Mike, we’re getting a few months ahead of ourselves with SM4809 colours, so I’ll come back to those in a separate post.
On the question of two-tone contrast, it’s clear from the photos that the No.9 scheme provides more effective disruption than factory fresh Khaki Green / Light Earth, and this was the criticism at the time, eg. Major Bill Young GSO III (Cam) NSW LOC Area on 13 Sept 42:
“Mechanization Circular 319 which cancels Circular 301 was issued on 28 July 42 and it provides for two tone painting and the colours selected are KHAKI GREEN and LIGHT EARTH. These colours are useless for disruption as they are much too close in tone and merge at a very short distance.”
By way of background, Young as a Lieutenant appears to have been an early member of the Sydney Camouflage Group and remains on good terms with the Group’s former President, Prof. Dakin, and Secretary, Vince Tadgell, who by now is seconded to the position of S.O.R.E (Cam) LHQ with the rank of Captain. Tadgell is instrumental in SM4809 developments which come later.
Early in ’42 while Dakin was still in charge of Research Station at Georges Heights, he developed at Army request a grey disruptive colour for use on vehicles, which Young sought to introduce circa June/July by means of Amendment to Mech Circ 301, stipulating: “The colours for use in Australia are Vehicle Light Grey and Dark Green 3.” On July 8 we find Young ordering paint named “Vehicle Light Grey” and “Dark Green”, the latter seemingly Dark Green M with 1/8 Night Black U added.
I believe we’re seeing here the emergence of paint vocab in which colours developed by Army specifically for use on vehicles are prefixed “Vehicle” and this later came to imply gas resistant alkyd enamel. In other words, proper vehicle paint, not general purpose Flat Oil paint as per DHS spec. Earliest example is “Vehicle Buff” which I believe was B.S.C. 59 Middle Buff introduced 20 Jan 42, possibly for armoured workshops, with the DHS equivalent being 50:50 mix Light Stone N with Light Brown P, as specified by Dakin to RAAF on 20 Feb 42: “This colour can now be obtained already mixed under the name “Buff”.
With events having overtaken Young when MC319 cancelled MC301, and thereby his planned Amendment to MC301, he proceeds to identify the usual loophole through which he can enforce his own preferred scheme: “As this Circular 319, Clause 11 states that “SPECIAL VARIATIONS TO SUIT LOCAL CONDITIONS MAY ONLY BE MADE UPON THE EXPRESS AUTHORITY OF THE G.O.C.”, a set of new designs were prepared, complying with disruptive and countershading principles of camouflage and circular amended by nominating ‘VEHICLE LIGHT GREY’ and DARK GREEN 3 as the colours to be used.”
He adds: “G.S.O. III (Cam) 2 Aust Army has made a request for copies so that this Circular may be adopted by that Formation.”
Young’s Circular is promulgated by HQ 1 Aust Div as G1862 of 8 Nov 42, and seems likely to have been adopted by other Formations including NG Force, which had already specified a very similar scheme of Dark Green M / Light Slate Grey B to be applied before vehicles despatched, this being given effect under ADV LHQ GS INSTN No.11 (refer my post #340 of 19-9-17).
So that’s how the 2-tone scheme of Dark Green / Light Grey entered production using MC319 pattern charts, and pretty soon we start seeing this distinctive high contrast scheme with diffuse colour boundaries appearing on tactical vehicles in QLD and NG, as well as new vehicle photos of the period, including, I believe, the fabulous FGT9 images.
Problem is we have no paint chips for these Army colours, and as you correctly observe Mike, Dakin’s Grey G was definitely not matched to Vehicle Light Grey. This means we’ll need to colour match artifacts, and good place to start looking might be No.6 panels.
Cheers,
Tony