Prepping for a Guards Armoured Division - France 1944. Part-1

The other year I purchased on a whim a British Sherman Squadron off E(Vil)Bay. For a very good price. It duly arrived and the company was marked up as a Guards Division. Having got the Battlegroup Kursk WW2 Rules bug, I have decided to do the British lists from the book Beyond the Beaches, which at the time of purchase was included in the hard back Overlord book. As I am interested in the fighting around Caen and operation Bluecoat.

I have also gone OCD on all my 15mm WW2 armies in that I have got the transfer the hell outa them bug which has resulted in me researching markings and in the end remembering I had a book on British markings purchased 30 years ago, with mine being republished 49 Years ago (1971) OMG one year after I was born, how time flies. Also Battlefront and their Gale Force 9 website have some very good info on markings although further research is always needed, This is what they have to say:
"Guards Armoured Division
The Guards Armoured Division was formed on 17 June 1941. The division remained in the United Kingdom training until 26 June 1944, when it landed in Normandy as part of VIII Corps. Its first major engagement was Operation Goodwood. The attack by three armoured divisions towards Bourguebus Ridge was an attempt to break out of the Normandy beachhead and get beyond the city of Caen. That was followed by Operation Bluecoat, the advance east of Caen as the Falaise pocket formed.
The armoured element of the Guards Armoured Division consisted of the 5 Guards Armoured Brigade: 2nd Armoured Battalion Grenadier Guards (Sherman V & Firefly VC) 1st Armoured Battalion Coldstream Guards (Sherman V & Firefly VC) 2nd Armoured Battalion Irish Guards (Sherman V & Firefly VC) 1st Motor Battalion Grenadier Guards, Its Armoured Recce Regiment was the 2nd Armoured Recce Battalion Welsh Guards (Cromwells)."

Guards Division Markings

So having found the basic unit tac markings, I ordered a load of transfers from Skytrex, but as I write this they have not turned up, fingers crossed it will be soon.
The Army that I am building will consist of elements from all the services; HQ, Signals, FAC, FAO, Tank Squadron, Motor rifle platoon, Infantry platoons, A/T, Artillery, Recce, Engineering assets, Logistics, and REME. The Infantry Division side of the lists I was going to do a separate Division but I have decided to make them Guards as well.

Guards Battalion or is it

My Guards Squadron is actually marked up to represent the whole 1st Armoured Battalion Coldstream Guards, with the corresponding squadron markings for Regimental HQ, A,B and C Squadrons

Spot the error

Also thanks to the TMP thread I have discovered I have an transfer issue, as the Squadron markings for the Division should not be on the turrets but on the hull, I have two options, the first is to wet the transfers in the hope that they are not sealed on and move them to the hull. The second is to paint over the transfer and buy new squadron markings and place them on the hull, either depicting the whole battalion as purchased or making it one squadron. I will also consider painting the centre of the Squadron marking black.  I also have an transfer issue with some Recce Stuarts I recently marked up in white squares on the turret sides, time to redo them as they should be in the HQ Yellow diamond, same as the AA tanks.

Edit: An additional spanner in the works cropped up when a fellow player pointed out that the Guards did not use the Sherman II or IIC... Uh OH... Think fast... plan Delta Six... Logs onto E(Vil)bay.

Sexton troops

Above are two Sexton troops and Armoured spotter awaiting transfers. I do have another two Troops but I think they will go into the surplus box for disposal.

In Part 2, I will be going through the make up of my Division along with the  units and vehicles I will be intending to use.


References:
[1] Vehicle markings: Division Markings
[2] Guards Division Article: Gale Force 9 article
[3]Army build: opmktgdn.blogspot.com
[4] TMP thread: theminiaturespage.com
[5] British Military Markings, 1939 - 1945 ISBN 085524298 (Hardback) or 085524296 (Paperback)