Info needed: correct colours for WWII Aust vehicles

[Chris Collins]

Gina,

let the naysayers say what they will, what happens in the field in a in unit depots is one thing but armies even one as allegedly unregulated by doctrine as the Australian army. Vehicles started with specified colour schemes at points of their lives, who knows? but we rarely display vehicles as an "in the field" example most look factory fresh.

Colour pigments used in the British army were tightly regulated due to the use of Infrared non-reflective paint, which is precisely why Mid war the brits whent from KG3 to scc2 brown, as most readily available green pigments are highly reflective, and easily observed using IR cameras in PR aircraft. Despite anectdotal evidence and "i spoke to a bloke" stuff, id say very difficult to prove with any authority.

Colours and variability in batches, colour can be very difficult to pin down, pigment particle size, resin matrix, background colour, age, lighting conditions all affect paint. but if you at least start with a reasonable facimilie and natural variation does it s thing, then you're interpretation is as valid if not more valid than the usual 'I reckon its..."

Were all vehicles the specified colour scheme for ever? Unlikely. were all vehicles a hotchpotch of locally sourced colours? also unlikely. Were most probably the specified colours, at least once at some point of their lifetimes? I'd say almost definitely. Are either incorrect?

I think personally Gina has done some amazing research using extant examples that corroborate much of the official literature, and I'd think twice before scoffing at work like that.

Is research a waste of time? I defer to the Duke of wellington. "Time in reconnaissance is seldom wasted"


Kind Regards

Chris Collins