Was getting ready to paint my new UK-92 Rolls Royce 1920 pattern armored car (with admiralty turret) and was hoping to go with the 3 tone desert scheme.
But when I started doing a little research on the paint job - I couldn't find any reference to it being used during WWII in the Western Desert (or for that matter outside of Britain)!
Apparently the 11th Hussars in Egypt/Libya only used open top turreted versions. On top of that the pictures I have seen are all of the 1924 pattern.
Say it ain't so!
Granted my resources are not too extensive (BT White's "British Armoured Cars", and various internet sites).
Has anyone painted theirs yet? Can you point me to any examples of the 1920 Pattern with Admiralty Turret actually being used in combat in WWII?
From everything I've read, I'm afraid it is so. The Rolls Royce Armoured Cars in Egypt (and Iraq) had all been converted to the open topped turret. I found one source on the internet that had one of the 1924 pattern vehicles as part of the escort troop for the Royal Family in the first year of the war.
There's not a lot of historical wargaming potential for this model. Of course, how often did the German Maus see action? I'm going to paint up a couple in First World War color schemes, a couple in generic desert/colonial patterns, and one as the Royal escort. Who knows, I might put on a Sealion scenario sometime.
I can't speak for anyone else, but I would be more likely to buy more of this model if it had the open turret.
Groundlber
An interesting picture I ran across appears to show a Rolls Royce 1920 Pattern mark Ia (cupula) in the Western Desert early in the war. If these were in the desert (and I can find nowhere that says they were) I wonder if a few of the older type without the cupula weren't also milling around.
So there are at least 2 options - home guard paint job or scratch build a cupula with desert paint.
Though badly burned I am pretty sure it is not a Fordson armored car because of the wheels (non-truck type).
Supertsar - Thanks for finding that information and web site. I guess we can now paint the models in Western Desert color schemes. I hadn't thought about the Royal Air Force still having armored car companies, much less that they would keep the Rolls Royce vehicles. I'll probably still paint one as a Royal escort.
I'm of use. I will pop over to the RAF regiment museum for you seeing as it's all of 100 meters away! We have at least 1 rolls royce painted up in there! (I'll see if i can get an image as well seeing as i'm station photographer, it may however not be until monday!)
I'm of use. I will pop over to the RAF regiment museum for you seeing as it's all of 100 meters away! We have at least 1 rolls royce painted up in there! (I'll see if i can get an image as well seeing as i'm station photographer, it may however not be until monday!)