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British camo netting pattern


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Hi all

 

I've had a look on line but cannot find any definitive patterns for british ww2 and post war camo netting. I'm sure there was some variation but there must have been some specifications and guidelines. Net size, scrim colours, spiral size, spacings etc. Reason being I'm planning some netting which is spread out rather than rolled or scrunched up. 

 

I've found some pics where you can glimpse the principle but nothing definite. 

 

Cheers in advance. 

 

Andrew 

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There may not have been a perfect pattern

A long time ago I helped run a youth group based in a Church hall. To transform the hall we borrowed nets from the local UDR. We used about 8 or 10 nets, on the walls and across the ceiling. No two nets were the same. They all varied.

We used the nets to make the hall more akin to a 'forest' so we used nets with mostly lengths of material running through the netting on the walls with the material running vertically. The nets with shorter pieces of material tied at the ropes corners or the straight bits were used as the top 'foliage'. Colours were all a variation but in greens mostly and some browns

Even though one net may have been mostly long lengths of material woven through the netting it too had some shorter pieces tied on, self tied, and the opposite for the nets which were mostly of short pieces of material

 

btw, the nets we used had the rope ending in a loop at each and very end so we had plenty of attachment points.

afair the separation of the netting varied from about 4 inches square to 6 inches square

 

hth

 

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When i was in the Mob (1980/90's), if you had to get a new cam net it would arrive as just the net and then you had bags of the cam squares which were a sort of plasticy material, you then attached these randomly to the net with cable ties.

 

743327c8-d578-4a34-8341-ab54224978ea.jpg

 

Maybe during WW2 they were ready made out of the factorys, but it could have been a job completed in the field.

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The size of the mesh is 2 and 3/4 ins.. ( or 70mm ) squares.

these will be I guess very broadly "DPM era".. I'd think WW2 nets would be quite different, maybe using hessian sacking type garnish.

like I say, a bit difficult to photograph clearly but let me know if you want any more details.

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I was in from '64 - 69, and we were still using the same old rope and hessian type of camnets, similar to, or the same as the ones used in the war. They were very heavy, especially when wet. We did start to receive lightweight nylon ones which were a godsend.

 

John.

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Wow that escalated quickly!  I wasn't expecting so many responses so thank you all.

 

Just to narrow things down a bit. This is specifically for my Tortoise A39 so some time around the mid to late 40's. From what @Bullbasket is saying they were still using, as to be expected, WW2 kit up to the 60's. When I asked about size I was referring to the overall size of the net 😁

Annoyingly I did some searches a while ago and I'm sure I found some specifics on patterns but can't for the life of me find them again!!😩

From my research there seems to be 6 main types of netting (My descriptions):

 

1. Spiral (I think this is a US thing)

download (1)

 

2. Interlocking strip 

Making_Camouflage_Nets-_the_War_Effort_in_Britain,_1943_D15171

 

 

3. Random strip

Vintage-British-Army-Burlap-Camouflage-Netting-approx-18ft

 

4. Striped 

25f30c30fbcc819aebe3860fd6c50d58

 

5. Small Leaf 

images

 

6. Classic Hessian strip

Strangely enough I could not find a photo of this popular pattern amongst modellers. Only model versions. I.E Cromwells and Fireflies.

 

What I'm looking for is what a spread out sheet would look like as in this pic or what they should look like as per a diagram etc.

download (1)

 

The camo netting will be draped over the Tortoise rather than scrunched up as is usually displayed hence my question.

 

Thank you everyone for answering so far as it is all good grist to the mill 👍🏻

 

Andrew 

 

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I've seen suplus post-war nets listed as 21x21 and 39x45 feet.  A Canadian site says that there was a nominal WW2 24x24 which usually came out at about 20x20, which fits.  That implies that the larger size might have been a nominal 48x48 feet.  The same sizes probably continued post-war until metrication, after which there were certainly 11x11 and 18x18m among others.  48x48-ish sounds like the sort of size you might use on a tank: 20x20 is perhaps just a tad too small.

 

W&J Knox have been making cam nets since WW1.  They may have info on WW2 sizes.  https://wjknox.co.uk/our-nets/camouflage/  A lot of fishing net makers got into the cam net business in WW2, unsurprisingly.

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I have handled and seen probably 100 camo nets over the years and although I wasn't really paying much attention I don't recall any two that were the same. I think that as long as you use roughly the right colours and materials for the era you will be bang on no matter what the pattern. 

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Thanks Das yes those sizes sound about right. I'll base some on that. I will give W&J Knox a call next week.

 

Tcoat I agree and I suppose I have enough info from those pics to do something close enough.

 

I think I'll do one of these as the main covering with some plain as additional.

 

Making_Camouflage_Nets-_the_War_Effort_in_Britain,_1943_D15171

 

 

ag1145-4

 

 

Cheers all

 

Andrew

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I wrote an article in 2019 on this subject in the MAFVA magazine.  This might help.   The original list was tabulated, which hasn't copied here.

By February 1940 the War Office issued guidelines for to the scale of nets per vehicle together with provision of equipment for supporting them or means of securement, such as small steel pins, ash crook supports or frames.  The list below is an extract from ‘Schedule of Weapons, Vehicle etc. for which Standard Camouflage Equipment is Provided’.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles:

VEHICLE TYPE

CAMOUFLAGE TYPE SCALE

Scout car

35’ x 35’ shrimp net  1 per car. To be cut in half to make 2 nets 17.5’ x 35’

Light Tank 25’ x 12’ shrimp net 2 per AFV

Carriers, all types.  25’ x 12’ shrimp net 2 per AFV

Armoured O.P.  25’ x 12’ shrimp net  2 per AFV

Armoured Car.  35’ x 15’ shrimp net  2 per AFV

Cruiser Tank (All types)  35’ x 15’ shrimp net  2 per AFV

  

Softskins:

VEHICLE TYPE, CAMOUFLAGE TYPE, SCALE

Truck & Lorry to 30 CWT  14’ x 14’ garnished net two per vehicle

Lorry & Trailer over 30 CWT 24’ x 24’ garnished net two per vehicle

Artillery, O.P.’s etc: WEAPON CAMOUFLAGE TYPE SCALE

Field gun or howitzer.

a) 29’ x 29’ Garnished c/w 30’ x 30’ frame.

b) 29’ x 14’ Garnished c/w 30’ x 15’ frame.

One per gun or howitzer.

 

Four per gun or howitzer.

Med. or Hvy. Gun or Howitzer

a) 35’ x 35’ Garnished c/w 36’ x 36’ frame.

b) 35’ x 17’ Garnished c/w 36’ x 18’ frame.

One per gun or howitzer.

 

Four per gun or howitzer,

Artillery Observation Post.

14’ x 14’ Garnished c/w small spider frame and telescopic supports.

One per post.

Gun Position Officer Post.

14’ x 14’ Garnished c/w small spider frame and telescopic supports.

One per post.

 

(All net dimensions are in feet).  Camouflage nets were dyed brown or mixture of both colours and some types were garnished with strips of hessian cloth.  Mesh sizes varied: 1¾ inch shrimp net as for AFVs up to 3 inch netting.  Due to the increased types of AFVs and other vehicles during the course of the war, the sizes of nets and scale of issue needed amendment.   Set out below is A.C.I.622, 1st January to 30th June 1944, Nos.1-926 (Inclusive) showing the scale of issue for nine classes of vehicle and A.F.V.

Serial (1)

Item

(2) Scale of Camouflage Equipment.

(3) Remarks

(4) 1 3-in. Mortar  2 14-ft. X 14-ft. garnished nets

 

2 4.2-in Mortar 3 14-ft. X 14-ft. garnished nets  Includes the garnished net already authorised.

3 Scout Car 2 14-ft. X 14-ft. garnished nets 

4 Light tanks   (all marks)  1 14-ft. X 14-ft. garnished net, 1 24-ft. X 24-ft. garnished net

5 Carriers   (all types)  2 14-ft. X 14-ft. garnished nets

6 Armoured Car.  1 14-ft. X 14-ft. garnished net, 1 24-ft. X 24-ft garnished net

7 Recce. Car.  1 35-ft. X 17-ft. garnished net

8 Cruiser tank   (all types)  1 35-ft. X 17-ft. garnished net

9 Infantry tank  2 35-ft X 17-ft. garnished nets per Churchill, 1 35-ft. X 17-ft. garnished net each for any other type of Infantry tank.

  

14ft = 4.26m, 17ft = 5018m,  24ft = 7.31m.

 

Military Training Pamphlet No.46 of 1941, section 4 deals with the correct use of nets and worth quoting.

1.   USE OF THE GARNISHED NET.

Natural aids alone will seldom be sufficient completely to conceal M.T.: the additional aid of garnished nets is required to give the fullest concealment.  If correctly used the garnished net acts like as a lace curtain hung between the vehicle and the air or ground observer, and obscures his view.  Nets help to reduce the shine and distort the vehicle’s shape, and so distort the shadow.  An empty net is useless.  All nets must be correctly garnished.  Vehicles must carry their correct scale of camouflage equipment.  (For net garnishing instructions see Military Training Pamphlet No.46, Part 1, Chapter 2, Sec.13, “Concealment materials of all purposes.”)

A net hung over a vehicle and clinging to the sides in no way alters the shape, and the cast shadow remains the same. (Fig.12)   As movement defeats concealment, a garnished net hung over a vehicle on the move seldom serves a useful purpose.  When not on operations, nets should be carried rolled up, and in a position for immediate use.  On operations, they may be carried stretched over the top of the vehicle and well secured.  Carried in this way, they will be more easily operated on short hops, will reduce the shine on roofs, and may render the vehicle less visible.

A garnished net, when in use, must be held away from the side and roof of the vehicle as much as possible; otherwise wherever the net touches the surface the surface will be visible through the net, and the ‘lace curtain’ properties will be nullified.

Section 2 deals with methods and reminds the troops not to rely too much on overhead cover since only dense woodland or evergreens provide good concealment.  Nets should be hung on tree branches higher than the vehicle or to walls, or eaves of buildings.  To keep the net away from the vehicle six or eight cut forked stakes kept on a vehicle would be useful for this purpose as would light branches wedged under mudguards.  In woods, the nets must be hung from trees to provide additional cover.  If no natural overhead cover in a viable then brushwood should be used to keep the nets away from the vehicle.   By these means the characteristic outline and cast shadow will be distorted and the shadow will be smudged.

Intelligent use of artificial and naturals aids will give concealment in nearly all conditions.

Only the use of nets and natural materials will be supplemented by paintwork on the vehicle, paint alone does NOT provide concealment.  Painting of M.T. is covered in Military Training Pamphlet No.46, part 4A.  (Modellers having my books and reading forums will know about this section).  The section strongly emphasises: ‘Paintwork must never be oiled, polished, or cleaned with paraffin.

 

he M.T.P. includes advice as an aid to correct use of nets with recommendations as to where to and where not to park vehicles.  For diorama builders it is worth pointing out pertinent points.  Vehicles along a road or track should whenever possible be irregularly spaced.  They should park alongside a hedge or ditch so the vehicle's shadow falls onto the hedge and blends with that feature’s shadow, use of garnished nets to assist concealment is recommended.  Vehicles should parked in the shadow of a higher building or as close alongside as possible on the sunny side so as to appear as an outbuilding.  Keep rear curtains closed and use brushwood or sheeting along the wheels and wings to break up the shadow contained under the chassis.

Headquarters ACVs, command vehicles and trailers, by nature of their use, must be close together.  These should if possible be positioned at right angles when near habitations so as to resemble a cluster of small buildings.  On the edges of woodland they should be parked at irregular angles combined with garnished netting so as to blend into the edges of the wood.  Brushwood on the roofs beneath the netting would help to break up the box like outlines if possible but foliage outside needs to be replaced frequently since wilting foliage will give away the location quickly.  Evergreens last longer.

For AFVs the basic rules are the same but on tanks the problem is simplified as the upturned light reflecting surfaces are more ‘broken up’ and their height generally less than M.T.   This allows them more opportunity to be parked under natural cover.   The type of net for AFVs is the shrimp net rather than the garnished net since the closeness of the mesh prevents them from catching on projections.  However it is less opaque than the garnished net but when used correctly as a drape, either hung down from the branches of a tree or held away from the A.F.V. with branches and short stakes, it diffuses the outline of the object it covers. Brushwood and garnish stuck into the net will provide extra opacity and concealment.

Camouflage nets together with vehicle pattern painting produce a mixture of texture and colours giving more effective camouflage besides making the object blend with its background, distorts the shadow to a certain extent it can also be effective in the case of objects which are mobile.

The camouflage net consists of a two-dimensional structure rectangular or square in shape, made out Hessian or flax fibre. The structure consists of square meshes which vary in size according to the type size.  3 and 4 inches square (76.2mm to 101.6mm) seem to be the usual sizes.  A number of nets can be joined to required size depending upon the size of the military object to be covered.   The nets should be light in weight, and compact such that they are easy to erect and handle.  They should be resistant to bad weather conditions – extremes of temperature, humidity and wind velocity.  Care must be taken that they do not catch fire as they burn readily should a rolled net should be penetrated by incendiary munitions.

The colour of the net material should broadly match those of the background.  For Britain and Europe this was usually dark brown or dark green.  The shrimp netting seen on A.F.V.s appears to be medium brown or a green similar in colour to the vehicle.  For visual observation the colours of the garnishing material should correspond to those present in the background being generally light and dark greens, buff, medium and dark browns may be chosen. The density of garnishing decreases from the centre to the periphery of the overall net set.

These recommendations stood too for Tunisia since that country where the 1st Army operated is quite verdant although a greater amount of lighter garnishing would be of value.  For Sicily and Italy the same again although the further north the operations moved then, darker material would be of greater benefit.  Although there was less danger from the German Air Force the mountainous terrain gave superb observation conditions from the defence aspect.

 

THE MIDDLE EAST.

These regions presented range of differing camouflage problems due to the wide range of terrain, from open near flat desert to wooded hills and plains of Palestine Iraq and Trans-Jordan or the more verdant areas of the Canal Zone.  As John Trevelyan, a camouflage officer observed, 'You cannot hide anything in the desert, you can only disguise it'.  In north Tunisia where 1st Army were deployed generally the UK type netting and practice was employed.

During April-May 1941, a camouflage officer submitted a report regarding suitable camouflage colours for use in Crete.  (NA file WO201/ 32).  His comments were valid for Egypt and the Western Desert and many other desert type Middle East areas.

Apart from the general suitability of vehicle colours which at the time were predominantly utilised on the Caunter scheme pattern; his report stated the requirements for various sized nets and garnishing.   For the approximately 356 vehicles, among the requirements needed were 400 14ft x 14ft, (4.026m) nets with each requiring 200 yards (182.88m) garnish, a total of 80,000 yards (73,152m) for these alone.  In addition, 240 24 x 24ft nets (7.31m) and 12 35ft x 35ft nets (10.66m).   All needed garnishing materiel to a total of 188,000 yards (171,907m) of garnishing.  In addition more nets and garnish for static positions.  Therefore a total of 978 nets and 282,000 yards (257,860m) of garnish materials were required.  The garnishing needed to be suitably coloured.  The colours were natural Hessian, a medium yellow-brown shade, Grass Green, Salmon Pink, Loam (dark yellow) and Dark Brown in various proportions.  The officer commented on the fact that not many vehicles carried nets and those that did usually had them draped over the sides carrying little or no garnish.  However when the garnish was attached, it often hung down in stripes and served no useful purpose whatever.   He did manage to obtain unlimited supplies of fish nets which could prove useful as overhead cover when garnished with local heather and scrub bush, and a small company who made larger 25 foot square nets (8.7m square) in large mesh at £2.00 each.  He recommended local purchases be made.

The officer continued about siting gun positions then trenches and vehicles, reiterating the recommended effective method of garnishing a net.  The document describes the process in some detail together with illustrations.  Cut the garnish into approximately 6ft (2.08m) strips then jumble all the colours together.  With the net pegged out flat and stretched tight, knot a strip end to the mesh then weave the strip in and out of the mesh keeping the garnish as flat as possible but NOT in a straight line and loose, then knot the end.  The centre needs to be denser than the edges so start at the centre and work outward.  The corners may be skimped a bit since these are going to be tied to equipment or ground pegs.  On no account cut the strips short and tie them to hang down as this is wasteful and ineffective.

Other notes recommend a ratio of two pieces of buff coloured Hessian, to one of green where camel scrub is present but substitute white in plain desert.  The net material should not be generally dark as this is conspicuous but buff or pink is ideal.  Pieces of scrub or thorn should be used against wheels to break up the regular shape or alternatively rocks or small boulders.  These have the additional advantage of keeping the tyres from direct sunlight and some protection from small projectiles.

A November 1942 'Camouflage Notes' document describes the predominant appearance of the Western desert of Egypt and Cyrenaica which has a very restricted colour range: Light sand, black and white only.  Even the scrub which is green appears black from a short distance.  Most lines in the desert are horizontal thus any vertical lines are most noticeable.  The tallest scrub is no more than 18 to 24 inches (45.7 cm to 60.9cm) high which does not compare with man or vehicles.  From the air, the ground almost appears white and scrub is sparse and appears from low down as dark dots which gradually become almost indistinguishable with altitude.  A South African regiment participated in an experiment using white painted vehicles.  This was not deemed successful since from altitude at the vertical, although the vehicle was more difficult to see, the shadow exposed its location.  From slant angles at dawn and dusk, the vehicles became very conspicuous by shadow and bright reflections.    

The recommended nets in these areas are of 3 inches (7.62cm) mesh, 30ft (91.4m) square and 14ft (4.26m) square.  Garnish should be of white 50 or 100 yard (45.72m & 91.44m) rolls of natural Hessian colour and pink of 100 yard (91.44m) rolls.  White cloth of open mesh each 6 feet 6 inches (152mm) wide and 50 yards (45.72m) long and also of 14 feet, 24 feet and 30 feet square (4.26m, 7.31m, 9.14m).  Camulsion of various colours is available and may also be used to impregnate areas of the cloth if desired.   The lightness of the ground makes it necessary to use very lightly coloured net, 1/2 to 2/3rds white, the rest natural or pink.  Every hole should be covered with parallel running garnish, strips should not cross and knots should be underneath.   Whilst all very well in theory and as ideal, this is not so neatly done in practice. 

Model wise in 1/35 scale, square mesh curtain material would suffice although something much smaller is required for 1/48 and smaller scales.  Old fashioned roller bandage might be suitable if it is still available.  On no account use modern hexagonal gauze material, it stands out like a sore thumb.  Your net section may be wrapped two or three turns around a piece of sprue if required rounded or a flat section of dark painted plastic card if folded.  A piece of plasticine or two part epoxy putty can be used which allows the rolled net to be shaped over irregular surfaces since stowed netting tends to sag over structures.  In this case apply a skin of clingfilm over the area on your model to which the rolled net is to be applied.  Press the soft net bundle into place, shape it to your satisfaction then it allow it to set.  When hard, remove it and the film for painting the model.  Later this may neatly fixed in exactly the same place without damage to your paintwork and markings.  Remember to add any securing ropes or straps, since stowage does not stay on moving vehicles for very long.

 

On folded net apply a generous wash of very dark brown or black worked well into the item; this adds depth to the material.  Then dry brush your lighter net colour over the mesh parts.  For scrim I have pre-painted tissue on both sides which after drying is cut into very thin strips and PVA’d onto the coloured net.  If it to be a hanging down type arrangement, then start at the bottom and work up in layers, you don’t have to be too neat with this.  Mixed herbs scattered over a stowed net with blobs of PVA on it may do, then shake off the surplus. If desired it is then later possible to tint the leaves with spots of suitable colours before or after fixing to your model. This can be effective on smaller scales.

There may be other materials that could be used but as yet I haven’t tried any other methods.

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LT;DR 😁

 

But seriously thank you as always Mike. That pretty much covers everything you need to know and would still be relevant in NE just post war. The rest will keep many, including me, in good stead.

 

Thanks again Mike

 

Andrew

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