Info needed: correct colours for WWII Aust vehicles

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Gina,

There has been volumes written on the subject so I am posting this purely as a matter of interest and not as any attempt at a definitive answer on matching WW2 Australian Army vehicle colour. The only way that could be done with certainty is to find the original Australian Standards paint chips of WW2 era.
I have tried over the years to find a copy of them through Standards Australia and contacting paint manufacturers but to no avail. I believe the AWM has a copy but doubt a mere enthusiast like me would be allowed to borrow it.

The attached photo of paint samples, needless to say, are for comparison purposes only.

Last year out of curiosity I mixed the Humbrol paints as mentioned here in this post and airbrushed a test card of the colour on a grey primer base.

The attached photo shows the Humbrol test card at the top.

The middle sample is the voltage regulator C/B panel from inside the cowl of my Blitz and therefore less faded than an exposed part of the vehicle in what I assume is an original WW2 colour.

The bottom piece is my .303 holder painted in current Australian Army Camouflage Green (Olive Drab). The paint was obtained from Wattyl from stock prepared for the Army. My research shows it complies with APAS 0154 (Australian Paint Approval Scheme) which specifies Camouflage Green (Olive Drab) as matching US Federal Standards 595B, colour 34088.

As can be seen there is quite a variation between the three colours.
So when it comes to colours I think the old model maker's saying "If it looks right, it is right" applies even to full size vehicles. I have yet to see a gathering of military vehicles with all of them painted the same colour but in the end if they are all well-preserved and look the part that is the most important thing.

So unless I can find the correct WW2 paint chip I am happy to leave my truck in current Australian Army Olive Drab and viewing other vehicles on this forum it appears a few others are painted the same colour.

Cheers,