A question about a Quad

[Mike Starmer]

Picking up after a short break.   Chromium Oxide Green was the only pigment with natural infra-red properties which was why it was selected for use in a basic camouflage colour, and disruptives in lesser amounts.     I will quote passages from copies of April 1942 documents regarding revision of camouflage colours which might or might not help.  Provision had to be made for day camouflage, night camouflage and replacement for Khaki Green 3.  Pigments:  Supply of the following are fairly easy: 

1 Devon Ochre and other low grade English ochres; 

2 Burntisland Red (by product of aluminium industry -nearly colour 11A); 

3 A certain amount of Residual Black Iron Oxide.  

White pigments, only lithopone is likely to be available and that in small quantity. 

The green range has always been, and is likely to remain extremely difficult.  Tinting pigments:  bright yellows, umbers, certain blues as are used for precise tints and tones are all difficult on technical grounds if not supply, and it is assumed that their use should be avoided as far as possible.

 

Then comes discussion and opinions regarding  variations of browns and greens, colours noted as X1, X4, X7, X11A, X12, X14.  These are variations on an original list of required colours, NOT yet in BS.987, they are dealing here with a range of 19 desirable colours.  Then follows notes that X1 , a dark brown should replace Khaki Green 3 due to being of the same tonal and reflectance in day and night conditions  There is a table which the three armed services and Ministry of home Security would like to use, numbered 1A & 1 sequential including 6A,  11A & 11B to 14.   There are  a lot of technical notes on percentages of reflectance in various lighting conditions too.   It would appear that X1 eventually became SCC.2 which is lighter than originally envisaged.    Which begs the question, were the first brown painted vehicles darker than those later?  Dick Taylor found a note which indicated two shades at one time.

 

The upshot of all this is that the committee were under pressure to quickly establish a range of colours suitable for all camouflage purposes which could be manufactured in bulk and with a degree of performance consistency and colour.   The result became BS.987C dated September 1942 of 11 colours, but note that some of these colours had been produced by late 1941 and in use.  Camouflage officers in ME were aware of these colours early in 1941 since I have copies of April and May 1941 reports regarding suitable camouflage colours for Crete where these colours are referred to.  So evidently samples were already available then.