military vehicles in Northern Ireland

[chrisgrove]

Originally Posted by fv1620

Chris now that brown camo is very interesting. One can see as late as 1972 Pigs at that time being Mk1 still with a European green/black. I had assumed it was just the way the came, I didn't imagine that it was repainted once over there.

But this green/brown has fascinated me. I have just one picture of it & have on video some footage shot from the commanders seat of a Pig on patrol in a housing estate. Both sources looked as if it was freshly painted which seem odd trying to look "rural" in an urban situation.

What has foxed me even more is that at least two of the exRUC Commer water canon were at one stage painted green/brown. I realise in RUC service they were initially light grey then many became green. In later part of service with 17/21st Lancers they were plain green.

So I wonder what was the rationale behind this reddish-brown camo in an urban environment?

Clive

Can't answer that one. As I said, I joined the resident battalion (2 Queens) about 3 months before they came back after a 2 year tour. The Bedfords were that colour too, with apple green (fireproofed) tilts with windows and an elevated (about a foot) centre bar on the tilt frame intended to get molotov cocktail ingredients to run off the sides. Have some pics of them too. Can't remember what colour the Rovers were. The point is that all those vehicles had been there some time, not imported from BAOR, but I have no idea when the brown bits were painted on, Tac signs were interesting too - red squares with 39/9 in white (39 Brigade), plus callsigns all round.

Chris