MILIFAX
Canadian Army Vehicle Paint Colours, World War Two
  Olive Drab Part 1

War Diary
HQ First Canadian Army
AA & QMG Branch
A/Q Conference
26 April 1944

Item 119:

ACI533 has authorized the basic colour of camouflage paint to be  changed to the US Army Olive Drab.  AQMG(AE) to take this up with  G(SD) and G(OPS) to assertain the ‘G’ is agreeable to the change - advised all 21  AG veh are now painted with O.D. Colour with no attempt at camouflage.


HQ First Canadian Army
AA & QMG Branch
A/Q Conference
1 May 1944

Item 138

Advised C of S has approved the repainting of all Cdn Army Veh in Olive Drab colour w/ no camouflage


HQ First Canadian Army
AA & QMG Branch
A/Q Conference
4 May 1944

Item 161

Stated that vehs will NOT be repainted in O.D. colour until repainting is considered necessary
First Canadian Army Routine Operational Orders
1 May 1944

693 Camouflage-War Equipment,etc - Change in Basic Colour

1.  Olive Drab will be adopted as the basic camouflage for all army equipments, in lieu of standard camouflage colour No.2 (Brown), and certain new equipments painted Olive Drab will shortly be recieved by units

2.  An exception will be made in the case of bridging equipment of British manufacture containing the word ‘Bailey’ which will continue to be painted in standard Camouflage Colour No. 2 to distinguish them from American made Bailey bridges.

3.  This change will not authorize units, whose equipments, vehicles, etc. are already painted Standard Camouflage Colour No.2 (as the basic colour) to draw supplies of Olive Drab for re-painting untill re-painting is due and necessary, and all stocks of Standard Camouflage Colour No.2, in unit or RCOC stocks, is exhausted.


Evidence has yet to be unearthed as to why disruptive painting was discontinued.  MTP 46 was designed to conceal vehicles from observation from the air. Perhaps it was felt this danger had lessened as the war continued.  Unlikely, given the emphasis put on anti-aircraft gun defence as well as the order given to fit all softskin vehicles with a roof hatch for use by an aircraft sentry.  It is more than likely there was neither time, nor materials nor manpower to paint the huge number of vehicles being drawn by units.
 
 


 

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