Airfix WWII RAF Bomber re-supply set colour questions

[Pappy]

G'day people,

 

I have also posted these questions in the Airfield vehicles topic, but I am hoping to cast as wide a net as possibel.

 

I have the Airfix 1/72 WWII RAF Bomber re-supply set and I have a couple of questions regarding colours. The overall colour for the vehicles as indicated by the instructions is Humbrol 29 (matt Dark Earth) with a black disruptive pattern.

 

This seems to agree with many of the fine examples in this topic, but disagrees with the images on the box sleeve (including pictures of the built models), which display a distinctly greener hue, closer to olive drab.  I realise that the box top is not a definitive reference and the assembled kits may have been painted before the production instructions were available  to the builder. Was Dark Earth  the 'standard' colour for WWII UK based vehicles or were there  other variations?

 

My second question is in regards to the oil bowser internals. The kit instructions simply state that the internal details are all painted Dark Earth. I suspect the cabinet interior would be painted white but this is just a guess based on period pics of the Albion 3 point re-fueller,

does anyone have any reference pics of the cabinet details?

 

cheers

 

Pappy

[Graham Boak]

Initially RAF vehicles were painted a dark RAF Blue Grey, but after some practical changes in France this was changed to the standard Army colours of Khaki Green G3 and a green G5.  The G5 was often applied in a flowing, largely horizontal fashion.  However by 1943 (maybe 1942?) it was realised that the country was running short of chrome pigments for green, so aircraft were given priority.  The Army and Navy were banned from using green, and the army replaced this with a mid-brown which was indeed very similar to, but somewhat lighter than, Dark Earth.  This could have a dark blue/black or darker brown added as top cover, lower shadow, or some side patterning to specific designs or an approximation.  By April 1944 the Army had switched to an Olive Drab SCC15 and it is most likely that RAF vehicles in 2 TAF will have been painted in this colour.  Fuller details can be found in the research section of the MAFVA site, prepared by Mike Starmer.  These colours are available from Colourcoats, or will be when normal service is resumed.

 

So what period or periods do you wish to model?  Neither the David Brown tractor nor the Bedford are suitable for very early, and by 1945 some of the RAF bases in the UK were returning to the pre-war colour, with yellow tops (or perhaps just adding yellow tops to their camouflaged vehicles?).

[Pappy]

 G'day Graham,

 

Thanks for the very complete and prompt reply. I have a few 1/72 WWII RAF bomber kits, but maoinly I was thinking a Lancaster Dambuster initially., but using the various elements here and ther with differewnt kits to add interest. I am not familiar with the MAFVA website but it sounfds like a great resource.,

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

[Harry Lime]

Pappy,

 

To expand on Graham's post a little, Mike Starmer is the guy when it comes to British WWII vehicle/armour colours research. There should be a downloadable PDF file available (fairly sure it was the MAFVA website) of Mike's latest research which includes colour matches and mixes of various hobby paint brands if no match is available. I'd also recommend Colourcoats, but since you're in Oz they might not be as easy to get hold of in your neck of the woods.

 

Some of the schemes suggested in the Airfix set don't ring true for me having looked at Mike's work either. The scheme suggested for the David Brown tractor should, based on my understanding of Mike Starmer's work, be Khaki Green G3 with a G5 disruptive pattern. However, as noted by Graham, the particular model of tractor is very much a later production version and would require a few tweaks to better represent one in the scheme suggested by Airfix. A quick fix is to lop off the angle beam on the top of the winch and don't add the cylinder across the top of same later on.

 

The Bedford MWC water bowser is more commonly seen on 2TAF airfields, especially with the roundel markings on the bowser. I'd suggest it would likely be in an SCC15 Olive Drab based scheme rather than a Dark Earth based one as provided for by Airfix.

 

Unfortunately, despite the extensive use of vehicles by the RAF during the war there is a lack of understanding of their colour schemes and uses etc. There is an increasing understanding, but it is still far from conclusive in some cases and you still need to 'sniff out' the info if you really want it. Even then, you can spend a while sorting the wheat from the chaff!

 

ROYAL AIR FORCE FIGHTER COMMAND, 1939-1945.. © IWM (COL 191) IWM Non Commercial License

 

As you can see from the above image, white would probably be better. Click on the link to go to the IWM website for a larger and zoomable version of this image.

 

Mark.

Edited May 24, 2020 by Harry Lime
Added Bowser

[Pappy]

G'day Mark,

 

Agqin, thanks very much for the awesome info. I have found an Aussie paint manufacturer for sources of G3, G4, G5, SCC2 and SCCC15 all at my LHS - result!, so I will have a crack with these using the info as related here,

 

many thanks,

 

Pappy

[Graham Boak]

Just as a matter of curiosity, who is the Aussie paint manufacturer?  Not that it is likely to be of any benefit here.

[Ed Russell]

14 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

paint manufacturer?

 

https://www.scalemodeller.com.au/collections/british-afv-wwii

 

SMS are a local manufacturer making acrylic lacquer paint. If their AFV paint is done with the same research  consultation as the aircraft paint they should be okay.

 

https://www.scalemodeller.com.au/