Wartime (WWII) RAF airfield research:-
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Wartime (WWII) RAF airfield research:-
In the hope that there are a few WWII RAF veterans gracing these pages. I write in the hope of acquiring important (to me) information before such memories are lost forever. It concerns what servicemen all take for granted; the camouflage of RAF airfields and vehicles. I have myself witnessed the physical evidence on RAF hangars of what appeared to be black paint on brick or render. I am told that it was actually very dark green. Regarding MT, I know the pre WWII RAF vehicles were all air force blue in colour - to be painted at the outbreak of war with the exact same drab paint as the hangars. MT resuming the air force blue colour scheme approximately 1947 and acquiring yellow tops for airside MT.
To confuse the issue; I have seen colourised former black & white photographs in which the hangars are green and black camouflage with no evidence of plain brick or the beige of render. I have also seen both beige and green and also black and green camouflage depicted on buildings such as an ATC tower. I know the RAF are/were a bit pedantic on standardisation, and assume that the variations are born of a lack of research creating a distortion of the truth over a period of time.
I am in the process of painting this wartime PRU Mosquito scene, and I do not want to add to the distribution of erroneous information. I believe that the hangar windows were painted over which will come on my painting in time. If anybody has first hand recollections appropriate to my project; I would appreciate very much hearing about them. TIA
Note: I now know that berets were not introduced until 1953 for ground tradesmen - I will change it!
To confuse the issue; I have seen colourised former black & white photographs in which the hangars are green and black camouflage with no evidence of plain brick or the beige of render. I have also seen both beige and green and also black and green camouflage depicted on buildings such as an ATC tower. I know the RAF are/were a bit pedantic on standardisation, and assume that the variations are born of a lack of research creating a distortion of the truth over a period of time.
I am in the process of painting this wartime PRU Mosquito scene, and I do not want to add to the distribution of erroneous information. I believe that the hangar windows were painted over which will come on my painting in time. If anybody has first hand recollections appropriate to my project; I would appreciate very much hearing about them. TIA
Note: I now know that berets were not introduced until 1953 for ground tradesmen - I will change it!
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Tiger mate: When we reported to Padgate for NS late in 1952 we were certainly issued with berets - proper ones, not those dreadful things that looked like hairy hats for cooks. AFIR peaked caps had just started to be issued to regulars, but NS airmen didn't get them.
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I have read that berets were issued to RAF Regt in 1943 and other trades in 53 but it may easily have been 52 knowing my braincells. The stereotypical wartime forage (chiphat) cap was the order of the day during WWII. I had wrongly assumed that berets were around when Pontious was a pilot.
I recall a hangar at one of the stations I was based at still had the remnants of it's war time camouflage. I recall it looked to be a very dark green. I can't remember which station, Might have been Marham.
As for Berets - I have a similar photo to the one above of my father's entry at Bridgenorth taken in 1949. There was a mix of forage caps and berets.
As for Berets - I have a similar photo to the one above of my father's entry at Bridgenorth taken in 1949. There was a mix of forage caps and berets.
I hope the following will be useful......they are brief extracts from the sources shown.
Initial camouflage of buildings was irregular patterns of black, green and brown. On 27 May 1942 the Inspector of Camouflage reported ( Nat. Archives AIR 2/3450 ) that, in the majority of cases, the painting of hangars, was a failure. He concluded that..
Disruptive painting was a fallacy.
Aerial photography would penetrate such schemes.
Enemy pilots would be briefed to attack after the study of aerial photographs.
In many cases the presence of disruptive camouflage advertised the presence of an important installation.
In Oct. 1941 the Air Ministry stated that large buildings were to be camouflaged by the use of rectangular shapes with smaller buildings in a single tone. Finally, at the end of 1941 the AM said that in future all schemes would fit into the scale of the local countryside and it's colours. No attempt was to be made to break up shapes.
Due to the exigencies of the times those buildings with disruptive camouflage were to be left as they were.
To sum that up it seems that any traces of disruptive camouflage are a remnant of the initial scheme and can be expected to be seen on airfields existing at the outbreak of war.
A 1954 photograph shows a Benson hangar with disruptive camouflage.
Source of the above info......an article in the Airfield Research Group magazine of Oct. 2003.
As to vehicle camouflage.........
Pre-war vehicles had the standard blue/grey finish. After the debacle in France in 1940 dark earth and dark green disruptive patters were applied but not until August 1941 was a standard camouflage scheme of overall khaki green No.3 with certain areas overpainted in Nobel's tarmac green No. 4 to give a disruptive pattern. After September 1943 there was a change in shades to paints specified as MT Brown Special and Matt Black. The black was patterned in large lobes giving rise to the so called "Mickey Mouse Ear Camouflage". The black soon weathered to a mid-grey ( relevant to modellers and artists !). In August 1944 instructions were given to finish vehicles in olive drab to replace the brown. By that time the many US vehicles in use were already in olive drab.
Source of the above......Wheels of the RAF by Bruce Robertson published in 1983.
Initial camouflage of buildings was irregular patterns of black, green and brown. On 27 May 1942 the Inspector of Camouflage reported ( Nat. Archives AIR 2/3450 ) that, in the majority of cases, the painting of hangars, was a failure. He concluded that..
Disruptive painting was a fallacy.
Aerial photography would penetrate such schemes.
Enemy pilots would be briefed to attack after the study of aerial photographs.
In many cases the presence of disruptive camouflage advertised the presence of an important installation.
In Oct. 1941 the Air Ministry stated that large buildings were to be camouflaged by the use of rectangular shapes with smaller buildings in a single tone. Finally, at the end of 1941 the AM said that in future all schemes would fit into the scale of the local countryside and it's colours. No attempt was to be made to break up shapes.
Due to the exigencies of the times those buildings with disruptive camouflage were to be left as they were.
To sum that up it seems that any traces of disruptive camouflage are a remnant of the initial scheme and can be expected to be seen on airfields existing at the outbreak of war.
A 1954 photograph shows a Benson hangar with disruptive camouflage.
Source of the above info......an article in the Airfield Research Group magazine of Oct. 2003.
As to vehicle camouflage.........
Pre-war vehicles had the standard blue/grey finish. After the debacle in France in 1940 dark earth and dark green disruptive patters were applied but not until August 1941 was a standard camouflage scheme of overall khaki green No.3 with certain areas overpainted in Nobel's tarmac green No. 4 to give a disruptive pattern. After September 1943 there was a change in shades to paints specified as MT Brown Special and Matt Black. The black was patterned in large lobes giving rise to the so called "Mickey Mouse Ear Camouflage". The black soon weathered to a mid-grey ( relevant to modellers and artists !). In August 1944 instructions were given to finish vehicles in olive drab to replace the brown. By that time the many US vehicles in use were already in olive drab.
Source of the above......Wheels of the RAF by Bruce Robertson published in 1983.
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http://village.photos/images/user/dd...adbc0730c2.jpg
My late Father was a Glider Pilot. They were certainly issued berets. The photo below was taken at Brize in late 1944:
http://village.photos/images/user/dd...adbc0730c2.jpg
http://village.photos/images/user/dd...adbc0730c2.jpg
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I very much appreciate the answers thank you. I maybe wrong - but I believe that glider pilots wore ‘Army’ battledress inclusive of Khaki berets. The info regarding hangar camouflage is entirely logical - I would like to get access to the Benson 1954 photograph.
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Tiger Mate, that's absolutely not the case. While RAF Glider Pilots wore khaki battledress (although many wore the Denison Para smock), they flatly refused to wear army headress (and they were entitled to the red Airborne Forces beret) eschewing this for the std RAF blue/grey beret.
I remember my late Father telling me that this was probably not very sensible because, in the field, it made them look similar to Panzer Grenadiers!
Chevron, my late Father hated being towed behind a Whitley because, if it lost a donk, they would cut the glider free, no matter at what stage of T/O. A number of glider fatalities happened as a result of this.
The only thing worse than a Whitley according to him, was the Albermarle, where you could see the tail twisting in flight.
I remember my late Father telling me that this was probably not very sensible because, in the field, it made them look similar to Panzer Grenadiers!
Chevron, my late Father hated being towed behind a Whitley because, if it lost a donk, they would cut the glider free, no matter at what stage of T/O. A number of glider fatalities happened as a result of this.
The only thing worse than a Whitley according to him, was the Albermarle, where you could see the tail twisting in flight.
Last edited by ExAscoteer; 25th Apr 2018 at 13:10.
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Thank you. I know that the RAF Regt were issued blue berets during wartime and so it would appear that this extended to the glider pilots. This thread is rapidly becoming testament to the small things we take for granted at the time being lost through time - or not now happily. When authors, film directors, artists, etc do not do their homework - history is soon and often far too easily rewritten. I think that I need to add to my ‘to do’ list a Horsa on the ground inclusive of both troops and pilots perhaps making a pilots group briefing the focal point. Though the Hamilcar is the ginger haired step child of the glider regiments which I may also be able to address.
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It's probably teaching you to suck eggs, but the MkI Horsa as used upto and including MARKET GARDEN was a very different beast to the MkII used on VARSITY. The latter having the sideways opening nose, the former having the side loading door.
Chevron, my late Father hated being towed behind a Whitley because, if it lost a donk, they would cut the glider free, no matter at what stage of T/O. A number of glider fatalities happened as a result of this.
The only thing worse than a Whitley according to him, was the Albermarle, where you could see the tail twisting in flight.
The only thing worse than a Whitley according to him, was the Albermarle, where you could see the tail twisting in flight.
Last edited by chevvron; 26th Apr 2018 at 11:10.
