Dear Forummers
my brother is restoring a South African 1942 Harley Davidson; does anybody know the correct tone of the paint he should use for a vehicle used in North Africa / Ethiopia?
many thanks
Rob
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Dear Forummers
my brother is restoring a South African 1942 Harley Davidson; does anybody know the correct tone of the paint he should use for a vehicle used in North Africa / Ethiopia?
many thanks
Rob
I would say with a degree of certainty that it would be the same as the British service vehicles. Simply because the while the Australians, NZers and SAfricans supplied the troops, the vehicles were supplied by the UK albeit that towards the end of the North African campaign, they came from the US as lend lease. Same as later when they moved up into Italy and took their vehicl;es across the Med with them. Just my 2cents worth
As Peter says, same as British Army.
From 6 October 1941, a letter was issued by Staff Duties Branch of GHQ Middle East Forces concerning the policy on painting of vehicles in view of the shortage of paint in the ME theatre. Thus one colour should be applied to all vehicles, artillery and afv's, specifically a colour called Light Stone, British Standard Colour No.61 and known as ME Standard Colour No.23. (as an amusing aside, the latter also noted that, in order to expedite painting with the minimum of delay, "the practice of throwing sand on the paint will be discontinued")
The only other thing I would say is though, is only the RAF received the Canadian WLC models, not the Army, so I'm not sure there would have been any WLC's in British or Commonwealth service in the Med theatre....??
OK, scrap that, just checked my book on wartime motorcycles, and noted that SA bought a load of 1200 side-car outfits and 750 solo, all civilian models as the order was direct with HD before USA entered the war. So, not supplied under lend-lease or via British WD.Quote:
Originally Posted by GeeRam
Must be ultra rare to find one of those.........very cool :cool:
Used in North Africa would be the same colour as the forces they were part of, otherwise it would be too easy to identify them. In Ethiopia/Abyssinia where they operated on their own to a large extent, it could be anything particular to the force at that time, but most probably olive drab or similar.
Yes, it is a 1200cc "U" model, plus left-sided sidecar - uniquely South African, I understand.
Many thanks for those useful suggestions, everyone.
Rob
Blue?
In Ethiopia/Abyssinia, the South Africans were still supplied by the Brits. So were the Kenyans with 'em.
Didn't read it but there might be a mention of colours.
http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol101em.html
Same colour as mine , but mine is 1995 :lol:
Thanks, Sunray - I had the article "Harleys in Khaki", thanks for posting it on the forum.
That article mentions 156 drab olive-green 1200 cc Harley-Davidsons with side-cars ... &....another order of one thousand 1200 cc Harleys with side-cars. These left-sided combinations are unique to S Africa, it seems.
To 22Sqn: not sure I understand - can you explain why blue might have been used for SA infantry vehicles? Do you mean for SA Airforce or Navy use?
To all: Does anyone know if "Light Stone, British Standard Colour No.61" is also known as "BS 361 light stone"?
As in CAMO Matt Nato Camouflage Military Paint BS 361 LIGHT STONE 5 LITRE | eBay
or BS 381C - 361
many thanks
Rob
Left sided side-cars for driving on the left side of the road, as in South Africa?
Correct (or any ex-British colony area)Quote:
Originally Posted by Daan Kemp
Yes, BS381C - 361 is the right one.Quote:
Originally Posted by RobD
Also, its very likely these were all made in the USA in either a standard civilian colour, (or if production after Jan/Feb 1942) in US Army No.9 Olive Drab and then locally in-theatre painted in the appropriate colour, which was by hand with a brush in quite a crude manor. This often meant that the original colour would start to appear, once weather and worn in.
Restoring a WW2 bike (or any AFV or softskin) by spraying nicely in Light Stone 61 etc, is NOT the authentic way of doing so. When my friend restored his BSA WD-M20 into a desert scheme, he did restored it factoy bronze green sprayed finish, then went over it all with light stone by hand using a brush. After a few years the light stone started to weather and wear showing bits of the bronze green showing through. Looked cock on :super:
As a comparison, I think my bike was a lighter colour then on purchase, it is certainly Olive Drab now!
Rob, The light stone was only the lower half of the vehicle colour, ........
Early UK WW2 vehicles would of left the factory in Khaki, 42-44 Service brown then olive drab, even though its a 42 dated bike I'd go with Olive drab.
Link below small bit by Steve Madden (knows a bit about WD Bikes)
Colours
Saw the Pawn Stars shop in Las Vegas programme last night where they bought an Indian in red and white looked a bit gordy.
Went into his mates covertion shop in LA and came out decked in WW2 green visor and leather Thompson and grenade holder on the front right......brilliant. Bought for $9K and finished in authentic Army as supplied up for sale $25K
To me thats a bargain, anybody else see it?
Steve does indeed........however, these SA HD's were not ever WD, nor lend lease supply, as they were ordered direct by the Union of SA, and before US entered the war, hence they were built as HD civilian bikes in the HD factory (later supplies were built after Pearl Harbour though) and so as I mentioned would have been likely then built as per US Army supply, in US drab paint finish.Quote:
Originally Posted by bigduke6
Any that ended up in North Africa with allied forces would have then been hand painted in-theatre in Light Stone (or other possible METO colour combo's as they often used what they could get hold off unlike ETO)