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Desert SAS jeep's


stevej60

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Hi folk's I,m tinkering with Tamiya's SAS jeep and looking ahead to the paint and weathering am I right in thinking these jeeps would

have been originally been delivered in US green? and what colour would the jerry can's be? were they green,painted over with sand 

or painted sand from new,TIA.

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Steve have a look here at the coloured photos which give a good idea.

You have to scroll down.

https://www.pinterest.com/denislushnenko/long-range-desert-groupsas/

 

Matter of interest the deeds of the SAS did not stop in the desert.

 

After they had finished in Tunisia they were one of the first groups to land on the tip of Italy

There they provided a reconnaissance force for the main forces plus causing disruption

to the Germans. The Germans in one town actually surrendered to a small force of SAS.

The SAS had motored around the town firing giving the impression they were being

attacked by the main British Army.

 

The SAS also performed in France. They used the woods and forest to hide in.

 

Laurie

 

 

 

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34 minutes ago, stevej60 said:

I watched a documentary on Tuesday night Laurie,hence the kit bought on Wednesday!

 

Pity I missed that. Which channel did it go out on. I amy be able to track it down.

 

The Phantom Major  Book by Virginia Cowles. Great read about the setting up of the SAS and their achievements in the desert.
 
Laurie
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11 hours ago, LaurieS said:

 

Pity I missed that. Which channel did it go out on. I amy be able to track it down.

 

The Phantom Major  Book by Virginia Cowles. Great read about the setting up of the SAS and their achievements in the desert.
 
Laurie

 BBC2 Laurie SAS rougue warriors series part one  it was sort of dramatised by the Narrator with interviews with David Stirling and

other founder members,should be on the I player.

Edited by stevej60
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Those coloured pictures are colourised B/W images, not contemporary ones.  Their original Jeeps were painted Light Stone No.61 in line with the then camouflage policy.  By April-May they started using Desert Pink as did the LRDG.   By about June or July green and Light Stone were added,  Desert Pink is a pale rose shade, like the common pink housebrick of the period, NOT the ghastly girly shade used by modern re-enactment groups.  They have copied the post war Land Rover vehicle shades.

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3 hours ago, Mike Starmer said:

Those coloured pictures are colourised B/W images, not contemporary ones.  Their original Jeeps were painted Light Stone No.61 in line with the then camouflage policy.  By April-May they started using Desert Pink as did the LRDG.   By about June or July green and Light Stone were added,  Desert Pink is a pale rose shade, like the common pink housebrick of the period, NOT the ghastly girly shade used by modern re-enactment groups.  They have copied the post war Land Rover vehicle shades.

Thank's Mike I finished the jeep and by co-incidence just started the Land rover so assume it does need to be "girly pink* not that

I would use the term to any past or present members of the Regiment!

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Following my recent posting I found the photcopy I made from Reg Seeking's memoirs. 'The Originals: SAS.' Pub. Gordon Stevens 2007 paperback.  This is the real thing, no punches pulled.  Reg was one of the founder members and became a sergeant in the unit.  He made comments about the colours of their Jeeps, worth repeating here.  

'When it came to camouflage, we got an idea from the LRDG.  They had a very gaudy camouflage, but it was very good.  To people who hate the desert, it's just dull and brown, but for those who like it, there's tremendous colour in it.  I loved the desert.

  The workshop camouflaged a vehicle, and I said, " No, that's not true."  And this chap turned round and said ,"Sure and be Christ, here's the tools.  Do it yourself."  When I had done it, he laughed his bloody head off.  He said it was something from the fairground.  It was in pink, blues, greens, yellows, all pastel colours.

  We worked it all out and got one finished, and took it out onto the tank firing range at Abassea to try it out.  They've got a big tank ditch there, a big embankment behind it.  So we took this Jeep out there, stopped and got out, and I said to the major, who'd come wwith me, "Don't look behind you."  We walked a hundred yards and turned round, and you should have seen his face.  He said, "I can't believe it.  I can hardly see the thing.  If I didn't know it was there, I'd miss it.  Right, I've changed my views, What next?"

 

 The actual colours can be explained quite easily as those from normal inventory stocks.  Desert Pink ZI being trialed by LRDG, The blue could well be Sky Blue as this was used for markings and the tall radio aerials fitted to HQ vehicles.  Green could be Silver Grey 28, as the dark green later used was not a pastel shade.  The yellow was probably the basic Light Stone 61.  

 

A comment regarding the 'Blitz Buggy' used by David Stirling wouldn't go amiss here too.  It was a Ford shooting brake with windows and roof removed, twin Vickers K m/gs at the rear and a single Vickers at the front, plus other local mods.  It was painted olive grey to look like a German staff car with the monthly air recognition panel on the bonnet.  The accompanying photograph shows the SAS badge on the door panel.   

 

HTH

 

 

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