Hi all,

I'm working in 1/72 on a Hasegawa Crusader III and JB Models' excellent Vickers Light Tank VIb. I'd like to finish them as 7th Armoured Division vehicles from the North African theatre. No preference for a specific year.

Can anyone point me to a reference for accurate unit markings? I'd be happy with photos and/or descriptions. I have a couple of spare red rat decals about, but I hope to hand paint the rest, or make up decals.

Also, re the paint jobs, could I get away with a one-colour scheme of desert yellow, which I like the look of, or did the 7th always use disruptive camo? I've read Mike Starmer's notes on General Orders and so forth, but I've no way of knowing if the 7th stuck to the specified schemes on these two vehicles.

Hi Jason,

History of:

http://www.btinternet.com/~ian.a.paterson/main.htm

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Al

Thanks, Al. That's an excellent site, but I'm looking for something a little more specific, especially when it comes to markings. The paint schemes I can more-or-less work out from a combination of Starmer/MAFVA and WWII history books, although even there I'd love to see photos of specific vehicles used by the 7th.

Hi Jason

Try the IWm collection:

http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/

ref NA 1638 for paint scheme (b&w)
ref TR 939 16/5th Royal Lancers (Colour)
ref E17107 Fee French (b&w)

for markings look at Finger Print Design:

http://www.fingerprintdesigns.supanet.com/index.html

Sorry I don't have any specific photo's that would help.

If you can get it at you local Library George Forty's book 'The Desert War' is where I references those pics from.

There should be a lot more on IWM or have a look at the Osprey books they have one on the Crusaders - No 14 'Crusader and Covenanter Tanks 1939 - 45' (New Vanguard) ISBN 185532 512 8 - their publications usually have good reference and marking pics in them.

Sorry best I can do at the moment.

Cheers

Al

Best you can do...? Thanks a bundle for going to so much trouble! Especially the specific image numbers. I'll try to track down the Forty book.

The Osprey books are a good idea. I'll have a look at them next time I'm in a hobby shop.

For the No.61 Light Stone which is the best choice from Tamiya, Gunze and/or ModelMaster? Formerly I have used the Tamiya XF59 as it was suggested by the assembly sheet but it is a bit pinkish, while the colour on this page:

http://www.afvnews.ca/camouflage/brnafr.html

is a darker and more dull colour. BTW, did the SAS used the same colour for their jeeps as the armour/artillery units? All of the pictures I have seen their colour was closer to the german dark yellow.