Change of colours.

Thanks all for your prompt replies, I knew I could rely of the forum to be its normal fount of information.

Sky spinners and fuselage bands were introduced end of November 1940, before the change from the Temerate Land Scheme to the Day Fighter Scheme which introduced the yellow leading edges and changed the codes from Medium Sea Grey to Sky.

Sorry, I should have added that, by the same order, the undersides were changed from Sky to Medium Sea Grey, the Sky fuselage band and spinner were re-emphasised, and the yellow wing leading edges were introduced.
There appears to have been some delay in stocks, so 10, 11 & 12 Groups were to change over, first, with 13, 14, 9, 82 & 81 to follow, as stocks increased.

Again I have learned something. Thanks Edgar.

Moggy

The RAF never used the term “Olive Green,” it was known simply as “Dark Green.”
From 15-8-41, orders were issued that the Dark Earth was to be covered by a colour obtained from mixing Medium Sea Grey and black, in the ratio 0f 7:1 (easily done by removing a pint of grey from a gallon can, and replacing it with a pint of black.)
21-8-41, in response to a request from the Air Ministry, Farnborough gave the new colour the name “Ocean Grey” (not sea grey.)

The change came during the course of 1941 as the RAF Fighter Command took on a more offensive role, there is no specific changeover date.

Moggy