mikestarmer

I found this very interesting too since to date I have never found out exactly what Dark Tarmac No.4 looked like. A Canadian contact says a very dark blue grey whilst many years ago it was reckoned to be almost black. Contemporary colour photographs taken from the web do seem to show the blue-grey shade. If I have read it correctly, I see that in the formuala for mixing there are small elements of yellow and red. These combined with black would give the finished colour a slightly green tinge. I would dearly like to see the sample mentioned in this document and compare it with some type of current standard. If, of course, the archivist did include it. (they often don't!) So much for the oft stated "wartime paint was made cheap wasn't it?"

While this is a rather late response, the clue of the origin of the badge may lie in the base colour. That base colour is Khaki Green No.3 which came into use in mid 1939 and was phased out during 1941 into '42. The badge was therefore applied during that period and subsequently over painted several times if the cracked off layers of paint are any guide. It would be helpful to know when the Scammell was built and the contract number for the run. Any idea of the WD serial?

Jeeps in UK were usually left in the U.S. colour Olive Drab No.9. The British wartime BS was BS.987C not BS.381C that is being used now for restorations. BS.987C was withdrawn in 1954 and some of the colours in BS.987 were continued into BS.381C. However the 381 colours are NOT the wartime colours, merely their equivalents. BS.298 is somewhat darker and more green than the original BS.987 SCC.15 Olive Drab.

By 1943 gas detection paint was khaki green and is very difficult to see on many contemporary pictures. The colour changed to red for danger. Usually on the bonnet of a jeep, size to approximate an area 18 inches square within view of the driver. The sizing also applied to the first gas paint which was an ochre or mustard shade.

How interesting to see a Bedford MWC with Geneva Crosses, thanks for these pictures.

If I know the Maltese they simply acquired 'any colour' and used it. It was certainly the case when visited there some years ago. Ex-military vehicles were fairly common in al sorts of colours. But in 1998 or so I did see a steam shovel used by a construction company still in the WW 2 SCC.2 brown.

My main interest and research field for the last 30+ years has been the colors and disruptive camouflage schemes of British vehicles during WW 2. As a result I have been contacted by several vehicle restorers looking for the correct schemes and colour to paint their projects. I am happy to help whenever possible.

The instruction for the so called' Mickey Mouse' patterning are clearly set out in MTP 46/4A of circa November 1941 calling for SCC.2 brown basic colour with SCC.1A dark brown or SCC 14 black as a disrupter. The pattern was not an officially specified pattern per se, it was merely one variation of the design. Apparently developed as a means of applying the design quickly using templates and infilling by brush by un-skilled labour. There is no doubt that templates were used as photographs of field parks show line upon line of identically painted vehicles. It was not something dreamed up by Whitehall wizards to keep idle hands busy but based on nature and scientific principles applied by the Camouflage Directorate to assist the concealment of a vehicles with the use of nets and foliage. It is not actually easy to see white WD numbers that are only 3 1/2 inches high except at close quarters.