"British LW Blanket Rolls" Topic

I have some AB 20mm LW British. Some of these beautiful miniatures have been cast with a blanket roll attached to the backpack. I have been searching my references for a photo or photos of British blanket rolls to get an idea of color for painting the blankets but can't seem to find any reference points.

Not a huge deal. I am thinking a brown, khaki or grey would work.

Just curious if anyone has an accurate color reference?

Thanks in advance.

I'd do any blankets in grey.

If your on about the item under the flap of the back pack this is from memory a rubber groundsheet/ poncho which was an olive green in colour.

Jeff965,

The casting actually resembles a blanket roll…

Yes normally you would fold the sheet nice and neat and hold it in place with the flap of the backpack, however In a rush or just where your not likely to be picked up for looking scruffy you might just roll it up. The item in question was rubberised olive green groundsheet which could be worn like a poncho buttoned at the neck. Google British WW2 rubber ponchos and you will see what I mean.

Jeff965 is correct. It is a olive green ground sheet/poncho.

As has been said, it's the rubberised groundsheet/poncho; properly termed a 'Gas Cape'. I still use these as groundhseets when shooting and they're a very greyish green.

I Googled "British WW2 rubber ponchos" but could not find anything specifically British from WW2.

"british army ww2 gas cape" OTOH did indeed bring up some images of the rolled up cape in an olive drab or khaki colour.

"Poncho" is very much an American term that would not have been in use in the British Army of the 40s.

Yes your right about that word. I was issued this item in the mid 70's along with my 37 pattern webbing and I remember being told there were thousands of them left over from war stocks, and at that time we did call them ponchos. However in the Second World War they were probably called gas capes or ground sheets. All I remeber was as a water proof item they were hopeless and the only thing we tended to use them for was as something to put on the ground when you were lying down shooting on the range.

Thank you everyone! I will roll with the olive color.

This is why TMP is so great. Thank you again.

Army blankets were grey.

The WW2 issue rubberised ground sheets/rain ponchos were actually a sort khaki tan in colour. The dark green ones are postwar issue, although it is conceivable some troops got the green ones in 1945 – just like the entrenching tools with bayonet attachment lug and tabbed universal pouches. For re-enactment purposes I use a green one as it is both cheaper and much more waterproof then the crap tan coloured repro ones.

The classic British Army poncho was the 58 pattern one, also in dark green. The plastic voluminous tent thing with a hood.

Here we go, wartime issue rubberised cape

link

postwar rubberised cape

link

Martin,

Mine are the WW2 type (various 1940s dates) and I would still class them as 'grey-green).

I should stick them on ebay… :)

There must be thousands of those things languishing in cadet unit cupboards.

You can make shelters from then as well.