British WW2 AFV decals sheets

35088 British WWII Tanks in UK #1
35091 British WWII Tanks in UK #2
35092 British WWII Tanks in the Desert #1
35093 British WWII Tanks in the Desert #2
35094 British WWII Tanks in the Desert #3
35095 British WWII Tanks in the Desert #4

Reviews by Peter Brown

Each of these sheets has all items from census numbers and names to unit and tactical markings for four vehicles. The decals are clearly printed on a solid backing sheet, they will need to be cut into separate subjects before application. Finish is gloss so a top coat of matt varnish will seal them in place. A coloured three-view drawings shows where each decal goes, as a bonus there is a separate folded sheet showing the subject vehicles from front, back and both sides which has enlargements of each marking with explanatory notes.

Subjects are a good mix, some of the vehicles are available out of the box, others will need come conversion while a few will need either major modification work or perhaps we will eventually get models in plastic or resin. All appear to be based on photos, many of which have appeared in print in such works as "British Tank Markings and Names" by B T White, so modellers have access to reference photos to show the actual appearance of the vehicles, stowage etc though the source of each set of decals is not listed.

Although designed for specific vehicles, individual items apart from names and serials could be used for other subjects though it would be a shame to split them up as they have been well researched.

INDIVIDUAL DETAILS -

35088 British WWII Tanks in UK #1

• Matilda IIICS 'Bendigo' of B Squadron HQ, 17th/21st Lancers, 1941. This is a tank taking part in an exercise, marked as part of the "second" armoured Brigade in 6th Armoured Division it also has temporary crosses to depict an "enemy" vehicle
• Valentine I of 6 Troop, B Squadron, 40th Battalion Royal Tank Regiment. Based on photos of 40RTR tanks in late 1941 painted ready to go to North Africa with its parent 8th Armoured Division, it should be in sand and the markings could also be used for a desert vehicle.
• Valentine I 'Tockington', 3 Troop, D Squadron, 1st Royal Gloucestershire Hussars also on exercises in 1942, this tank carries 20th Armoured Brigade markings as well as exercise crosses
• Churchill I 'Shepherd' with B Squadron, 43rd Battalion Royal Tank Regiment when part of 3rd (Mixed) Division in 1942 at the time this Division was part Infantry and part Armoured.
  

Colour schemes can be open to interpretation, vehicles in the UK were at various times painted in green or brown shades, this is often not easy to tell apart in contemporary black and white photos.

35091 British WWII Tanks in UK #2

• Matilda II 1 Troop, F Squadron, 49th Battalion Royal Tank Regiment, 1941. 'Filibuster' carries large turret squadron markings
• Valentine I RHQ, 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers' 'Barnard Castle' shown during a parade in 1941
• Churchill II 'Kate' of C Squadron Headquarters, 148th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps when part of 3rd (Mixed) Division in 1942 at the time this Division was part Infantry and part Armoured
• Churchill III 'ESK' Left Flank HQ of 3rd (Armoured) Battalion, The Scots Guards 1943 when of 6th Guards Armoured Brigade after it separated from Guards Armoured Division to become an independent Brigade.
  

Colour schemes can be open to interpretation, vehicles in the UK were at various times painted in green or brown shades, this is often not easy to tell apart in contemporary black and white photos.

35092 British WWII Tanks in the Desert #1

• Stuart I of 3rd Battalion Royal Tank Regiment, in Caunter scheme with the unusual markings used by 4th Armoured Brigade this is based on photos of a tank abandoned in the early stages of Operation "Crusader", Libya November 1941.
• Matilda III 'Phantom' 10 Troop, B Squadron, 42 Battalion The Royal Tank Regiment also in Caunter scheme in Operation "Crusader"
• Crusader I 'Cynic'of C Squadron, 10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales' Own), Libya from early 1942 in plain Light Stone or Portland Stone.
• Valentine II 'Redoubtable' 1 Troop, A Squadron, 50th Battalion Royal Tank Regiment painted sand and green in Tunisia, March 1943
  

The colours shown on the instructions may cause debate, the central shade of the Caunter vehicles appears to be very blue when research suggests a more green shade.

35093 British WWII Tanks in the Desert #2

• Valentine II 'Retort' 2 Troop, A Squadron, 50th Battalion Royal Tank Regiment in Tunisia in 1943 in sand and green with the 23rd Armoured Brigade "Liver Bird" unit marking
• Valentine II 'Culloden' 10 Troop, C Squadron, 40th Battalion Royal Tank Regiment in plain sand using the markings of 8th Armoured Division when it was knocked out at Ruweisat Ridge in July 1942
• Universal Carrier of a Provost Company, possibly 2nd Armoured Division, Libya, 1941 is in a variation of the Caunter scheme
• Cruiser IVA (A13 II) 'Emperor' 3 Troop, A Squadron, 5th Battalion Royal Tank Regiment with 2nd Armoured Div, Libya 1941 also in the Caunter scheme
  

The colours shown on the instructions may cause debate, the central shade of the Caunter vehicles appears to be very blue when research suggests a more green shade

35094 British WWII Tanks in the Desert #3

• Churchill III one of the six tanks of Kingforce at El Alamein.
• Daimler Dingo of Regimental HQ, 5th Battalion Royal Tank Regiment in Libya, 1942 in plain Stone
• Daimler Dingo of 4 Field Squadron, Royal Engineers in 7th Armoured Division Libya, 1942 in stone with brown over-camouflage
• Matilda III 'Drake' of 1 Troop, A Squadron, 4th Battalion Royal Tank Regiment in Caunter scheme at the time it was part of 7th Armoured Division during Operation Battleaxe in 1941
  

The colours shown on the instructions may cause debate, the central shade of the Caunter vehicles appears to be very blue when research suggests a more green shade

35095 British WWII Tanks in the Desert #4

• Grant Armoured Command Vehicle with Brigade Headquarters, 22nd Armoured Brigade, 7th Armoured Div, Libya, 1942, this tank had small green patches over the basic stone
• Sherman II 9th Queen's Royal Lancers in 1st Armoured Division at the time of El Alamein
• Sherman III 1 Troop, C Squadron, The Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards) also in a two-colour scheme with 1st Armoured Division in Tunisia late 1942
• Sherman III 'Hellzashoot'n''of C Squadron, 9th Queen's Royal Lancers in Tunisia, 1943 in two-colour camouflage
• One point, Shermans at Alamein were usually in pink and green not the sand/green scheme shown.
  

Thanks to Dana from Quartermasters Depot for the review sheets which can be bought online at http://store.quartermastersdepot.com

Page created 20 March 2005