Does anyone know what “P.N.C.R.” would stand for on a 1940-41 vintage WWII British ammunition crate? I’m not sure I can share the image, or I would. It’s painted within a large yellow triangle, with “1038” above it.
Thanks!
David Albert
dalbert@sturmgewehr.com
To really interpret the Marking, we need a Photo of it, to note Type Font, whether it is Factory or “after delivery”, and the actual Layout of the Wording and numbers.
Doc AV
I don’t have permission to post the entire image, but here is the marking I’m inquiring about.
I appreciate any insight you may have…
David Albert
dalbert@sturmgewehr.com
I’m going to venture a guess on this with nothing concrete to support it.
P.N.C.R. = Plano Nacional de Controle de Resíduos (Portugese: Ministry of Agriculture, Brazil)
From a discussion concerning a 7x57mm Mauser blank (BOCN, 2010: bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/71998-7mm-blank? ), Tony Edwards stated the following:
“Kynoch has always done a very large amount of business in South America and used to own a share of both Orbea in Argentina and CBC in Brazil. Particularly in the years before WW2 Kynoch supplied both 7x57mm and 7.65x54mm in ball, AP, tracer, incendiary and blank to various countries.”
Perhaps the contents of the ammunition crate in question was used up and the crate was reused for something else by the P.N.C.R?
Brian
Ammo crates are certainly reused for a great many things. Any other context of the crate’s location or circumstance could shed light on the meaning. In terms of South America, in Guyana there is the political party: People’s National Congress - Reform (P.N.C.R.) which has existed from 1957 to present day. In this context, if the lid were secured and a slot were cut in the top of the box lid, then it may have served as a ballot box or some such thing.
Are you sure the box is British? there is a white sticky label that was on there before it was stenciled that I dont recognise. The typeface looks more 70-80s era.
It is most definitely British, and we have documentation to support its origin and timeframe. We are just confused by the PNCR marking. The South American re-purposing of the box is the most plausible answer encountered yet. I will post more about it later.
David Albert
dalbert@sturmgewehr.com