I am in the middle building a Homage to my Grandpy who served with 44 Recce from early '43 to wars end, I plan to build all the vehicles that I know through conversations with him that he drove during his time in service.


The first of these is a Bronco Staghound, I have witnessed a photo of him sat atop his Staghound with the rest of his crew mates, and as he has sadly passed on now I can no longer ask the relevant questions.

In the mentioned photo it looks as if the vehicle was originally painted Olive-drab then over painted with what looks like a sand colour, you can clearly see the drab around all the original insignia.

The vehicle has clearly been painted all over with this colour, and I remember him telling me they were required to do it for a parade they were to attend, he, sadly, couldn't remember if it was the liberation of Rome or wars end.

My question to you is what was this sand colour likely to be?? and is there a colour mix using Tamiya colour anyone knows of??

I'm undecided if I want to paint my vehicle as is in the photo, or paint it as I've seen it in another photo with a camoflauge scheme and alot more gear strapped on it.

So, while we're on the subject what are these colours likely to be?? colour mixes for Tamiya paints??

Also regards the camo pattern, does anyone know if it was a standardised pattern or just random stuff applied at will by the guy waving the furry stick?


Thanks in advance for any help


ATB


Sean

Off the top of my head, I'd suggest that the lighter color in your photo was likely "Light Mud," a Med theater specified color.

The applicable orders and instructions allowed this lighter disruptive color (the "Light Mud") to be applied overall with black as the second color, or to obviate the need to repaint the entire vehicle (and save paint and time), to just apply the "Light Mud" color over the factory base color (in the case of the Staghound, US OD) leaving patches of the original color as the disrupter instead of the black.

This is one Tamiya mix that has been posted up by Mike Starmer for "Light Mud":

"Since it was a theatre colour then there must have been some variations.

Mix: 4pts XF55 + 2pts XF49 + 1pt XF66. It could take up to another 1/2 pt of XF55.

Used in Tunisia in small amounts from March 1943 then specified as the basic colour for a lot of British and Commonwealth vehicles finished in the set camouflage designs in Sicily and Italy till 1945. Use XF69 Nato Black as the disrupter over this."

There is a lot of information about the orders and colors in Dick Taylor's "Warpaint" books that lays out the authorized variations, procedures and priorities for using this color in the Med theater.

HTH,

Hi Sean

I know a little of how you feel. My Grandfather was in the British catering corps in WWII. Not quite the same thing, but he was in a protected occupation, didn't have to be there, and didn't know that's where he would be assigned when he volunteered. I wish I'd talked to him about his experience, but by the time I'd realised how important it was unfortunately he wasn't quite as reliable as he once was. He spoke of Remagen, but that seems unlikely.

If you could post the relevant photo it would give us a little more to go on.

Andy

Concur with Mike, Light Mud is the likely "Sand" colour he remembers.

Mike Starmer's mix comes out as a warm, light, sandy, grey/green colour (a dried, grey mud colour) and could easily be seen as "sand" depending upon the variations possible with the theatre colour and filtered through 50+ years of memory.

Paul

Hi Sean,

I agree with Mike on the Light Mud with Blue-Black. 2nd NZ Div Cav Regt Staghounds were painted in this scheme. But saying that, after December 1944 they converted to Infantry and handed in their “cars”.

Also orders were issued in mid 1944 for all Britih “A” and “B” class vehicles and guns to be repainted S.C.C. 15. The orer of priority of repainting was:
a. Those vehicles painted a single colour, either desert yellow or desert pink.
b. Those vehicles painted as above, with the addition of a dark disruptive pattern.
c. Those vehicles painted mud grey (light mud) with blue black disruptive pattern.
d. Those vehicles painted brown or green with a disruptive pattern, or with horizontal surfaces dark brown or black.

With the NZ Div most “A” vehicles were repainted S.C.C. 15 by early 1945, with to the best of my knowledge only one Sherman remaining light mud/blue black at wars end.

Cheers
David

Thanks for the replies so far guys, very informative.

The more research I do the more I'm drawn to the camo and gear option as the freshly painted 'parade' option makes me think it may look a little "too clinical" for a vehicle that was used in combat only a week or so before.

If I do go down the camo route does anyone have links to the pattern most regularly used, I can't for one minute believe the head sheds would allow your average trooper free reign with a paint brush, so there must be some sort of standard pattern they were told to follow.


ATB

Sean

This could be of some help, Staghound Camouflage Going by NZ vehicles, no two vehicles were the same and the variation in pattern was GREAT.

cheers
David