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Allied Gas Detection Paint


Caulkhead

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I’ve been trying to find out what colour should be used to replicate the gas detection paint used on allied softskins. I once made a note from somwhere that Humbrol 81 was a near match - does anyone know different please?. 

I’ve made a long and frustrating search of magazine articles and the web and haven’t got anywhere.

Thanks

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Just when I thought that I'd exhausted the web I stumbled onto the BSA WD motorbike site which has a gas detection paint page http://www.wdbsa.nl/Gas detector paint.htm. so a tint mix based on yellow chromate should do it.

 

I've an ex work colleague who owns 2 Bedford QL's (a QLB and a QLR) and he agreed that something based on yellow chromate would do.

 

Rod

gaspaint.jpg

 

 

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Nothing in my reference library, but according to  internet sources:

 

There were two shades:

 Detector Paint No 1 - Greenish-yellow.

 Detector Paint No 2 - Khaki.

markings058.jpg&key=b35e9216ac7d80b20a20

 

 In 1941 it was replaced with the khaki shade:

 

 

dN9jA4D.jpg

 

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attachment.php?attachmentid=6872&stc=1&t

 

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/showthread.php?t=4857

 

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American version is more greenish:

 

WP_002063_-_kopie.jpg

 

http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=3155626639&frmid=16&msgid=1397203&cmd=show

 

 

regards,

Jack

 

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Thanks for the update Jack. To back up what you said I've found a copy of British Vehicle Markings by Peter Hodges and that says that the colour was light Khaki. Taking into account the statement in your link that the stuff faded rapidly I think a lighter shade of khaki similar to the sample I found is the one to go for.

Regards Rod

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In the magazine Scale Aircraft Modelling, October 2018 ( Vol.40 No.8 ) there is a one page article on Chemical Warfare Paints 1939-45 and it alludes to Humbrol No. 26 Khaki being a close match or FS 33105.

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I assume this was the same paint as applied to WW2 fighters such as the Spitfire.  This was a greenish-yellow colour early in the war, but was replaced later by gas sensitive paints in camouflage colours - or perhaps just one colour?   Given that Humbrol 26 is not a far match from the Dark Earth on Battle of Britain fighters (and bombers throughout),  the high contrast visible in photos makes it clear that this early war gas-sensitive paint was not anywhere near H26.  However, it would seem likely that the khaki form of the paint as shown above was made available to the Army later in the war.

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In the article it says " Whilst the manual does not explicitly say so, it is thought that Gas Detector Paint No.1 was most widely used on aircraft whilst No.2 was most widely used on MT vehicles ".

Air Publication 1510 'RAF  Manual of defence against gas' Volume I chapter III of Feb '44 mentions two types of gas detector paint, Paint, Detector, Gas No.1 ( StoresRef.33A/525 ) and ' Paint, Detector, Gas Khaki No.2 ( Stores Ref. 33A/530 ).

Edited by Mick4350
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  • 1 month later...

It may be that only the first type was used on aircraft.  It is noticeable that after December 1940 it is no longer seen on aircraft.  The first type gas-detection paint is a light yellow green.  A preserved sample I matched in 2007 was 1 x Hum 99 + 1 x Hum 81.  The July 1939 War Office standard states that it should closely match BS.55 Lemon, so my mix is about right.  Later it was reformulated to be less conspicuous.  I have a copy of some War Office contracts for a total of 23,000 gallons 'khaki anti-gas' paint in November 1943 and January 1944.  Thus not so obvious on vehicles.  Theses orders were amendments to contracts for paint spraying brown No,2 special i.e. SCC.2.

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