Green and Grey or High Speed Silver?

[sanguin]

I am trying to build most of the aircraft types used by 500 (County of Kent) Squadron, RAF.

However, I have encountered a difficulty in deciding on colour schemes for some aircraft.

If there is photographic evidence then most points become sort of straightforward, but if I cannot find any images at all.....

So, 500 flew Mosquito NFXIX and NF30s from Nov 1946 until some time in mid/late 1948. Were these in Dark Green/MSG as I suspect or possibly silver as is this picture http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DH.98_Mo...48_edited-2.jpg

of a 605 Squadron aircraft in April '48? I have not yet found an image of a 500 Mosquito, but assume that they were in camouflage finish.

500 also flew a small number of Spitfire F22s for which I have not yet found any pictures, were they NMF or silver or camouflaged?

Equally the Meteors III/F4/F8/T7 flown by 500 all seem to be in High Speed silver from mid 1948 until probably 1954-55 when some or all F8s were painted in Dark Sea Grey/Dark Green/Silver. However, does anybody know if any of the IIIs were still in the Ocean Grey/Dark Green/Medium Sea Grey wartime finish when first issued to 500? Just as a point of interest, the F8 WF714 COs aircraft with the squadron-striped tail was one of those given a camouflage finish, probably not long before it was was written off on 8th September 1954 at the APC in Malta. It kept its blue/white/green tail markings despite the new colour scheme. I suspect that by the disbandment of the Auxilliary Squadrons in early 1957 all of the F8s were camouflaged.

Any help or advice gratefully received, in the absence of anything definitive I shall revert to my normal "That is most likely, so please prove me wrong" mode.

Thanks,

John

[Dave Fleming]

There might be something in the old (1983) issue of SAM on the RAuxAF, I'll see if I can find it later,

On a quick look, the only 500 F3 shot I could find was of an HSS aircraft in 1950, but still with wartime roundels.

According to Jefford, they used the Mossies and Spits until October 1948

[AnonymousAA72]

I am trying to build most of the aircraft types used by 500 (County of Kent) Squadron, RAF.

However, I have encountered a difficulty in deciding on colour schemes for some aircraft.

If there is photographic evidence then most points become sort of straightforward, but if I cannot find any images at all.....

So, 500 flew Mosquito NFXIX and NF30s from Nov 1946 until some time in mid/late 1948. Were these in Dark Green/MSG as I suspect or possibly silver as is this picture http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DH.98_Mo...48_edited-2.jpg

of a 605 Squadron aircraft in April '48? I have not yet found an image of a 500 Mosquito, but assume that they were in camouflage finish.

500 also flew a small number of Spitfire F22s for which I have not yet found any pictures, were they NMF or silver or camouflaged?

Equally the Meteors III/F4/F8/T7 flown by 500 all seem to be in High Speed silver from mid 1948 until probably 1954-55 when some or all F8s were painted in Dark Sea Grey/Dark Green/Silver. However, does anybody know if any of the IIIs were still in the Ocean Grey/Dark Green/Medium Sea Grey wartime finish when first issued to 500? Just as a point of interest, the F8 WF714 COs aircraft with the squadron-striped tail was one of those given a camouflage finish, probably not long before it was was written off on 8th September 1954 at the APC in Malta. It kept its blue/white/green tail markings despite the new colour scheme. I suspect that by the disbandment of the Auxilliary Squadrons in early 1957 all of the F8s were camouflaged.

Any help or advice gratefully received, in the absence of anything definitive I shall revert to my normal "That is most likely, so please prove me wrong" mode.

Thanks,

John

A worthy subject John! If I can find any details I'll post them here - but I think my main reference point will be the article referred to by Dave!!

[dambuster]

According to Roger Lindsay's Cold War Shield the F3s were all Aluminium - illustrated with photos of EE420 RAA-B, EE352 RAA-A both with wartime roundels, and EE460 S7-V , EE403 S7-E both with post war roundels. He notes that the RAA codes were applied ahead of the roundel in red.

Peter

Edited Author is Lindsay not Rawlings!

Edited September 4, 2010 by dambuster

[sanguin]

According to Rawlings' Cold War Shield the F3s were all Aluminium - illustrated with photos of EE420 RAA-B, EE352 RAA-A both with wartime roundels, and EE460 S7-V , EE403 S7-E both with post war roundels. He notes that the RAA codes were applied ahead of the roundel in red.

Peter

Ecky thump! The RAA code in red? Every drawing I have seen has RAA in black on the III. Every picture, black and white I know, has never made me think of anything else.

But red does look like black on most photographs.....mind you, both MPM and Dragon have the RAA-B codes for EE420 in black on their transfer sheets. Who do I believe?

The differing roundels I knew about, and the S7 codes were, I now must assume, in black and not red.......

Mr Clark, Bill, my old pal, my copies of SAM dating back to the year dot (well, the earliest I recall buying was from '79 or early '80) were last seen in a large pile on and beside a chair in Beaneys for anybody to take away (along with things like Modelaid International, Air International etc) for free. So the copy with the Royal Auxillary Airforce has long gone from my possession. I spent so many years following Flygvapnet that nothing much else was kept. In my dotage I have found an interest in 500 Squadron and am also collecting stuff for Raspberry Ripples out of sheer perversity.

I know you have always had a soft spot for British jet propelled metal, but I shall leave the Boscombe stuff until I have got the Kent thing out of my system.

Dave, my thanks for someone not removing some of their loft insulation and giving it away, anything from SAM that you can find will be much appreciated.

John

[AnonymousAA72]

Ecky thump! The RAA code in red? Every drawing I have seen has RAA in black on the III. Every picture, black and white I know, has never made me think of anything else.

But red does look like black on most photographs.....mind you, both MPM and Dragon have the RAA-B codes for EE420 in black on their transfer sheets. Who do I believe?

The differing roundels I knew about, and the S7 codes were, I now must assume, in black and not red.......

Mr Clark, Bill, my old pal, my copies of SAM dating back to the year dot (well, the earliest I recall buying was from '79 or early '80) were last seen in a large pile on and beside a chair in Beaneys for anybody to take away (along with things like Modelaid International, Air International etc) for free. So the copy with the Royal Auxillary Airforce has long gone from my possession. I spent so many years following Flygvapnet that nothing much else was kept. In my dotage I have found an interest in 500 Squadron and am also collecting stuff for Raspberry Ripples out of sheer perversity.

I know you have always had a soft spot for British jet propelled metal, but I shall leave the Boscombe stuff until I have got the Kent thing out of my system.

Dave, my thanks for someone not removing some of their loft insulation and giving it away, anything from SAM that you can find will be much appreciated.

John

Kits at War!! I think they have a decal sheet with red "RAA" codes - though not sure if they were for the Mk III or IV? I should have thought of it earlier....

The SAM's at Beaney's? I think Kevin probably had them, before I took over!!!

Cheers!

Bill

[dambuster]

Prompted to look up the entry for 500 Sqn with Meteor F4s in the same volume, and it states ' Unit code letters, 'S7' in red,'. So it seems that the S7 codes on the F3s may also have ben red although this is not explicitly stated....

For the F8, markings consisted of dark blue rectangles with green outlined-white zigzags. with the aircraft code letter in red on the fin. After camouflage was introduced markings remained the same except the fin code letter was outlined in yellow. Guess you know that by Sep 55 individual aircraft were given names of locations in Kent....

Might have a look in some BARG Roundels to see if I can corroborate the Red codes - (wish there was an electronic index - I'm too lazy to produce one myself!)

Sorry if it didn't help with the Mosquito colours

Peter

Ecky thump! The RAA code in red? Every drawing I have seen has RAA in black on the III. Every picture, black and white I know, has never made me think of anything else.

But red does look like black on most photographs.....mind you, both MPM and Dragon have the RAA-B codes for EE420 in black on their transfer sheets. Who do I believe?

The differing roundels I knew about, and the S7 codes were, I now must assume, in black and not red.......

Mr Clark, Bill, my old pal, my copies of SAM dating back to the year dot (well, the earliest I recall buying was from '79 or early '80) were last seen in a large pile on and beside a chair in Beaneys for anybody to take away (along with things like Modelaid International, Air International etc) for free. So the copy with the Royal Auxillary Airforce has long gone from my possession. I spent so many years following Flygvapnet that nothing much else was kept. In my dotage I have found an interest in 500 Squadron and am also collecting stuff for Raspberry Ripples out of sheer perversity.

I know you have always had a soft spot for British jet propelled metal, but I shall leave the Boscombe stuff until I have got the Kent thing out of my system.

Dave, my thanks for someone not removing some of their loft insulation and giving it away, anything from SAM that you can find will be much appreciated.

John

[sloegin57]

Interesting project Sanguin, similar to a paperwork research excercise I did some years ago for Number 501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron but which progressed no further than that.

As Damnbuster stated, after 1955, the Meteors were named after areas and towns in Kent but that was not the first time for the Unit's aircraft. Philip Moyes in his "Bomber Squadrons of the RAF" provides photographs that 500's Vickers Virginia IX's were so christened:- 500/A (serial not known) being "Isle of Thanet"; 500/K "Richborough Castle" which also had what appears to be an early version of the Squadron badge on the nose. He also lists J7566/B as being named "City of Canturbury". Whether or not the subsequent Hinds and Ansons (500 became a G.R. Unit in 11/38) were named I do not know.

I do not think that I can help you with the early post war equipment operated by the Unit but I can, perhaps establish for you the date that 500 Squadron's Meteor F.8's were camouflaged. The attached captioned photographs and scans from my files will hopefully help.

The following notes were scanned from the revised and updated "Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their aircraft" by the late John Rawlings:-

Finally. It would appear that the well known Unit fin markings were not repeated after the demise of WF714 as in September 1956, WH370 was displayed at West Malling with the Squadron badge, "City of Canterbury" and a Squadron Leaders penant on the port side under the windscreen. Standard Unit markings but nothing on the fin.

Regards

Dennis W Robinson

[AnonymousAA72]

I'll scan some pages later..but I have to hand SAM Oct 1984 Volume 7 No 1. (can it really be that old?).

There are a couple of photo's; One of a Meteor F3, (wrongly captioned as an F4!!) EE420 RAA-B in silver with C1 roundels, dated 1949, and below that is a photo of Meteor F8 WH451/"G", again silver with 500's bars. It has type "D" post war markings , and a solid rear canopy. There's also a drawing, by Mike Keep, of this aircraft. The "G" is in red, on the fin and on nose-wheel door, in a non-standard size and shape.

There are also some notes:

"No 500 (County of Kent) Squadron, based at West Malling. Initially received Mosquito T.III (VA382/"RAA-A), Oxford (RR329/"RAA-D") and Harvard IIb (KF423/"RAA-T")*. Mosquito NF.30 received in February 1947 (NT606/"RAA-H) and the squadron briefly held at least one Mosquito NF.XIX (TA352/"RAA-D"). Re-equipped with Meteor III from July 1948 (EE406/"RAA-A", EE352/"S7-A"). Re-equipment commenced with Meteor IV commenced in mid - 1951 (VT719/"S7-F", VT288/"J") and at the end of the year Meteor 8's took over. (WH450/"S7-F", WK806/"F"), the F4's being phased out by 1952. Meteor 7's also used:VZ639/"RAA-L", WF775/"S7-Y", WF785/"L"

I'd assume that any aircraft without "S7" codes would have full squadron colours

and Dennis's post above - wow!! Some great details there - thanks for posting!!!

And John, are you attending Medway's show over the weekend? I hope to get there tomorrow afternoon for an hour or so.....

*decals for this aircraft appeared on a Modeldecal sheet.

Edited September 6, 2010 by Bill Clark

[sloegin57]

The Modeldecal Sheet referred to by Bill Clark was Number 25. Not sure if it is still available from Hannants. Relevant details attached:-

I have also found this photograph of a 500 Squadron Anson in a photo book on the type published in 2000 by The Tempus Publishing Company, The Mill, Brimscombe Port, Stroud, Glos. and compiled by Harry Holmes. ISBN No. 0 7524 1738 X. Going by the date that the photo was allegedly taken I would say that the codes are the so-called "Munich Crisis" codes.

Now I shouldn't pre-empt individuals initial impressions but it appears to me that the aircraft has a single colour top and side camo coat with aluminium(?) undersurfaces. Comments please as my knowledge of GR Squadron colours pre-war just about add up to the last two digits of the Squadron number plate.

Regards

Dennis W. Robinson

Edited September 3, 2010 by sloegin57

[AnonymousAA72]

The Modeldecal Sheet referred to by Bill Clark was Number 25. Not sure if it is still available from Hannants. Relevant details attached:-

I have also found this photograph of a 500 Squadron Anson in a photo book on the type published in 2000 by The Tempus Publishing Company, The Mill, Brimscombe Port, Stroud, Glos. and compiled by Harry Holmes. ISBN No. 0 7524 1738 X. Going by the date that the photo was allegedly taken I would say that the codes are the so-called "Munich Crisis" codes.

Now I shouldn't pre-empt individuals initial impressions but it appears to me that the aircraft has a single colour top and side camo coat with aluminium(?) undersurfaces. Comments please as my knowledge of GR Squadron colours pre-war just about add up to the last two digits of the Squadron number plate.

Regards

Dennis W. Robinson

Great pic of the Harvard! Regarding the Anson, there is a differnce of top surface shading/colouring on the tailplane. I thought at firstthat this may be a shadow - of the fin/rudder, but looking at the shadow below I'm not sure. Ortho film doesn't always show differences betwwen Dark Green and Dark Earth...

The roundel has been amended as well....

Fantastic photo's Dennis - thanks for sharing!!!

[sanguin]

Great pic of the Harvard! Regarding the Anson, there is a differnce of top surface shading/colouring on the tailplane. I thought at firstthat this may be a shadow - of the fin/rudder, but looking at the shadow below I'm not sure. Ortho film doesn't always show differences betwwen Dark Green and Dark Earth...

The roundel has been amended as well....

Fantastic photo's Dennis - thanks for sharing!!!

Gentlemen,

My grateful thanks for such amazing information!

Bill, unfortunately I will not be at the Medway meeting. For reasons unknown Medway plan their show every year for the same weekend as the Faversham Hop Festival. I have no evidence that Medway modellers are staunch supporters of temperance, in fact my limited experience indicates the reverse! This Faversham celebration of the powers of the hop involves Morris sides, music, steam trains, friends from all over the place, laughter, sometimes a Spitfire display, more music, dancing, more friends and a lot more music. Oh, and the beer. Lots and lots of beer. Therefore I am committed to further testing of my liver. The magazines I left at Beaneys were indeed in the days of Kevin as proprietor of the sadly demised Best Model Shop In Kent.

Dennis, your nom-de-styrene namesake is abundant around this area, we have hedgerows full of blackberries plums, damsons and especially an abundance of sloes. They are the only thing that makes gin even remotely palatable!

The Harvard I know about, I have the decal sheet and a kit or two with a proper canopy and exhaust but the picture is superb.

The Oxford is news to me, I had not seen that mentioned anywhere before. I assume that the RAF had such an abundance of aircraft at that time that squadrons had a degree of leeway in gathering 'second line' planes. I will assume silver, with or without yellow training bands, to give twin engine experience to budding Mosquito pilots.

The Mosquito. I have NFXIX as TR352 and TR354 then NF30s NT279, NT351, NT430, NT603, NT606 (RAA-H), NT619 (crashed after undercarriage collapse Gravesend Jan 1948), NT620 and MV557. I am assuming, in the absence of any other information, that they were all in green/medium sea grey with black serials underwing and white codes on the fuselage.

As to the codes on the early Meteors, black or red? I have lots of black lettering, a quest for red is called for now! You are correct, the long-gone Kits At War sheet does have red codes.

There is no list that I know of that links serial numbers to the 'named' Meteor F8s, every picture I have seen with a legible name does not have a visible serial.

The Munich Anson....the Airfix kit in the stash is now to be extracted to go onto the 'pending for some time in the vaguely foreseeable future' pile! As to the colour of the uppersides I suspect that it may well be green and earth, but possibly not in any standard pattern....

I will return to this thread later, when head and liver have returned to normality.

My thanks again,

John

[dambuster]

There is no list that I know of that links serial numbers to the 'named' Meteor F8s, every picture I have seen with a legible name does not have a visible serial.

John

From the Roger Lindsay tome Cold War Shield (NB I got the author wrong in an earlier post - now corrected!):

VZ545 B Dartford

WA988 F Folkestone to 10/56

WF748 H Chatham and Gillingham

WH370 D City of Canterbury

WH397 E Ashford

WH426 T Gravesend

WH502 C City of Rochester

WK725 P Dover

WK855 F Folkestone from 10/56

WL169 V Maidstone

WL175 M Bexley

T7:

WF788 L Isle of Thanet

WH224 Z Isle of Sheppey

Peter

Edited September 4, 2010 by dambuster

[dambuster]

Also regarding Mosquito colours, there is a picture in SAM Camouflage and Markings No 1 - RAF Fighters 1945-50 UK Based, of NF30 NT245 RAA-A in standard night fighter scheme with underwing serials taken in Aug 47, although the full code leters are not visible.

Peter

[AnonymousAA72]

Bill, unfortunately I will not be at the Medway meeting. For reasons unknown Medway plan their show every year for the same weekend as the Faversham Hop Festival. I have no evidence that Medway modellers are staunch supporters of temperance, in fact my limited experience indicates the reverse! This Faversham celebration of the powers of the hop involves Morris sides, music, steam trains, friends from all over the place, laughter, sometimes a Spitfire display, more music, dancing, more friends and a lot more music. Oh, and the beer. Lots and lots of beer. Therefore I am committed to further testing of my liver.

John

Nice one John!!! I'm working today and tomorrow 8-2, managed to pop along to the Medway show for the last hour and tomorrow may try to rush down to Faversham (or most likely somewhere between Teynham and Faversham) with camera in hand...No beer I'm afraid........but not seen a Black 5 for a few years!!!!

[sanguin]

Gentlemen,

I am deeply grateful to you all for the incredible amount of information that you have supplied.

It is a constant source of amazement to me that there are so many pictures and facts out there, lurking in so many unexpected places.

The 'Cold War Shield' book is one I do not have, my thanks for the list of names and serials/codes.

The photographs from Ta'Qali were a real bonus, but the lurking Vampires were a complete surprise. I knew nothing about them before and so far I still know nothing more!

Tedious as it may seem, when I lived in Malta as a schoolboy (army brat) from 1962 to early 65 we used to play rugby at Ta'Qali as it was one of the few places that had proper grass. The ground was like concrete, but it featured some real green grass in the winter. It tended to encourage quick passing and avoiding tackles, though. By then the airfield seemed to be effectively out of use, but the main runway was still in fairly good condition. I assume that the RAF had it on a 'care and maintenance' basis at that time.

I think that the consensus suggests that red codes are more likely than black for the F3 and probably F4 Meteors, this isn't something I know about. I always assumed that post war all serials and codes were in black or white, a assumption based on b/w photos and various transfer sheets. This post war stuff has been a steep learning curve for me. Is the use of red for codes a quirk of 500 Squadron or was it more commonly seen than I ever expected? I assume the red is the bright, post war roundel red and not the dull hue of wartime codes.

The steam train drifted gently into Faversham as we were about to use the underpass to reach the best free house in town. I hope you got a picture, Bill, because I didn't!

Thanks again,

John

[Dave Fleming]

One other place that might have info is the Coronation Wings book that detailled all the aircraft involved in the Review of the RAF for the Coronation.

[Seahawk]

One other place that might have info is the Coronation Wings book that detailled all the aircraft involved in the Review of the RAF for the Coronation.

Looks as if 500 Sq was represented by Meteor F.8s WH450/A and WH451/G (3rd rank of the left flank). There are pics of both on page 21:

- WH451 is in highspeed silver. Fuselage bars either side of the roundels. Code "G" in a dark colour at bottom of the fin below the tailplane: in shade but may not be black. No squadron badges in view.

- The pic of WH450/A is not of the Coronation Review period. It's in camouflage with fuselage bars. Code "A" in a dark colour at bottom of the fin below the tailplane. No squadron badges in view.

Both have the part-metal canopy.

[AnonymousAA72]

Looks as if 500 Sq was represented by Meteor F.8s WH450/A and WH451/G (3rd rank of the left flank). There are pics of both on page 21:

- WH451 is in highspeed silver. Fuselage bars either side of the roundels. Code "G" in a dark colour at bottom of the fin below the tailplane: in shade but may not be black. No squadron badges in view.

- The pic of WH450/A is not of the Coronation Review period. It's in camouflage with fuselage bars. Code "A" in a dark colour at bottom of the fin below the tailplane. No squadron badges in view.

Both have the part-metal canopy.

WH451 "G" is in red......well according to Mike Keep, and already noted in my post above......

"....... and below that is a photo of Meteor F8 WH451/"G", again silver with 500's bars. It has type "D" post war markings , and a solid rear canopy. There's also a drawing, by Mike Keep, of this aircraft. The "G" is in red, on the fin and on nose-wheel door, in a non-standard size and shape."

[sanguin]

Bill,

I am sorry, but I have to query the bit that you quoted from SAM 1984 Vol 7 No 1 about the Mosquito TIII in posting 9.

SAM cites the aircraft as VA382 RAA-A but VA382, if it ever existed, was after the end of a block of Bristol Buckingham serials.

However I do have TV983 and VA882 as TIIIs that were issued to 500 Squadron; I suspect that SAM reported VA382 when they meant VA882.

Isn't it amazing that a typographic error takes 26 years to come to light! Apologies if someone else has a prior claim to this discovery.....

Now, were the TIIIs in silver with yellow bands or ocean grey/green/medium sea grey? Decisions, decisions! And if silver, then what colour were their codes? Will it never end?

My thanks for the Coronation information. For some reason many 500 Meteor pictures are notable for having covers over their canopies so you can't tell if the F8s are fully glazed or have metal rears. Again the difficulty in differentiating between black and red on many monochrome pictures becomes apparent.

John

[Seahawk]

By the way, you've presumably already spotted that Xtradecal sheet X72114 features WF741/K of 500 Sqn: the CO's aircraft with 2 sets of zigzags across an all-blue fin?

http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/X72114

[AnonymousAA72]

Bill,

I am sorry, but I have to query the bit that you quoted from SAM 1984 Vol 7 No 1 about the Mosquito TIII in posting 9.

SAM cites the aircraft as VA382 RAA-A but VA382, if it ever existed, was after the end of a block of Bristol Buckingham serials.

However I do have TV983 and VA882 as TIIIs that were issued to 500 Squadron; I suspect that SAM reported VA382 when they meant VA882.

Isn't it amazing that a typographic error takes 26 years to come to light! Apologies if someone else has a prior claim to this discovery.....

Now, were the TIIIs in silver with yellow bands or ocean grey/green/medium sea grey? Decisions, decisions! And if silver, then what colour were their codes? Will it never end?

My thanks for the Coronation information. For some reason many 500 Meteor pictures are notable for having covers over their canopies so you can't tell if the F8s are fully glazed or have metal rears. Again the difficulty in differentiating between black and red on many monochrome pictures becomes apparent.

John

"VA382" is what it says John, but it could well be '882?

Right, just to throw a spanner in the works....in the Coronation wings book , David Howley's artwork has the "G" on '451 as BLACK!! (With solid rear canopy - as would be expected in 1953)

[sanguin]

"VA382" is what it says John, but it could well be '882?

Right, just to throw a spanner in the works....in the Coronation wings book , David Howley's artwork has the "G" on '451 as BLACK!! (With solid rear canopy - as would be expected in 1953)

G in Black?

B*GGER!

Just when I thought I was winning, Bill!

However, I still believe that VA882 is correct for the Mosquito TIII and VA382 as cited by SAM is wrong.

After all these years let he who is without sin cast the first stone, though. Finding a typing error in vintage SAM must be a rare event, I suspect. Nowadays is a different matter.

John

[AnonymousAA72]

G in Black?

B*GGER!

Just when I thought I was winning, Bill!

However, I still believe that VA882 is correct for the Mosquito TIII and VA382 as cited by SAM is wrong.

After all these years let he who is without sin cast the first stone, though. Finding a typing error in vintage SAM must be a rare event, I suspect. Nowadays is a different matter.

John

I'm of the opinion that the correct colour for "G" is red ......the photo in SAM, has '451 framed by "F" - can't make out the full serial but the "F" what you can see of it, is in a similar stylised fashion , and is certainly lighter than night/black.......though assessing colours of sixty year old mono photo's in 26 year old magazines is not an exact science!!

[Seahawk]

I'm of the opinion that the correct colour for "G" is red ......the photo in SAM, has '451 framed by "F" - can't make out the full serial but the "F" what you can see of it, is in a similar stylised fashion , and is certainly lighter than night/black.......though assessing colours of sixty year old mono photo's in 26 year old magazines is not an exact science!!

Much as I respect his work, David Howley is a mortal like the rest of us, doing his best to interpret the evidence. And, when you're turning out illustrations, you necessarily have to decide one way or the other: no sitting on fences as we can do if we wish. Which is why I try to make my own mind up from actual photos. A, maybe the, photo from which he derived the details is in the same book and, like Bill, I feel there's sufficient tonal variation to suggest the code is not black, with red IMHO the likeliest candidate.