WW2 Painting Guide: Kiwi and British in the Mediterranean

This WW2 Painting Guide shows how to paint the 2 New Zealand Division, and other Commonwealth/British, who fought in the Mediterranean. It solely uses Vallejo Model Colour range of paints.

I have used four sources: Battle Front, SHQ, Artizan Designs, and Crac des Chevaliers.

In the six years since I first published the first version of this article several of the sources have disappeared and two new sources appeared, so I thought I would publish an update. I have dropped out the Coat D’arms and the Colour party options and concentrated solely on Vallejo. It is sufficiently different from the original post that I have counted it as a new publication.

A group of New Zealand soldiers on the Cassino battlefront in Italy, during World War II. Probably reconstruction for photographers behind the line. 5 April 1944
A group of New Zealand soldiers on the Cassino battlefront in Italy, during World War II. Probably reconstruction for photographers behind the line. 5 April 1944

Personally I use black undercoat, with edges showing, a base colour and, only for those special occasions, a highlight. The Battle Front and SHQ guides are fairly simple, listing only the base colour. Crac des Chevaliers explicitly lists shadow, base and highlight. The Chevalier de la Terre mentions he uses a slightly darker colour for the shadow as he doesn’t leave black visible in 15mm. Artizan Designs often lists two or three colours and I assume this is shadow, base colour and/or highlight; it isn’t clear in the two colour schemes whether the missing shade is shadow or highlight.

Item Battle Front SHQ Artizan Designs Crac des Chevaliers
MKII Helmet and Helmet cover 847 Dark Sand 819 Iraqi Sand 819 Iraqi Sand
847 Dark Sand
Shadow: 888 Olive Grey and a bit of black
Base: 50/50 mix 888 Olive Grey and 924 Russian Uniform)
Highlight: 50/50 mix base colour and white1
Khaki Drill Shirt, Shorts, Trousers 819 Iraqi Sand 847 Dark Sand 819 Iraqi Sand
847 Dark Sand
Khaki Drill (Greener)
Shadow: 887 Brown Violet
Base: 50/50 887 Brown Violet and 899 Khaki
Highlight: 988 Khaki

or Tan variant
Shadow: VPA 314 Canvas
Base: 988 Khaki
Highlight: 50/50 mix base colour and white1

Khaki Battle dress, trousers, socks, berets 921 English Uniform 921 English Uniform 889 US Olive Drab2
921 English Uniform
983 Flat Earth
Shadow: 889 US Olive Drab
Base: 921 English Uniform
Highlight: 880 Khaki Grey
Webbing and Anklets 884 Stone grey 819 Iraqi Sand 819 Iraqi Sand
847 Dark Sand
or (variant)
821 Ger. cam. beige WWII
Shadow: 887 Brown Violet
Base: 988 Khaki
Highlight: 50/50 mix base colour and white1

or (alternate, lighter variant)
Shadow: 988 Khaki
Base: 884 Stone Grey
Highlight: 50/50 mix base colour and white1

Water bottle / Canteen 879 Green Brown Shadow: 889 US Olive Drab
Base: 983 Flat Earth
Highlight: 50/50 983 Flat Earth and 884 Stone Grey/Ivory, etc
Rank chevrons 951 White
Boots 950 Black 950 Black
994 Dark Grey
Soldiers: 950 Black
Officers: 874 US Tan Earth
Shadow: 950 Black
Base: 995 German Grey
Highlight: 50/50 mix base colour and white1
Wooden parts 981 Orange Brown 879 Green Brown Shadow: 889 US Olive Drab
Base: 983 Flat Earth
Highlight: 50/50 mix base colour and white1
Buckles 801 Brass
Cup 951 White
Anti gas cape 896 Dark Green
Leather Jerkin 846 Mahogany Brown
984 Flat Brown
Anklets / Gaiters 821 Ger. cam. beige WWII

Notes
(1) Crac des Chevaliers sometimes uses paints from other ranges, so I have substituted the equivalent Vallejo Model Colour instead.
(2) Artizan Designs had the base Khaki colour as “973 US Olive Drab” but this appears to be mixing “973 Light Sea Grey” and “889 US Olive Drab”. I have assumed the text is correct and the code incorrect.

References

BattleFront: British Mediterranean Infantry

Broken link

Chevalier de la Terre. (2010). Painting British Infantry: Part 2. Crac des Chevaliers.

Farnworth, M. (2008). Colour Guide – British 8th Army. Artizan Designs.

Colour Guide to Painting the British Army in the Middle East and the Mediterranean

Pearson, S., and Rowell, R. (n.d.). SHQ Miniatures: Introduction to our painting guide No 11. SHQ

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