I needed a British truck / lorry for my post on Improvising and making Japanese barricades for the Burma Campaign. So I ordered some 3D printed models from Battlefield3D. Before they arrived, and to my surprise, I found an undercoated Bedford MWD in my in progress project box, and some CMP 3-ton lorries in my British unpainted box. So I got to work. You can think of this post as the British extension to You can never have too many trucks.
My British Trucks for Burma
I’ve got British trucks from Peter Pig, Flames of War, and Battlefield3D . If I did this again, I’d go straight to Battlefield3D.
Battlefield3D Bedford MWD
I haven’t had great success with 3D printed models in the past, but I tried Battlefield3D who sell 3D printed resin models. You can buy direct although I got mine on ebay from 15mm-1/100 Resin 3D Printed British Vehicles – Flames of War etc.
I have four vehicles in 15mm-1/100 scale:
2 x Bedford MWD
2 x Bedford MWD (Covered)
I think they are amazing. Lots of detail. Nicely proportioned. No annoying built in base. I’d buy them again.
Peter Pig Bedford MWD
Ages ago I purchased a Bedford MWD (17. Bedford Light Truck) from Peter Pig – Range 8 WW2 – British. It is metal
Flames of War
I have four (BR452) CMP 3-ton lorries.
I also have two undercoated (BR216) Indian Pattern Carriers.
Painting British Trucks / Lorries for Burma
Vehicle colour
My go to painting guide for Burma Campaign is the work by Mark Davies. For this project I used British & Indian Armoured Units Of the Burma Campaign: A Painting Guide V1.8. But another place to look is his blog Jemima Fawr’s Miniature Wargames – Blog Wargaming on the Edge of Wales.
The choices are:
- Late 1930—Early 1940s: Middle Bronze Green (a.k.a. ‘Khaki Green No.3’). Use Vallejo (088) 70.895 Gunship Green
- From 1943: Standard Camouflage Colour (S.C.C.) 13 ‘Jungle Green’. Use Vallejo (095) 70.893 US Dark Green
- From April 1944: S.C.C. 15 Olive Drab. Use Vallejo (094) 70.924 Russian Uniform WWII
My troops are 1944-45 so I went for Standard Camouflage Colour (S.C.C.) 13 ‘Jungle Green’. That meant using Vallejo (095) 70.893 US Dark Green. To highlight, I dry brushed in Vallejo (007) 70.837 Pale Sand.
Canvas colour
Apparently British canvas covers were painted using specialist paints for canvas, but in the same colours as the vehicles. In practice they faded fairly quickly to a lighter shade. I just mixed a little white (you could also do light grey) into the standard colour. To highlight, I dry brushed in Vallejo (007) 70.837 Pale Sand.
Windscreen
I used my previous approach for Painting the windscreen of a wrecked Portuguese staff car
Steps
1. Paint windows black
2. Paint a layer of dark blue e.g. Vallejo (51) 70.965 Prussian Blue
3. Carefully paint diagonal lines with a still lighter blue i.e. Vallejo (65) 70.841 Andrea Blue
The diagonal lines give an impression that light is reflecting from them from some mysterious, unknown light source.
References
Davies, R. M. British & Indian Armoured Units Of the Burma Campaign: A Painting Guide V1.8. www.fireandfury.com.