Hi all.

Bought the DML Firefly Vc (the newest one, that is) recently and am currently beginning to gear up for buidling it.

However, the included figures brings up a couple of questions for me, particularly the tanker. He's wearing a pixie suit, something I've seen referred to as "winter combat" suit (or some such, definetely with winter in the name). The question is, would it be plausible for him to wear such a thing during the Normandy campaign?

Also, how would I paint it? I'm thinking of using Tamiya XF-57 Buff, but it would perhaps be safer to run it through here first...

(As an aside, anyone got some palce with good info and pictures of british uniforms, both tanker and infantry?)

Hi Andy,as regards the colour of the Pixie suit,I think it would be better to go with XF-59 Desert Yellow.I served in an armoured regiment in the early 70's,and some of the older members of the regiment still had some of these fantastic garments and I seem to remember them being of a light oak type colour.I don't see why they would not have worn them during the Normandy campaign,even in the summer,early morning/late evening can be cold,and if your zipping round the countryside in an AFV,that wind can cause a chill in those places you don't want a chill.Anything is possible in any situation,check out photo's etc for the best reference.Check out page 222 of 'The Armed Forces of World War II' by Andrew Mollo which has a good colour illustration.
Regards....Dave

THanks a lot. Will sure test it out (especially so since I fidn teh XF-59 to be a quite pleasant color)




Erm... *opens wallet* *watches the moth fly away*

You don't have any online sources? My economy is kinda... cramped

These are from the imperial war museum site and are colour photos from 1944 and not re enactors


HOLLAND, NOVEMBER 1944

Wow! You had guys who were still wearing gear they had in Normandy! How old are you?

one of the remaining plates on the Mundury site. Anybody out there save the rest?
Polish TankerUniform 1944
Canadian Uniforms
http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/mediawiki-1.5.5/index.php?title=Battle_Dress
Check out reenactment sites there are a few out there.

Greatest thing since "sliced bread"--apart from the "greatcoat ".........was still wearing mine in 1966 as commander of a Ferret with ' A Sqn FFY/SH '...and glad of it ...even took it to Aden ---and wore it on night patrol--cosy !!!........nice pics ..colour is true.
aye
BARV

Anyone know if and when Canadian tankers wore these? I'm reasonably sure they did but I'm thinking late 60's or even into 1970 in Centurions.

cheers;
Bob

Bob,

Yes, Canadian crewman were still wearing the Pixie suits on the Centurions into the late 1960s....at least they did in Germany. I am not sure about in Canada. I haven't seen any images of them being worn into the 1970s.

Some of the older guys who were in the regiment had retained them even after coming off Cents and Cheiftain.They were much sought after as they were very warm and comfortable,apparently they were very popular with fishermen as they were warm and had a multitude of pockets (you can never have enough pockets!).There was a popular story (possibly an urban myth!) about a certain member of the Royal family,whilst visiting the regiment that he was colonel in cheif of,on a tank excercise who had a reather unpleasant experience whilst performing a 'shovel recce',failing to pull the hood up forward between ones legs whilst carrying out a necessary bodily function.
Regards.....Dave.