AOP scout car

[Mike Cecil]

Darryl,

Be very careful with the various schemes quoted: it is but a fraction of the story, and of course, not always followed in the field anyway - in fact, far from it.

First 3 colour (1 base colour, 2 disruptive colours) for the AMF was January 1942 as an alternate scheme. Further 3 tone schemes were promulgated for general use within the AMF in March 1943.

1st Infantry Division (an AMF training division) issued a special amendment in Nov 1942 which contained only a 2 tone scheme that substituted Vehicle Dark Green for the base colour KG3, and Vehicle Light Grey for Light Earth. The Veh Light Grey was a greenish colour anyway.

1 Div did not introduce a 3 tone scheme until March 1943, which was that contained in LHQ SM4809 (just like the rest of the AMF).

Prior to July 1942, the scheme was Light Stone (ASC 'N') and KG3 (Khaki Green ASC 'J'). In July 1942, the colour Light Earth (ASC 'W') was substituted for Light Stone (ASC 'N'). I suspect the 'yellowish' colour to which you refer is an attempt to reproduce the Light Stone.

All Australian Standard Colours (ASC) were 'lettered' from White (ASC 'A') to Light Earth (ASC 'W'). They were devised by not by Army, but a Division of the Department of Home Security. The standard colour chart was issued by the Standards Association of Australia. There were three issues as far as I am aware: Dec 41, Feb 42, January 43.

I wrote a book on the subject many years ago. The unpublished manuscript still resides on my office shelf.....

Mike C