Camouflage & Markings of Canadian Armoured Vehicles
in World War Two Part 2
Armor Color Gallery #5
By Steve Guthrie, Barry Beldam
Published by Model Centrum Progres, Warsaw, Poland
ISBN 973-83-60672-09 -9
Review by Peter Brown
Following on from Part 1, this book covers Canadian AFVs in action in the later years of WW2. Style and layout are in the same format as others in the series. The short introductory chapter gives general background including the various changes in colour schemes affecting this period, with the bulk of the content being period black and white photos illustrating a wide range of vehicles in action or at least in the field.
In total there are 128 photos, each clearly printed with captions containing a lot of information, details of colour schemes, the vehicle's unit where known as well as basic date and location for the photo. Complementing these images are colour plates showing specific vehicles, some as three-views with others getting a side view plus scrap views showing areas with markings.
The book is divided into two sections. Sicily and Italy gets just six pages of photos with the greater part dealing with the North-West Europe campaign. As could be expected a lot of the photos show Shermans in both areas, these range from a DD with its floatation skirt removed just after D Day to others carry various styles of additional armour including wood, "horse hair" packaging and large quantities of track links from both Shermans and Churchills. Other photos show Rams both as Kangaroos and OPs, M10, Priest, Sexton, Carriers in a variety of roles with several fitted with extra armament and others towing guns. Artillery is briefly shown on its own, with a couple of photos showing a 6pdr and a 5.5" gun. One unusual item is an original colour photo of a Royal Marines Centaur IV, representing those later operated by 1st Centaur Battery.
Wheeled armour includes Staghound and Fox armoured cars, Daimler Dingo, Humber and Lynx scout cars, Humber armoured and light reconnaissance cars, Otter LRC and C15TA armoured trucks. Also included are bulldozers including armoured ones, one a final page depicts captured German halftracks.
Colour plates cover both areas and show several Shermans, Dingo, Staghound, Lynx and Greyhound (which were rare in Canadian hands), OP and Universal Carriers, turretless Stuart recce, Ram Kangaroo and Priest. Two plates showing typical markings placement use a Sherman in Italy and a Ford 15cwt truck operated by an armoured unit in France.
Choice of photos appears to have been made with modellers in mind, showing vehicles as they were in real life with stowage and extra items many would make good modelling subjects either as individual vehicles or as small or large dioramas.
It is also refreshing to find that the authors are prepared to admit where they do not have all the details they might like, where that happens they give informed opinion of any options.
Thanks go to the authors for putting it all together and not least to the publisher for publishing it.
Highly recommended reference.
Thanks to Wojciech from Model Centrum for the review copy.