RCAF vehicles in domestic service

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

I agree Hanno...it looks like the chassis, fenders and even inner fenders and bumper might be painted gloss black.....matching the colour scheme of the other vehicles you posted. But...indeed 1943....seems a bit unusual (late) for this paint scheme. I am not saying the date on the picture is wrong.....I think it's more likely that (some) vehicles for domestic use were still being painted in the pre-war paint scheme(?).

Thanks for the confirmation, Alex. It is my understanding that RCAF vehicles for domestic use were painted in the pre-war colour scheme as specified by the RCAF. This could be blue/black, yellow or red for airside vehicles or just plain black for administrative vehicles like light cars.

The gloss paint is easier to maintain and black is carried as a standard colour by all manufacturers. Of course, vehicles like CMPs trucks came in the standard flat Army colours. The C60S tipper shown above still had that colour by 1949 (see below).

So I reckon that GM C60X in RCAF blue/black must have been one of very few thus repainted!


Some samples shown below:

Colour: gloss black
Door marking: R.C.A.F. No 2000 RE
"1941 Chevrolet - staff car with flag, 18 June 1941"
a063852-v8.jpg
Source: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Collec...Number=3581798

Colour: yellow with black chassis and fenders
Door marking: R.C.A.F. No 345
"Ford refuelling truck, 4 May 1943"
a065171-v8.jpg
Source: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Collec...Number=3589506

Colour: Khaki Green G3 / S.C.C.2 brown / S.C.C.15 Olive Drab (you tell me, but it is flat paint)
Census number: 36-405
"M.T. vehicle, truck - 2 ton dump, 25 Jan. 1949"
a066152-v8(1).jpg
Source: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Collec...Number=3584200