No longer an urgent need for help.

[Hammers]

If you know of any site including picture/colour references to WWII GB Navy uniforms, esp. the paint used on helmets I'd be much obliged if you tell me where to find it.

[Plynkes]

Can't, I'm afraid. But here's something to be going along with for now:



Looks grey in that pic.

I have a nice coffee table book on the Normandy campaign that has colour photos of the uniforms (actual photos of the actual uniforms, not artists' impressions) of all involved. The Royal Navy photo is rather jolly, and shows several pieces of uniform and various hats. What it does not include is a helmet.

Grrr...

[Hammers]

Can't, I'm afraid. But here's something to be going along with for now:



Looks grey in that pic.

I have a nice coffee table book on the Normandy campaign that has colour photos of the uniforms (actual photos of the actual uniforms, not artists' impressions) of all involved. The Royal Navy photo is rather jolly, and shows several pieces of uniform and various hats. What it does not include is a helmet.

Grrr...

Thank you, Plynkes.

I have the same problems with my own books.

[Plynkes]

I've just found a colour pic in another book. But what with my eyes and 1940s colour photography I cannot tell for the life of me whether they are grey or green.

I can scan it for you if you like so you can make up your own mind. In fact, I'll go and do it now. It won't be instantaneous, though, as I have to go and use another computer in another building.

[Hammers]

Well, I have settled for some sort of grey green already. One feels one can't be arsing about with the fine details anylonger.

Background extras in "Enigma" (based on the Robert Harris novel) indicates something to that effect. Good flick, by the way.

[Plynkes]

Well I've emailed it to myself (the other computer won't recognise my Flash drive as it doesn't like me).

But for some reason the email has failed to arrive. Perhaps I am on my own Anti-Spam blacklist?

This is intolerable. I hate these stupid machines.

[Plynkes]

Finally. How can an email take so long to travel 100 yards?

Now with the naked eye I genuinely couldn't tell whether they were grey or green, but the scanning process seems to have brought out the green colour somewhat.





Looks to me like the standard army colour for the things.

[Hammers]

That's aprox how I painted them. Would you agree they are not the same kakhi green as the army?

[Helen]

Dylan, Nice photo! The sailors look attired in a very dark blue naval rig.

Peder, I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product.

[Plynkes]

Helen, as far as the RN goes, in colour photos I have seen of what they call Navy Blue, it is almost always that dark, nearly black in fact.

Even that neckflap-bib thing (I don't know the real name of it) is often the same dark shade, rather than the lighter blue you often see in illustrations.

Hammers, I just looked at about six colour photos of British Army Tommy hats, and saw six different shades of green. It looks to me like a shade you often see on helmets that haven't been messed with. Once out in the field they got attacked with textured paint and all kinds of other junk. On home service they tended to be a more plain dark green, and those look a bit like that. Even then you can get all kinds of shades.

[Hammers]

Alright then. Thank you very much, both Helen and Plynkes.

I managed to geth a passable navy blue, I think, by the way, by giving the painted minis a final glaze, if you can call it that, of thinned down vallejo air black. Took the harshest hilites right out.

[Plynkes]

A couple of pics of one of mine to give you an idea of what I meant when talking about the army colours. Though I can't guarantee 100% that it is an original paint job, it is representative of one of the numerous shades I have seen.





Now those are two photos of the same helmet, and the colour looks totally different. Just goes to show you can't trust photos!  

[Hammers]

Now those are two photos of the same helmet, and the colour looks totally different. Just goes to show you can't trust photos!  

Not to mention what it appears like to that strangely familiar camel jockey.

[Helen]

Great work guys.

Thankyou

[Hammers]

And so the first batch of nine of His Majesty's Sailors is ready. Photo of these will be posted soon in a forum near you.