M151A2 CDN Camo Pattern

[David Dunlop]

I remember when this vehicle first came on strength at Kapyong Barracks in Winnipeg.

For a brief while they sported a very odd rusty chocolate brown and pinky tan camo scheme.

Does anyone recall that scheme and why/where it was intended to be used?

David

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Not much help, but this camouflaged M151A2 covered in mud may trigger someone's recollection.

From my website http://www.mapleleafup.nl/fordm151/m151cdn.htm:

M151A2 CFB Gagetown, Canada, 1981

This M151A2 was pictured at CFB Gagetown by its driver Jim MacMillan-Murphy in 1981.

m151_cdn_gagetown_81.jpg

[David Dunlop]

Nice ‘Action’ shot, Hanno.

Thinking about the time line for that odd Brown/Tan cammo pattern some more.

I believe 2PPCLI was resident at Kapyong when the M151A2’s started to arrive. They started a growing lineup of them facing the east wall of the Base Maintenance Land Shop situated across a parking lot on the northwest corner of Kenaston and Taylor. They were originally all a solid shade of green. Then they started to disappear in small batches and resurfaced a short while later with the Brown/Tan cammo pattern in question. That pattern seemed to last not much more than a year or so. They started disappearing in small batches again and when they returned this time, they sported the roll cages and the Black/Dark Green/Grey Green cammo pattern.

David

[rob love]

The light tan/off white colour was common on the prairies until the mid-70s. The M151A2s would have come in the factory semi-gloss olive in 1974, and then be brush painted with the black/green and tan paint scheme. Later the tan was replaced with olive green, I figure some time around 1975/6.

Some of the Cdn3 recoiless rifle jeeps at Minto Armoury still had the tan colour on them until the end.

There was a pink colour that was also used in the early 70s in this area. I was in the FGH and heard about it from some of the older guys. Apparently it worked out well in Shilo. I don't believe it was ever an accepted cam colour in the CF however.

[Ed Storey]

As Rob stated, the M151A2s were originally delivered in semi-gloss Olive and this is a photograph of one being used at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.

M151A2 09717 ECC 121401.jpg

Photographed in 1978, the light tan camouflage paint on this M151A2 can just be seen under all of the brush.

M151A2.jpg

[Sean McKee]

Further to this, does anyone have the olive drab and “pea” green colour codes (or close equivalents)? What have folks used for their 3-tone restorations?