Seabee markings

Hello SS,
It is time to put the markings on the GMC 2.5 T dump truck, I had planned on doing it as a Seabee truck.

I don't know if the Navy ever used the GMC M215 dump during the 50's or 60's or how they marked their vehicles.

When did the fighting bee logo appear? When viewing some CCKWs from the Korean era they did not appear with the bee logo.

What color (yellow or black) and size were the markings on the door and bumpers?

The Navy's system used a number for different type of vehicles, what would a 2.5 T dump be numbered with?

Hood numbers?

Any help will be appreciated, Karl

Letters on the doors should be in black and 3" tall. 95-xxxxx would be applicable to a deuce. NAVFAC P-300 is in the TM section and covers this stuff in great detail. Of course I don't know how it relates to your Korean War vet there. Check with CBVET, he was in the 'bees and might have seen some GMCs early in his career.

Jeez Kenny, how old do you think I am? I was 6 when the Korean war ended!
Actually, the only trucks I recall in 'Nam were military M 35's (M44?) & the like, and some "civilian" IH dumps & flatbeds. The deuce I drove in '68 was an M35 gas. I think it was built in '57.
Oh, & my "career" was 2 years.
Eric
CBVET

Sorry Eric, no harm meant. If you were in during '68 I kinda figured some old GMCs were still around. Am I forgiven? Please?

Go and sin no more..............
CBVET

Now that is a beautiful truck!

This a ca 1966 photo I found some where (Maybe here, I have no clue) but this is not a SeaBee truck. The MSTS on the door stands for Military Sea Transportation Service so this was just a straight USN truck, not SeaBee. I think on the far left side of the pic you can see a small white stenciled 3, the last digit of the truck number. I am just going to put modern style USN numbers on my truck and if I find out different, I'll change it. Next time I am in Gulfport, I am going to go to the Seabee museum there on base and look at the old battalion cruse books and see what info I can get on period truck markings.

Thanks Keith. I'd still be looking for info if you hadn't posted that manual!

Here is a nice current photo of a MK28 truck (MTVR) with Seabee logo and this is the passenger door. Notice it has the left facing logo. The photo comes from a Navy Newstand article. Here is the link:

http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=5798

A couple of Seabee images from my visit at the Barstow, CA scrap yard last fall.

Here's the logo and numbers on my M923A2. Does anyone sell the stencil or am I going to have to trace this one and make my own?

Rick Larsen at http://www.milstencil.com has the Seabee logo listed on his "paintmask" page. I think that he also has it in oilboard stencil as well if you ask (not listed on the website that I could see). His product can be scaled if you don't like his stock size...
Good luck.

Cool looking metal stencil Keith! I will take a measurement of my markings and let you know.

Chris, should be 8" IIRC. I have a set of the paint mask stencils from Larsen. Look pretty decent and he sends a left and a right. Seems to me that the 'bees only use the one with the Seabee aiming left. Keith, if you don't mind, can you make a scan for me too?

Thanks Keith! PM inbound!

Just a note.
The border around the Bee, is actually rope in regular prints. The stencil Keith shows is correct. The ones Rick Larsen sells are very nice, but the shape of the border segments is not the same.
Eric
CBVET

Son of a gun! Eric, you are so right. I went out and got my ones from Rick and not only is the border different, the face on the fighting bee is different as well. I also scrolled up and compared them to the actual trucks pics above. All are the same as yours Keith. To further confirm, I compared them to pics of the scrapped NMCB74 pipeline truck I had. Check out the pic. I need to befriend a bee and scam me one of those stencils.

Edit: This one from Rick Larsen is way off. Many many differences. I'll try to get my wife to scan it or I'll try to take a pic of it. A few minutes ago when I found out it wasn't correct I figured I'd go out and waste them on the wrecker. Now that I've actually compared them side to side, these will be going away. Bummer!