Many Vickers MGs are not directly marked as to who the manufacturer was as the War Office contract guns did not require anything further than a serial number. The exception to this rule are the Commercial Guns as the manufacturer wished all to know who produced the gun as an additional marketing technique. Component parts and accessories often included a manufacturer marking for traceability.
In the Second World War, this was reduced to a alpha-numerical code with N for Northern, M for Midlands and then S for Southern, followed by a number. Manufacturers’ markings are sometimes accompanied by a year of production, which could be the full four digits or just the two end digits.
For additional information on the history of UK companies, the links go to Graces Guide.
| Marking | Manufacturer details | Examples found on |
| B & Co Ltd. | Bradley Bar & Sheet Iron Company, Bradley, Bilston | No 6 and No 7 Belt Boxes |
| BA | Bathurst Annex (a feeder factory for the Small Arms Factory, Lithgow, Australia) | Extractor |
| BAGCRAFT LTD. | Bagcraft, Sackville House, 39-40 Picadilly, London, W1 | VGO ammunition pouches |
| B.A.M. | Burroughs Adding Machine Company, Nottingham and Glasgow. | Muzzle cup |
| B.H.&G. | Barrow, Hepburn & Gale, Grange Mills, Grange Road, Bermondsey, London | Oil can cases |
| BSA (and three rifles) | Birmingham Small Arms | Monopod |
| BUS | British United Shoe Machinery Company, Leicester. | Extractor |
| B.W.Ld. London | Bowden Wire Co., Willesden Junction, London | Muzzle cup |
| C.P. Ltd. | Caoutchouc Products Ltd. – possibly Continental Caoutchouc and Guttapercha Co, Holborn Viaduct, London | VGO single ammunition pouch |
| E inside D | Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield | Direction dial pointer, Mark IV tripod |
| EFD | Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield | Mark I ammunition belt |
| Evertaut | Evertaut, Walsall Road, Perry Barr, Birmingham | No 2 Mark I .5-inch ammunition box |
| FBP | Fábrica de Braço de Prata, Portugal | Portuguese-made Vickers MG, Clinometer, Ammunition belts |
| G S W | General Steel Wares, Canada | 2 Gallon Can |
| H & E Ltd. | Hooper & Edman, Birmingham | No. 8 Belt Box |
| H. Brindley | H Brindley, Ltd, Birmingham. | Belt repair tool |
| J & J.T. Ltd. | John & Joseph Taunton, Birmingham | No. 8 Belt Box |
| J.B.& Co | Jones Brothers & Company, Wolverhampton | No. 6 Belt Box |
| JI | John Inglis and Company, Canada | Barrels |
| M 78 | Elkington & Co. Ltd, Newhall Street, Birmingham | Monopod |
| M 602 | Alfred Bray & Sons Limited, Leicester. | Mark IV tripod |
| M 603 | British United Shoe Machinery Company, Leicester. | Extractor |
| MA | Made in Australia | Feedblock top and bottom pawls springs |
| MC | Monotype Corporation, Salfords, Redhill | Extractor |
| M.E.Co | Mills Equipment Company, 56 Victoria Street, Westminster, London, SW1 | VGO ammunition pouches |
| P & P Ltd. | Peyton & Peyton, Birmingham | No. 8 Belt Box |
| PA | Parkes Annex, (a feeder factory for the Small Arms Factory, Lithgow), Parkes, New South Wales | Extractor |
| RCD | Royal Carriage Department | Tripod mounting blocks |
| RFI | Rifle Factory Ishapore, India | Extractor |
| R.P.Ltd | R Parkyn Limited | Webbing ammunition box carriers |
| RPL over S | Rheem Australia Proprietary Limited, Sydney | No. 8 and No. 10 belts boxes |
| RT | Randwick Tramways, Sydney | Mark IV tripods |
| S 26 | Climax Rock Drill Company, Carn Brea, Cornwall | Feedblock casing |
| S 81 | Monotype Corporation, Salfords, Redhill | Extractor |
| S 254 | Portadyne Radio, Portadyne Works, 18-19 Gorst Road, London, NW10. | Mark 5 tripod direction pointer |
| S 343 | Nicholls & Janes, St. Mary’s St., High Wycombe, Bucks | Spare parts box Mark III |
| S.J.&E.F. Ltd. | S.J. & E. Fellows Limited, Vulcan Works, Wolverhampton | No. 6 belt box |
| T.F.&S.Ld | Thomas French & Sons, Dyer Street, Chester Road, Manchester. | Stripless ammunition belts |
| VA | Vickers Armstrongs | .5-inch Mark V |
| VAC | Vickers Armstrongs Crayford | Extractor |
| V.A.ER. | Vickers Armstrongs Erith | Class C Vickers machine gun |
| VAN | Vickers-Armstrongs (believed to be Newcastle) | Feedblock casing |
| VSM | Vickers, Sons and Maxim | Trigger bar, crosspiece |
| VSM M | Vickers, Sons and Maxim – the ‘M’ is believed to indicate the ‘Maxim’ works at Erith. | Fusee |
| W.T.&Co. | Wynn, Timmins & Co Ltd., Birmingham | Belt repairing tool |
B & Co Ltd on No 7 belt box. Bradley Bar & Sheet Iron Company, Bilston. 
B & Co Ltd on No 6 belt box. Bradley Bar & Sheet Company, Bilston. 
BA on extractor. Bathurst Annex, Australia. 
Bagcraft Ltd. on Vickers Gas-Operated magazine ammunition pouches. Bagcraft, London. 
B.A.M. on muzzle cup. Burroughs Adding Machine Company, Nottingham. 
B.H.&G. on oil case case. Barrow, Hepburn & Gale. 
BSA (and three rifles) on monopod. Birmingham Small Arms. 
BUS on extractor. British United Shoe Machinery Company, Leicester. 
B.W. Ltd. London. on muzzle cup. Bowden Wire Co., Willesden Junction, London. 
C.P.Ltd. on Vickers Gas-Operated magazine pouches. Caoutchouc Products Ltd. 
E inside D on Tripod Direction Pointer Mk. II. Enfield. 
E inside D on Mark IV tripod crosshead. Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield. 
EFD on ammunition belt. Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield. 
Evertaut on .5-inch No 2 Mark I ammunition box. Evertaut, Birmingham. 
FBP on M/930 Vickers, Fabrica de Braco de Prata, Portugal 
FBP on ammunition belt. Fabrica de Braco de Prata. 
G S W on 2 gallon can. General Steel Wares, Canada. 
H & E Ltd on No 8 Belt Box. Hooper & Edman, Birmingham. 
H Brindley on belt repair tool. H Brindley, Limited, Birmingham. 
J & J.T. Ltd on No 8 Belt Box. John & Joseph Taunton, Birmingham. 
J.B.&Co on No 6 belt box. Jones Brothers & Company. Wolverhampton. 
JI on barrel. John Inglis and Company, Canada. 
MA on Feedblock Top Pawls spring. Made in Australia. 
MA on feedblock bottom pawls spring. Made in Australia. 
M 78 on monopod. Elkington & Co Ltd, Birmingham. 
M 602 on Mark IV tripod. Alfred Bray & Sons Limited, Leicester. 
M 603 on extractor. British United Shoe Machinery Company, Leicester. 
MA42 on Mk. II* Tangent Sight slide. Made in Australia, 1942. 
MC on extractor. Monotype Corporation, Redhill. 
M.E.Co on Vickers Gas-Operated magazine pouches. Mills Equipment Company. 
P & P Ltd on No 8 Belt Box. Peyton & Peyton, Birmingham. 
PA on extractor. Parkes Annex, Australia. 
R.C.D. 1913 on Tripod mounting blocks. Royal Carriage Department, 1913. 
RFI on extractor. Rifle Factory, Ishapore, India. 
R.P.Ltd. on ammunition box carrier. R Parkyn Ltd. 
RPL over S on No 8 belt box. Believed to be Rheem Proprietary Limited, Sydney. 
RPL over S on No 8 belt box. Believed to be Rheem Proprietary Limited, Sydney. 
RT on Mark IV tripod. Randwick Tramways. 
S 26 on feedblock. Climax Rock Drill Company, Carn Brea, Cornwall. 
S 81 on extractor. Monotype Corporation, Redhill. 
S 254 on Mark 5 tripod direction pointer. Portadyne Radio. 
S 343 on Mk. III Spare Parts and Tools Box. Nicholls & James, High Wycombe. 
S.J. & E.F. Ltd on No 6 belt box. S.J. & E. Fellows Limited, Wolverhampton. 
T.F.&SLtd on Mark III ammunition belt. Thomas French & Sons Ltd. 
T.F.&S. Ld. on Mark IV ammunition belt. Thomas French & Sons. 
VA on .5-inch Mark V. Vickers Armstrongs. 
VAC on .5-inch extractor. Vickers Armstrongs, Crayford. 
VAC on extractor. Vickers Armstrong Crayford. 
V.A.ER. on Class C gun. Vickers Armstrongs Erith. 
V.A.N. on feedblock. Believed Vickers Armstrongs Newcastle. 
VSM on bottom of rear cross-piece. Vickers Sons & Maxim. 
VSM on trigger bar. Vickers Sons & Maxim. 
VSM M on fusee. Vickers Sons & Maxim – ‘M’ believed to be for ‘Maxim’ works at Erith. 
W.T & Co. 1916. on Belt Repairing Tool. Wynn, Timmins & Co Ltd., Birmingham, 1916.
Sources
- Goldsmith, 1994
- Hallett, E (2015) Webbing Manufacturers’ Codes on Tales from the Supply Depot [online]. Available at: https://talesfromthesupplydepot.blog/2015/01/16/webbing-manufacturers-codes/ (Accessed 24 August 2021).
- Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum (n.d.) History and Production [online]. Available at: https://www.lithgowsafmuseum.org.au/history.html (Accessed 28 December 2020).
- Skennerton, 1988; 1997
