The Bren, and later, Universal carrier evolved out of the Martel/Carden-Lloyd/Vickers carriers/light tanks. While such details as engines and armaments (where a weapon was fitted at all) do differ, the common point in the carrier family is the Horstmann suspension and usually a V8 motor derived from a Ford truck engine.
The various Commonwealth nations each produced Universal Carriers from local resources after the standardised UK pattern.
While the name Universal Carrier thus becomes the official one, the vehicles were most commonly referred to as “Bren Carriers” regardless of the vehicle pattern. Again, the common points here being the V8 and Hortsmann suspension.
The carriers used by 2BEF were almost all “proper” Bren Carriers, intermingled with a much much smaller percentage of Carden-Lloyd MarkIV or “Dragon” Carriers. These latter vehicles in fact become the pattern for the “Universal Carrier” which adopted the body style of the larger Carden-Lloyd vehicles on the smaller Bren Carrier chassis.
As to paint and markings, most Carriers of whichever description were in khaki drab rather than the pre-war dark green and Unit markings were invariably on or near the front mudguards, and on or near the rear plate of the vehicle.
One other thing of note: the vehicles were fast, even very fast by the standards of the day. Forty miles per hour 65kph, was regarded as normal, while in many cases the engine “governors” were mickied-up to let loose speeds as high as 55 miles per hour, close enough to 83 kilometers per hour. That’s very damn fast for any tracked vehicle.
I have seen at close hand one of very few surviving Carden-Lloyd MarkIV Carriers to remain in existence. While it is somewhat more crude and larger than the Bren/Universal Carrier in my view it is actually a better vehicle, in as much as it’s ability to mount and carry weapons and crew was superior to the Bren/Universal Carrier “child” that evolved from it.
Regards, Uyraell.
