I’ve posted on Kiwi Vehicle Camouflage during WW2 but didn’t spend any time researching specific vehicles. Some of the Kiwi vehicles during World War 2 were named e.g. “Discord” and “Katipo”. I thought I’d have a look at my books and see what came up. This is inspiration for my Kiwis in Italy – Steven’s Wargaming Project.
Vehicle names
Not all Kiwi vehicles had names. Certain units favoured them and others had none. 19th Armoured Regiment like to name their vehicles. The Divisional Cavalry were also keen and carriers were also frequently named. But names appeared in other units as well. General Freyberg’s personal Stuart I tank was, for example, called “Poly III”.
In contrast to the British, who had strict rules fore the vehicle names, the Kiwis chose anything that took their fancy. The carriers in the infantry battalions were more systematic. 18th NZ Battalion named their carriers after native trees of New Zealand e.g. Kauri (platoon commander), Rewa, Towai, Rimu, Rata, Totara, Maire, and Matai. 19th NZ Battalion didn’t give their carriers names but instead used playing cards to distinguish vehicles, although there was at least one exception (“JEM”). Another battalion named their carriers after South Island towns.
The vehicle names could be large (e.g. “Arkansas”) or small (e.g. “Poly III”). They could be on the turret (only if small) or hull.
| Vehicle Name | Type of Vehicle | Regiment | Squadron | Troop | Hull Number | Reference | 18th Armoured Regiment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baldy’s Bus | Sherman IB | 18 | B | SHQ | 15 | Plowman, 2008, p. 20 |
| Path Finder Dannevirke2 |
Daimler Dingo | 18 | RHQ | Recce | 19th Armoured Regiment | |
| The Jay Bird | Sherman | 19 | C | 3 | Plowman, 2007, 24, 25; Plowman, 2008, p. 27 | |
| 𝄞 🎶 Discord (A Clef and some musical notes were above the name) |
Sherman III | 19 | C | 11 | – (None but Troop marking indicates it was the officers tank) | Plowman, 2008, 29; Plowman & Thomas, 2000, 26 |
| Lame Duck (picture of a lame duck painted side of hull) |
Sherman III | 19 | C | 11 | 13 | Plowman & Thomas, 2000, 26 |
| Maleesh (Egyptian Arabic for “Never Mind”) |
Sherman III | 19 | C | 11 | 13 | Plowman, 2007, p. 25; Plowman, 2008, 29, 58; Plowman & Thomas, 2000, 26 |
| Cockie’s Chariot ‘(“Cockie” = “farmer” in Kiwi slang) |
Sherman III | 19 | B | 13 | Plowman, 2007, p. 25; Plowman, 2008, 30 | |
| Slippery Sam | Sherman VC Firefly | 19 | 12 | Plowman, 2007, p. 27; Plowman, 2008, p. 31 | ||
| AMGOT (AMGOT = Allied Military Governance of Occupied Territories) |
Sherman VC Firefly | 19 | 9 | 7 | Plowman, 2007, p. 28; Plowman, 2008, p. 31 | |
| Dopo Voi (Italian for “after you”) |
Sherman VC Firefly | 19 | C | 3 | Plowman, 2007, p. 29; Plowman, 2008, p. 31; Plowman & Thomas, 2000, 26 | |
| Stupendous (Donald Duck was painted above the name) |
Sherman III | 19 | B | 8 | 16 | Plowman, 2007, p. 29; Plowman, 2008, p. 33 |
| Recovery | T2 recovery vehicle | 19 | Plowman, 2007, p. 26 | 20th Armoured Regiment | ||
| Nancy Kelly | Sherman III | 20 | RHQ | Plowman, 2007, p. 32; Plowman, 2008, p. 42 | ||
| Arkansas | Sherman III | 20 | A | 3 | 9 | Plowman, 2007, p. 38; Plowman, 2008, p. 51 |
| Miss Marlborough | Sherman III | 20 | A | 11 | Plowman, 2008, p. 39 | |
| Tiger Lil | Sherman III | 20 | C | 5 | Plowman, 2007, p. 31 | |
| Queen of Beauty | Sherman III | 20 | C | 9 (so officer’s tank) | Plowman, 2007, p. 33; Plowman, 2008, p. 39 | |
| Tantor | Sherman III | 20 | C | 16 | Plowman, 2007, p. 32; Plowman, 2008, p. 39 | |
| Mr Chips | Sherman III | 20 | C | Plowman & Thomas, 2000, 26 | ||
| Pursuit Ship (After the nickname for the Lockheed Lightning) |
T2 recovery vehicle | 20 | Plowman, 2007, p. 31 | Divisional Cavalry Regiment | ||
| Pluto | Stuart I | Divisional Cavalry | Plowman, 2010, p. 22, 26 | |||
| Happy | Stuart I | Divisional Cavalry | Plowman, 2010, p. 24; Plowman & Thomas, 2002, 23 | |||
| Pukeko (A native NZ bird) |
Staghound I | Divisional Cavalry | A | 1 | Plowman, 2007, p. 4 | |
| Bambino (Italian for baby) |
Staghound I | Divisional Cavalry | B | Plowman, 2007, p. 12; Plowman & Thomas, 2002, 31 | ||
| Katipo (A native NZ poisonous spider) |
Staghound I | Divisional Cavalry | C | Plowman, 2007, p. 9; Plowman & Thomas, 2002, 34 | ||
| Cappy’s Pride | Vickers Light Mark III | Divisional Cavalry | Plowman & Thomas, 2002, 7 | |||
| Maugatapere | Marmon Herrington Mk II | Divisional Cavalry | RHQ | Plowman & Thomas, 2002, 11 | Infantry Universal Carriers | |
| Rewa (tree commonly known as New Zealand honeysuckle) |
Universal Carrier | 18th NZ Battalion | Plowman & Thomas, 2002, 47 | |||
| Diamond 1 (Picture of playing card spade, in red, with number below it) |
Universal Carrier | 19th NZ Battalion | Plowman & Thomas, 2002, 46 | |||
| Spade 11 (Picture of playing card spade, in red, with number below it) |
Universal Carrier | 19th NZ Battalion | Plowman & Thomas, 2002, 46 | |||
| JEM (initials of wives/girlfriends of the crew) |
Universal Carrier | 19th NZ Battalion | Plowman & Thomas, 2002, 47 | |||
| Millar’s Furnace (Picture of a tobacco pipe above) |
Universal Carrier | 24th NZ Battalion | Plowman, 2007, p. 44, 49; Plowman & Thomas, 2002, 48 | |||
| INZEBAG II | Universal Carrier | 28th Maori Battalion | Plowman & Thomas, 2002, 48 | Other | ||
| Tiger Lil | Sherman III | NZAC Training Depot | Plowman, 2008, p. 7 | |||
| Dosey Dozer | Sherman Dozer | Assault Squadron | Plowman, 2008, p. 56 | |||
| Colorado | Stuart I model M3 | (4th Armoured Brigade) | Plowman, 2010, p. 23, 24 | |||
| Poly III | Stuart I | (Divisional Protective Troop) | Plowman, 2010, p. 23, 24 | |||
| Hallie | M10 | 7 Anti-Tank Regiment | A2 | Plowman & Thomas, 2000, 26 | ||
| Miss New Zealand (with picture of a girl in a swim suit and a silver fern) |
Jeep | Field Service Regiment | Plowman & Thomas, 2000, 26 |
Notes:
(2) This Daimler Dingo had two names: “Path Finder” and “Dannevirke”. Dannevirke is the name of a town in the North Island of New Zealand, just over the hill from where my family live. Path Finder, I guess, refers to its role in reconnaissance.
References
Plowman, J. (2007). Armor Camouflage & Markings of the 2nd New Zealand Division [Armor Color Gallery #2]. Model Centrum Progres.
Plowman, J. (2008). Camouflage & Markings of the Shermans in New Zealand Service 1943-45 [Armor Color Gallery #3]. Model Centrum Progres.
Plowman, J. (2010). Camouflage & Markings of the Stuarts in New Zealand Service [Armor Color Gallery #7]. Model Centrum Progres.
Plowman, J. and Thomas, M. (2000). 4th New Zealand Armoured Brigade in Italy. Kiwi Armour 1.
Plowman, J. and Thomas, M. (2002). 2nd New Zealand Divisional Cavalry Regiment in the Mediterranean. Kiwi Armour 3.