Hi Von,
Having restored British WW2 composite bodied vehicles I can assure you about the only time you may see the wood grain on a military vehicle is if the wood had been exposed to the desert wind and sandblasted. The woodgrain effect on models, Like the grain applied to vynal siding, is bogus. Military vehicles were painted very well, and if moved to another theatre or the climate changed, repainted again and again. so any subtleties such as woodgrain dissapeared.
The wood chosen for coachbuilding back then, such as Norfolk pine, was old slow growth and generally very close-grained unlike the pine found today at your local supply, which is generally "farmed" and harvested within 20 to 30 years. All the wood I have seen used for coachbuilding on WW2 vehicles was dressed (machine planed/thicknessed) on four sides, so once painted it appears smooth.
Hope this is of some help.
Cheers,
Dave
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