"Humber armoured cars in Italy" Topic

I am starting to work on an armoured car company for Italy, comprised mainly of Humbers armoured cars. What colour should they be? European green, Desert yellow? BF's North Afrika book says light mud (Khaki), but I am unsure. Any help is appreciated.

I think it depends which specific period you are looking at.

A lot of stuff in Sicily was still in desert colours, but iirc the official base colour for temperate AFV and softskin camo in 1943 was still SCC2 (chocolate/khaki brown), changing to green in 1944. I don't have my reference books to hand so can't give the exact dates of the change, nor the specific requirements and exceptions which applied to the Mediterranean.

If in doubt, green is usually a good bet. Desert camo looks a bit wierd in the cold, wet and foggy Po valley in 1945….

Mine are Khaki. I think that let's you get some good options for both MW and LW use.

I'm guessing the "Green" kit coming into Italy were later replacement/new equipment but the old stuff soldiered on and was not repainted in theater.

I know I've seen pictures of the 78th Division's 56th Recce using Khaki Humbers right up into the Argenta Gap. I'll see if I can find the photo.

I am thinking in a 1943 company, so I could paint it either Khaki or Desert Yellow, right?
Thanks for the info. If anyone has pictures, I would really appreciate it.

try this

PDF link

If you are looking for the Sicily campaign, You should get Mike starmers book

Thanks Kevan. That link was useful. I'll probably get the book in the future.

This is the 56th Recce Humber I image I reffered to above:

link

Looks like a dark base colour to me. With copious amounts of dust.

As armoured units came out of the line in the second half of 1944, they generally received a re-paint in the temperate olive drab scheme. However, many armoured cars and softskins are still seen right to the end of the war in arid camouflage schemes.

It's impossible to determine colour from a black and white photo, but as spontoon says, that does look more like a dark base colour, with a liberal application of dust and mud.