Hi When the 2 rtr left syria they where in desert pattern camouflage, would they still have been in this when they shipped to italy in may 44? I have seen some very light camouflage patterns used italy , but I also have pictures of 2 rtr in what seems to be olive drab. Was this a later change or where the olive when they arrived? Many Thanks Jon
When shipped, quite possibly, but there was army policy to repaint vehicles for their theatre so at least the "A" vehicles would almost certainly have been repainted before going into action. I've heard of some "B" vehicles not being repainted, in general. I have a couple of little books of British armour in Italy so I can try to find photos if it will help. A full paint job in olive drab in Italy seems unlikely. Are you familiar with the "light mud" paint colour?
Yeah any help would be great, I am not aware of light mud no? I am working on the only pics I can find of the 2 rtr one in syria where they could be either plain sabd ir camouflage but the picture is not clear. And one in italy that seems to show the shermans in a single colour? 7th Armoured Brigade - Artefacts and Pictures Page for the Middle East and Italy Many Thanks
Ahh I guess they did switch to Olive Drab eventually: "April 1943 - G.O 1650 is cancelled by a new G.O with standardised drawings for certain type and classes of AFV and vehicles are decreed by the Camouflage Directorate including new colours for Tunisia , Sicily and Italy . Basic shade is ‘Light Mud’ with Black in standardised bold disruptive patterns for camouflage. Green seems to have been used too. There are indications that Light Mud was used as early as March 1943 in Tunisia . All ‘desert’ colours to be overpainted. Lend Lease vehicles used ‘Light Mud’ over US Olive Drab as an alternative. By late 1943 European colours are common. In May 1944 S.C.C. 15 Olive drab is introduced to replace all earlier schemes." Light Mud is a sort of light grey-green. I don't know if you're looking into this from a pure history point of view or if you're doing any vehicle modelling? There are known mixes to achieve the colour. That's from MAFVA
Im hoping to model some 2rtr as my late friend was in them until 43. He then got commissioned and became a AT gun troop commander. With the green howards and yorks and lancs regiment. He was an avid wargamer like myself and I was hoping to do a tribute army in remembrance. So I had chosen italy , as this was a location all three units fought in and was going to represent all three on the tabletop. But I am struggling with colours do I go olive drab which the 2rtr used in Italy, to be historically accurate? Or do I use the desert colours that where in use in syria when he was with them? I was hoping there was a chance there was an overlap so that I could use the desert colours in Italy. Sounds pedantic but there are alot of guys at the wargames club who remeber him fondly and I want to do it right. Many thanks
I totally understand wanting to be accurate. If 2RTR arrived in Italy after the change to SCC15 then... I think Olive Drab it is. :-/
