Info needed: correct colours for WWII Aust vehicles

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Lang

Absolutely no military experience or qualifications on the requirements of battlefield camouflage

Yes but you could say the same about CSIRO scientists consulted by Army in modern camo development. That’s all Dakin was for the military – a technical consultant. He only had authority over civil camouflage.

Originally Posted by Lang

anyone with a bit of common sense could have come up with equally efficient, or inefficient, schemes given the facilities and trials he had access to.

“In point of fact, excellent results can often be obtained by the exercise of common sense, imagination, and attention to detail; it is only in exceptional cases that the services of a specially trained officer should be required.”

EXCEPT…

“Disruptive painting is a positive menace when executed by the inexperienced; it should be left to experts.”

(Training memo 1940)

Originally Posted by Lang

Still, nobody in Australia was an expert in 1940

Exactly Lang, that was the whole problem, all the experience and expertise was within AIF and RAAF who were absent at the time. Plus of course Dakin had the ear of Menzies and promoted himself as Technical Director of Camouflage.


Simple Rules for Camouflage. Extract from Training Memorandum No.36 of 1940.jpg

War Cabinet April 1941 Establishment of Camouflage Organization. - Copy.jpg