Author Topic: When did the Div and Unit signs swap sides in SVN?  (Read 4223 times)

Offline Diana Alan

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When did the Div and Unit signs swap sides in SVN?
« on: July 31, 2016, 11:34:32 PM »
At what point in SVN did the Pentropic/1ATF and unit signs swap sides from the regular Australian side to the opposite side?

e.g. 1 Platoon 87 Transport  Mk3s 1966 - 1967



and RAASC F2 sometime later.

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Offline Spider

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Re: When did the Div and Unit signs swap sides in SVN?
« Reply #1 on: September 16, 2016, 10:00:05 AM »
Kangaroo always leaping inwards, therefore front and rear opposite sides....that was always my understanding. However the 1969 Vehicle Marking Policy AFV states it is to be displayed on the nearside (RH) side of the vehicle.
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Offline 303Gunner

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Re: When did the Div and Unit signs swap sides in SVN?
« Reply #2 on: September 16, 2016, 08:06:02 PM »
Kangaroo always leaping inwards, therefore front and rear opposite sides....that was always my understanding. However the 1969 Vehicle Marking Policy AFV states it is to be displayed on the nearside (RH) side of the vehicle.
Nearside and Offside are peculiar British terms that I have never understood the need for when Left and Right would suffice, but the Nearside of the vehicle is nearest to the kerb, that is, the Left side.

I wonder if some perverse convoluted logic in SVN ruled that as American road rules dictated that vehicles drive on the right side of the road, that the "Nearside" specified in SOVOS should be the RHS of the vehicle when driven on the right side of the road.
« Last Edit: September 16, 2016, 08:09:30 PM by 303Gunner »

Offline FFRMAN

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Re: When did the Div and Unit signs swap sides in SVN?
« Reply #3 on: September 16, 2016, 08:22:35 PM »
Kangaroo always leaping inwards, therefore front and rear opposite sides....that was always my understanding. However the 1969 Vehicle Marking Policy AFV states it is to be displayed on the nearside (RH) side of the vehicle.
Nearside and Offside are peculiar British terms that I have never understood the need for when Left and Right would suffice, but the Nearside of the vehicle is nearest to the kerb, that is, the Left side.

I wonder if some perverse convoluted logic in SVN ruled that as American road rules dictated that vehicles drive on the right side of the road, that the "Nearside" specified in SOVOS should be the RHS of the vehicle when driven on the right side of the road.

No, near side is not specifically a UK term. Think horses. You always get up on a horse on its near side  which happens to be the left if looking forward from atop the horse. This term then transposed to many other things including vehicles.
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Offline 303Gunner

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Re: When did the Div and Unit signs swap sides in SVN?
« Reply #4 on: September 17, 2016, 07:58:49 AM »
Nearside and Offside are peculiar British terms that I have never understood the need for when Left and Right would suffice,..

No, near side is not specifically a UK term. Think horses. You always get up on a horse on its near side  ..
It may be common practice to mount a horse from it's left side (and the origin for "Nearside" is equestrian in nature), but is "Nearside" and "Offside" used anywhere else in the world when relating to vehicles? I've only ever heard the term originating in English contexts.

Everyone else seems to be fine with Left and Right.

« Last Edit: September 17, 2016, 08:03:40 AM by 303Gunner »

Offline zulu delta 534

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Re: When did the Div and Unit signs swap sides in SVN?
« Reply #5 on: September 17, 2016, 09:13:01 AM »
I think the use of the term representing the side of a vehicle is pretty common world wide, but the Americans of course have to, by habit, change one or two words so the one we hear on our Americanised TV is usually "kerbside" rather than "near side".
In the case of vehicles, left and right is not always that simple. I remember going to a windscreen manufacturing business way back when we had coaches to get a new near side front windscreen manufactured and fitted. There was much discussion as to which screen was to be done so eventually the fitter, who was inside the coach with me, decided that what I was describing as the near side was in this case the left hand side, so that is what he wrote on the order sheet. Once this "one off" windscreen had been manufactured and was to be fitted it was discovered that it wouldn't fit. ($1100.00 down the drain plus more down time for the vehicle) so the actual manufacture leading hand came out, stood in front of the vehicle, pointed to the drivers side of the coach, which was to his left, and stated "That is the left side screen and that is what I made."  Had the term "near side" been used there could not have been any confusion whatsoever..... similar to Port and Starboard on a ship.
As to the two photographs, I am currently in contact with one of the OCs of 26 Coy but unfortunately that photo (F1s) is after his time so he is making further enquiries amongst some of his fellow Officers so hopefully he may come up with an answer sooner or later.  (I know that the top ones are right cause I did the 87 ones!!![2nd and 3rd trucks])
As far as I know SOVOS and VOIs both state the same position so I am assuming that the "wrong sidedness" may be a particular understanding by one particular person of the word "near side" as in Vietnam traffic is left hand drive and drives on the opposite side of the road to us.
On an aside, it is quite interesting to see those tippers wearing the 26/522 Tac sign as the 26 represents the Coy number and the lower 522 depicts a GS Company
Regards
Glen
« Last Edit: September 17, 2016, 09:16:24 AM by zulu delta 534 »

Offline 303Gunner

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Re: When did the Div and Unit signs swap sides in SVN?
« Reply #6 on: September 17, 2016, 10:05:07 AM »
I suppose the Leading Hand then turned to face you and swore on his Mother's Grave that your right arm and right leg were in actual fact distinctly fitted to the left side of your body.  :-\

Offline Spider

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Re: When did the Div and Unit signs swap sides in SVN?
« Reply #7 on: September 17, 2016, 04:50:18 PM »
Kangaroo always leaping inwards, therefore front and rear opposite sides....that was always my understanding. However the 1969 Vehicle Marking Policy AFV states it is to be displayed on the nearside (RH) side of the vehicle.
Nearside and Offside are peculiar British terms that I have never understood the need for when Left and Right would suffice, but the Nearside of the vehicle is nearest to the kerb, that is, the Left side.

I wonder if some perverse convoluted logic in SVN ruled that as American road rules dictated that vehicles drive on the right side of the road, that the "Nearside" specified in SOVOS should be the RHS of the vehicle when driven on the right side of the road.

Sounds like the answer as they drive on the wrong side is the US and Vietnam
"NIGEL"
Land Rover Series III - ARN 33-629 Truck Utility 3/4 Ton, GS Cargo "UBIQUE"
Land Rover Series 2A - ARN 113-065 Truck, Utility, 3/4 Ton, GS, Cargo "HOLDFAST"
Land Rover Series III 109 Cararama 5 Door Wagon