Commonwealth Nomenclature /L/

I'm fairly conversant with the Commonwealth System of nomenclature, that is the description of items using Number (No.), Mark (Mk.), Star (*), etc, but recently I came to possess a 1" Signal cartridge which piqued my curiosity. Like other red Star cartridges I have, the projectile is an MkXI T (or 11T post-war), but this is marked XI T /L/.

I have observed the use of /L/ in the nomenclature of one version of Universal (aka Bren) Carrier, and also in an Austin K2 Ambulance.

Can anyone explain what it means?

Even if nobody can provide an explanation, does anyone have other examples?

I think the 'L' suffix denotes a land service store whereas 'N' is for naval service ? although I could be wrong. Tony.

Service Notation

/L/ Land Service
/N/ Naval Service
/C/ Combined Naval and Land Service (predates Air)
/A/ Air Service

Combinations like LA (Land & Air) NA were possible.

So if the system provides for /C/ to mean Combined and predates Air Service, would this nomenclature predate the RFC in WW1?

And would a Bren Carrier HAVE TO be specified for Land Service?

Service Letter

303Gunner,

Stores peculiar to the Naval Wing of the RFC, or later the RNAS, would have used /N/. Stores peculiar to the Military Wing of the RFC (and then the RFC without the Naval bit) would have used /L/. As mentioned joint stores would have been /C/.

The use of /A/ for stores peculiar to the RAF starts about August 1918 (might be bit before) but /L/ and /N/ and /C/ notations would still commonly be in service with the new RAF as a part of the legacy from RFC and RNAS.

According to my research, and subject to information to the contrary, the Royal Army Ordnance Corps looked after RAF ammunition matters until about 1926 when the RAF got their own capability. The Navy Ordnance people should have also had an interest in RAF armaments but I'm not clear on their involvement.

As for the Bren Gun Carrier etc., I guess it would depend firstly on who was paying the bill and secondly whether the service inspection authorities (CIA, INO, AI) accepted the store for their service. A part of the aim of the /LNA/ system was to show whether a store was qualified to be used in a particular service but the idea of 'common user' natures seems to have cut across this aim inasmuch as 'Infantry' ammunition with /L/ in their designators was used by all services; it was probably the same with Bren Gun Carriers.

Hope you kept up with that :sad: