Daimler & Humber Armoured Cars.

Class 8: The majority of Chev and Ford C60L, M14 International halftracks and 5-ton 4-wheeled GS trailers.

Class 9: Probably the biggest class with some 4x2 3-tonners eg. Bedford OYDs, 4x4 3-tonners including Austin K5, Thornycroft TF/AC4/1, Chev & Ford CMP No 13 Cabs. The majority of 3-ton 6x4 and 6x6 trucks eg. Albion BY, AEC Marshal, Leyland, GMC, Catterpillar D9 tractors, 5-ton 4-wheeled laundry trailers.

Class 10: Thornycroft WZ/TC4 tippers, 7-ton 6-wheeled recovery trailers.

Class 11: Diamond T 4-ton 6x6, pontoon carriers and wreckers.

Class 12: AEC Matador, Leyland retriever 3-ton 6x4 machinery lorries, Diamond T 6x6 crane, Mack LMSW 5-ton 6x6 heavy breakdown trucks.

Class 14: Ward La France 10-ton 6x4 wrecker.

Class 15: Stuart tanks, Staghound armoured cars.

Class 16: Covenanter and Valentine tanks.

Class 17: Mack NM6 6-ton 6x4 and White 6x6 GS trucks.

Class 18: Diamond T M20 12-ton tractors, Foden 10-ton 6x4 Printing and Photographic Processing vehicles, Valentine bridgelayers.

Class 21: Mack NR9 10-ton 6x4 and NM310-ton GS trucks.

Class 24: Caterpillar D8 tractors.

Class 30: Cromwell tanks, Ram II APC, Sexton 25-pdr SP guns.

Class 33: M19 3-inch SP guns, Sherman tanks.

Where vehicles were permanently used to tow guns or trailers / semi-trailers, the bridge classification plate was divided in half horizontally and carried two sets of numbers, the top being the code for the tractor plus gun/trailer, the lower being the tractor alone.

Thanks for the info.

Jim Guld