Warpaint vol.1



	Warpaint Vol 1 Colours and Markings of British Army Vehicles 1903-2003. Online & printed reviews IPMS UK Magazine MiniReplika - Polish Magazine InternetModeler.com By Kent Kirkpatrick This book covers the following chapters: * Colours And Sources * Paint And Camouflage Up To 1939 * Registrations, War Department Numbers And Census Marks Initially, looking over this book I was very pleased to find so many photographs that I had never seen before. Especially the one covering World War I armor. The quality of these photos are very clear and nicely reproduced. Included are some colorful illustrations of vehicles in their 'era' colors as well as camouflage color plates to give you an idea of what these schemes would have looked like if you actually viewed them in their day. The other thing I noticed was the plethora of information on vehicle marking that was presented in a concise but informative manner including photo examples with descriptive captions. Now on to the contents of this book. Colours And Sources The three (3) subchapters here go through the description and representation of colors based on shades and coloration. In other words, if someone told you a vehicle was 'green' how would you visualize this in your head especially viewing a black and white photograph. Also, discussed are the sources and interpretation of photographic / film sources. What colors do they represent of a vehicle through this visual media and how they are determined based on age, copy, condition, etc. Paint And Camouflage Up To 1939 This chapter is made up of thirteen (13) sup-chapters. It starts with the definition of what camouflage means as well as the paint color prior to and during World War I. There are some unique photos of wagons, motor transports, artillery and others. You will read on about the coloring of army equipment, both towed and motorized, during this era. Camouflage such as the Solomon schemes and the use of 'tank brown' are defined. The British used quite a few camouflage schemes, some authorized some not, that adorned some colorful vehicles during the war. Included are some very nice color chips and photo examples of these schemes. Finally, there is a short excerpt on the use of color between the world wars including the Middle and Far East Registrations, War Department Numbers And Census Marks The final chapter covers a somewhat obscure subject of vehicle markings and numbers. Today, the British Army uses a system called the Vehicle Registration Mark or VRM. Covered in twenty four (24) subchapters from the Civilian Registration Systems from 1896 through 1963 Referred to as consensus systems. Interesting to note here you find information to correctly mark a W.W.I tank in the proper range based on the type from a Mk I Female to the Mk VIII. Vehicle classifications are discussed in detail based on a type system, corresponding number ranges, styles and locations. Again, this chapter is full of quality photos and colorful illustrations. There are T, F, D and S number tables in the back that covers British vehicles that were in inventory. I'm curious why there isn't and L number table for truck / transport vehicles. Included in these tables is a post-1949 table for number more modern equipment. I recommend you review the list of references in the back for other documentation available on this subject. It may be worth you time. Conclusion This is a very informative book on an unique part of the British Army throughout their history. I highly recommend this to any AFV book library or modeler. Hyperscale.com (www.missing-lynx.com) Reviewed by Al Bowie FirstRead For the nation that invented the tank and one having such a military history interspersed with the employment of Armoured and non armoured vehicles, very little is published on British Military Vehicles. With Volume 1 of what will be a four part series Dick Taylor has added to the slowly growing library on the subject. Dick Taylor not only leans on his skill as an historian but adds to this his career serving on British Armour from the rank of Trooper upward. This intimate knowledge of British Army Vehicles is woven with meticulous and detailed research to provide an excellent reference on British Army Vehicles from their beginnings in 1903 up until 2003. The Acknowledgements list reads like a who’s who of all things British Armour. Warpaint Volume 1 Book Review by Al Bowie: Image (1 of 3) Obviously a subject such as this spanning a century will contain a lot of information and the information will be in a four volume series of which this is the first. The volumes cover the following subjects: Volume One Chapter 1 - Colours and Sources Chapter 2 – Paint and Camouflage up to 1939 Chapter 3 - Registrations, War Department numbers and Census marks Volume Two Chapter 1 – Paint and Camouflage in WW2 Chapter 2 - Sub Unit markings and call sign systems Volume Three Chapter 1 – Paint and Camouflage post WW2 Chapter 2 – Arm of Service markings Formation Signs Volume Four Ground and Air Recognition Systems Vehicle names Miscellaneous marking Systems This Volume starts with an excellent chapter on Colours and Interpreting sources. This is an excellent chapter and one I hope most pedantic modellers and researchers will read at some stage. It details descriptions of Colours, the British Standard (BS) for Colours, how these may have varied, finish, effects of ageing, application, weathering etc. He expands this with a section on interpretation of photographic and film sources backed up by an excellent series of photographs to illustrate some of the traps. One particular photograph of an early Churchill alongside a colour shot illustrates how dangerous it can be to guess colours from a B&W picture. A small section is devoted to Sources and explains to the layman the differences between Primary and secondary sources of research and how that can affect accuracy. Following on from this is the chapter on Paint and camouflage up to 1939. This section is quite broad and has certainly expanded my knowledge on the subject. It is well supported by research, reference and excellent photographs and colour plates. It not only covers Tanks but also illustrates such diverse things as Artillery, traction engines, wagons and Motor transport. Dick has detailed the subtle differences in the official camouflage schemes of the time and illustrates some of the more unusual and colourful examples such as the Macleod Ross scheme or the the Jigsaw pattern. These are backed by excellent use of Photographs from a number of different regions that the British Army was garrisoned or served. The third part of the Book is devoted to Registrations, WD 7 Census Numbers. This is meticulously researched and covers a diverse and complex topic well and presents this in a readable fashion. It is a gain backed by photos and the author discusses some of the pitfalls with commonwealth variations. This section is rounded out by extensive tables indicating the Range of Numbers allocated to various types, Post 1949 registrations etc. The book ends with an excellent Bibliography and reading list including periodicals and websites. I am prejudiced in my enthusiasm for this title as this is my area of interest but I do not believe I am exaggerating to state this is one of the best references on the subject I have read. It is presented logically and in a very readable manner. It is well supported by many photos, plates and tables. If I had any criticism of the book it would be the captions. A lot of the captions tell you very little about the subject (Unit etc). One example is the Australian Stuart Light tank in the first chapter. The formation badge is clearly visible yet the author makes no attempt to identify the formation (2/6 of the 1st Australian Armoured Div), merely describing it as a Stuart in the Jungle. This is but an isolated example but one I feel would have really added to the title. I would recommend this book for those with an interest in British military vehicles whether as a modeller, Historian or collector. It is well written, superbly researched and presented in an easy to read manner. I eagerly await the follow on Volumes and one day hope for a hard backed title combining all of these. Highly recommended to the Collector, Modeller or Historian Warpaint was no 1 at Amazon Bestseller list in Military vehicles category. ModelingMadness.com Reviewer: Scott Van Aken Continuing with their larger books in the 'green' series, this one is on a subject about which I have seen very little written. As the title suggests, it is on the colors and markings of British Army vehicles from the turn of the 20th century to the Iraq invasion of 2003. As they say in the trade, the book is profusely illustrated with period photographs as well as a few color profiles to help show how these vehicles would have looked. There are going to be several volumes to this work as there is far more information as can be supplied in one book. This volume concentrates on colors and camo from 1903 until the start of WWII. It opens with a description of just what colors are and how difficult it is to interpret the exact shade. This is especially true of black and white photography, where development of the film and even the type of film would provide differences. The author states that verbal descriptions are often the most reliable when trying to determine early colors. This is the opposite of what many aircraft camouflage experts state, so you can see that there are differences in opinion on the subject. Of course, one can also compare the camouflage tonal quality with a known color in the photograph, but still even with some color film, determining exact shades without a standard is difficult. In addition to covering the camouflage and colors of this period, there is an extensive section on vehicle registrations, war department numbers and census markings. Much of this was totally new to me as I have never really paid any attention to these things when it comes to British military equipment. I knew that up to WWII, these vehicles needed a license plate much like automobiles, but that was about it. The full mysteries of the subject are brought to light in this final section, and one that is rather large as things go. It is completed with several pages of charts that show the various serial and series blocks and those vehicles that were assigned to that sequence. Quite useful for a modeler or enthusiast who is trying to determine the exact identity of a vehicle. In all, a superb look at the often black arts of color identification and registrations. One that needs to be on the shelves of any serious military modeler. June 2008 Cybermodeler.com By Ray Mehlberger This new book in the Mushroom Model Publications (MMP) “Green Series” is the first in a 4-volume series describing the colors and markings applied to British Army vehicles in the 20th century. Volume 1 covers: The basics of colors and interpretation of photos, and the sources used in this study Paint and camouflage in WWII, two sub-unit markings and callsign systems Paint and camouflage post WWII, two arm of service markings, 3 formation signs Ground and air recognition systems, two vehicle names, 3 miscellaneous marking systems Overall, the series will be a complete description of British Army vehicle colors and markings, both official and unofficial. The books are an invaluable reference source for military vehicle enthusiasts and modelers. The author is a keen modeler, and wrote these books because he couldn’t find the information he needed elsewhere. All the volumes in the series are profusely illustrated with photos. This volume has: 10 color photos of modern AFVs and three of WWII vehicles. There are 53 black and white war-time photos from WWI and WWII. For color profile paintings, we get 5 that are of WWI vehicles. Added to this are color patches of camouflage patterns used on WWI vehicles too. 25 vehicle markings, used from WWI to 2003 are illustrated. The back of the book has 9 pages of T-Numbers (serial numbers) used on British vehicles, telling what vehicles these appeared on. There are 2 pages of F-Numbers and one page of D & S-Numbers. Markings for post 1949 are also shown on four and a half pages. On the last few pages there is a long bibliography. The author, Dick Taylor, joined the British Army as a junior Leader in 1976, and served as a tank crewman and commander in the 3rd, 2nd and 1st Royal Tank Regiments, reaching the rank of Warrant Officer Class One. He has served in many countries worldwide, and operationally in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Bosnia and Croatia, Macedonia, Kuwait and Iraq, as well as Kosovo where he was awarded the Queens Commendation for Valuable Service. He was commissioned in 2000, and his specialties have included tank gunnery instruction, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear operations. Psychological operations and lately, defense exporting. He has a first class degree in History, and is currently reading for his master’s degree at Dundee University. He is married, with two sons and lives in Blandford, Dorset. The book comes in a 11 ¾” x 8 ¼” soft cover format of 104 pages. The cover art shows a British modern Scorpion tank photographed from above while on trials on Cyprus. The book describes in great detail not only the official paint schemes ordered, but also many of the variations often seen in practice. Also, the individual and unit markings applied to tanks and armored cars, soft-skin vehicles, and towed and self-propelled guns. For the first time ever it offers a fully comprehensive guide to what many consider to be a very confusing topic. The back of the book cover shows the covers of two other forthcoming, related MMP books: “ISAF Vehicles, Afghanistan” and “T-34/76, Camouflage & Markings”. Highly recommended. I got my copy in a well padded, bubble pack lined, envelope from Stratus in Poland. Stratus is the sister company of MMP, where most of the MMP books on aircraft and armor are printed in English.