Landships II

Treadhead · Major

O.K....what are these?

Centurion · Legend

Cargo carriers - unarmoured supply tanks. About half the available A7V chasis were used in this fashion.

Robert Langham · Corporal

Interesting to see the swastika markings on the A7V utilities

Tim R · Hero

Check out the information here on Landships

http://www.landships.freeservers.com/mgm_a7v_uberlandwagen_kitreview.htm

All The Best

Tim R.

Centurion · Legend

Robert Langham wrote:

Interesting to see the swastika markings on the A7V utilities

Before the rise of the Nazis the swastika was quite a common symbol in Europe. For example it formed the National aircraft marking for Finland and Estonia (light blue and reddish respectively). It was often seen as a good luck symbol and several RFC, RAF and US aircraft in WW1 had prominent swastikas on them. If one looks at the Indian's head symbol of the Lafyette Esquadrille you will see a small swastika on its headress. At least one British publishing house used it as part of their motiff, there was nothing sinister or political about it then. However its adoption by the Nazis has efectively stained it and sullied so that it can no longer be used.

Roger Todd · Legend

Bugger, you beat me to it...

I'd add that it's a very ancient symbol, and crops in in cultures across the world over nearly 3,000 years. It's still a very common symbol in India.

Centurion · Legend

Roger Todd wrote:

Bugger, you beat me to it...
I'd add that it's a very ancient symbol, and crops in in cultures across the world over nearly 3,000 years. It's still a very common symbol in India.

And even in prehistoric carvings on rocks near Ilkley Moor Yorks

Roger Todd · Legend

Ooh, I didn't know that!

"Ee by 'eck, that there rock looks dead bare, reckon I might carve summat on it..."

eugene · Field Marshal

those swasticas look like the oens sweden used on theri planes and vehicles, so chekc were the photo is from

Tim R · Hero

My father brought back a buddhist throw from Vietnam years ago, That has that symbol on it. Also in Birmingham, Alabama where I work, at the court house,that was built around 1920,has its columns at the front doors lined with the backwards swastika.

Just a note

All The Best

Tim R

eugene · Field Marshal

A read a biography on Tsar Nicolas II
his favorite symbol was the swastica, and the book was written in 1922!!
he had a interest in Latin american culutres like the Maya and Aztecs although a lot less about them was know at that time
so now additions its real fact

Treadhead · Major

Howdy fellas,

Thanks to all for the quick response's on the AFV identities, kinda figured I was close....

And even more thx for the historical input on the Hakenkreuz. And, if memory serves me {which sometimes it does

}, I believe that the symbol for the German SS, the angular zig-zag slashes were taken from ancient Rune symbols were they not?...

Tread.

-- Edited by Treadhead at 06:36, 2005-12-14

Mario Wens · Lieutenant

eugene wrote:

those swasticas look like the oens sweden used on theri planes and vehicles, so chekc were the photo is from

I presume you mean Finland. The Swastika was used on the flag of the Indian Merchant Navy untill well after WW2. It's an ancient fertility symbol, signifying prosperity.

Mario

Drader · Lieutenant

The Finns got the swastika from Count von Rosen, who presented the Finnish air force with its first aircraft.

Swastikas were pretty popular in the early 20th century, there is a nice set used as decoration around the windows in the Edwardian council offices in Chelmsford.

GrzeM · Sergeant

Red swastika was marking of Latvia, not Estonia.

Polish 1st Motorised Artillery Rgt. in Maczek's 1st Armour Division (1944-45, Normandy, Falaise, Belgium, Holland) had white backwards swastika as a unit symbol.

Also it is very popular decorative motive in Polish mountains.

BTW, I wonder what it meant on these Ueberlandwagens.

Cheers!
G.

eugene · Field Marshal

meant to say finladn sorry