Gas Detector Panels

Very nice photo Dave – note the particularly hard edged camouflage lines too….

Nice view of a gas panel in this image from the Flight Archive (602 Squadron Spitfire, Drem 1940)

http://www.flightglobal.com/airspace/media/historical1939-1945/images/14948/fa-17754s-jpg.jpg

Blot Bang rub…

Roobarb’s meander through the anthrax-strewn liney stories also hits on the key issue… the gas patches were for ground-crew use, rather than aircrew whilst flying. If one were to fly through a gas cloud during a dog fight, I’m sure you’d only notice that you had, when your eyeballs start to blister….. you’d remember to look at the yellow-ish patch on the wing just before your skin drops off…

Thanks for the entertaining read, Roobarb.

It gives one absolute and undying faith in HMG to look after its service personnel adequately and for the PBI (subsitute PBA or PBS as appropriate) to jolly well defend the Realm!

Gas detection panels were generally painted on an upper surface of aeroplanes, vehicles and even trolley-accs. The theory was that a gas attack would result in the incoming vapour or chemical droplets activating the chemical within the patch and causing it to change colour, thus advisng everyone it would be a good time to don ones gas mask. We were still using the same basic high technology in the 1980’s-’90’s when I was in the RAF. The idea then was that the “three colour detector paper” would change colour and indicate what nasty Ivan had decided to lob at you and your aeroplanes. You would then instantly remember what they had taught you in some boring Rock-ape lecture many moons previously and the colour would match the symptoms you would be looking for. They always used to go on about the “smell of newly cut grass” being a good indicator for nerve agent (other death causing smells are available). That didn’t seem to hold a lot of sense being based on an expansion period station where there were lawns everywhere being furiously mown to keep the SWO happy. Personally I didn’t have a lot of faith in the advice. It seemed to me that by the time some Liney had decided things were getting serious and he wasn’t going to be getting to the pub that night and there seemed to be a funny smell going on, he would be foaming at the mouth (not unusual on my Sqn), suffering pinpointed vision (Hmmm), sniffing furiously at the lawns or just turning into a multipling giant red blister. None of these were going to be too helpful and pulling on an S6/S10 Rubber-face (no doubt full of stale biscuit debris) wasn’t going to make things any better and certainly wasn’t going to impress the good looking females of the local town. I did enjoy puffing the fullers-earth bottles into fellow Lineys hair and down each other necks etc all in the defence of the realm and no doubt at great expence to Mrs T and her budget. Funny thing was when the poor guys were packed off to a certain North Norfolk Tornado base to get kitted out for the first Gulf war, they all got given gas mask filters that were for training purposes only and only any use for tear gas! They probably don’t even do the gas chamber any more due to health and safety:rolleyes:

One of the interesting bits they found on the KD431 the Fleet Air Arm Museum F4U when they stripped off the postwar paint, was the gas patch on that bird. This is according to the book written about her. So apparently they were still around in 45 on some planes.

On the spine of the fuselage was also popular

Was the purpose of the patch to warn the pilot that he was flying within a gas cloud?? – or that there was gas present outside the aircraft (say, on landing??)

If so, surely it needed to be visible to the pilot ???

Wouldn’t a patch on the fuselage spine defeat the object of the exercise? – although I suppose it would be visible (just!) in the rear-view mirror ??

Or am I barking up the wrong tree – as usual….

Ken

Gas detection patches were not confined to aircraft. They were also painted on vehicles, armoured or not, buildings, walls etc. On aircraft they could be painted on, or a square of material was stuck on with doped red tape around the edges. On aircraft position and orientation varied. Sometimes even one on each wing. On the spine of the fuselage was also popular and I have seen a Lysander with one on top of the wheel spat. There are some colour photographs of Wellington X HZ258 taken in June 1943 which has a gas patch on the tailplane with the red tape boarder. That is the latest I have seen one.

There was also a green version of the paint, perhaps because yellow was found to be too prominent on tanks? I do not think it was ever used on aircraft.

The yellow circle or disc painted on Lancaster seats was not a gas patch it indicated armour plate.

The later, circular, white gas patches were not confined to Lancasters. I have seen a photograph of a FAA Corsair with one. As aircraft get transferred I expect that they also turn up on Lancasters in other groups for this reason.

Old Warden’s Tiger Moth had one when camouflaged, and the Magister has one on the top of the rear fuselage.

Tiger Moth G-BYTN N6720 displays a “gas patch” …..http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1243875/

Planemike

When I was doing the research for my Lancaster book, I came to the conclusion that the circular gas panels on the noses of Lancs were probably there to detect British gas and not enemy gas. As most panels appeared on 1Group aircraft, it seemed as if that was the Group that would have dropped chemical weapons if the need arose. Never did find conclusive proof but it seemed to answer the question as to why they disappeared on most other RAF aircraft by the end of 1940/41.

I have seen reference to gas detecting paint being available in (some) camouflage colours, and didn’t the FAA Museum find a GD patch on KD431?

There have been claims the strangely shaped panels seen on 1437 Strategic Recce Flight A-36s was gas detecting paint.

Robertson (p82) in his section on “Prelude to war” talks immediately after a paragraph on the Munich Crisis

But what about the circles of gas detecting paint applied to Lancaster noses – if indeed that’s what those yellowy circles were – presumably for ground crews as the patches can’t be seen by anyone within the aircraft

Robertson (p82) in his section on “Prelude to war” talks immediately after a paragraph on the Munich Crisis

“A marking indicative of a threat happily never realised was a patch of gas detector paint, for which diamond-shaped stencils were provided for its application. After 1940 it was, in general, discontinued.”

Moggy

Maybe they can fit Jabbert waffle detecting patches on ze haircraft at Ledgehends?…

Interesting stuff, and thanks both.

Yes, Roobarb contacted me with all he knew which was very helpful.

Certainly a distinctive feature of period aircraft, and now that we are seeing more 1940 period aircraft emerging with faithful finishes we are likely to see more, I suspect.

Also, was it painted on with a gas sensitive paint or was it some form of applied/doped on material? I am assuming the red border where it is taped on, if its fabric? And what colour was it supposed to change to in the event of?

Hi Andy – Roobarb did research on these panels when the BBMF Hurri LF 363 was re-painted. There were two ways of applying the panels – basically as you say above, either with gas sensitive paint direct to to the wing surface or as doped on fabric panel which had been previously painted with gas sensitive paint. The latter method would have a thin strip of red doped fabric tape securing it to the wing which is I think the effect as applied on P’74. According to Roobarb’s research the panels seemd to be generally diamond shaped and 18″ to 24″ square on Spitfires, but was ‘square on’ when applied on Hurricanes. We may see a one or two more of these in the near future!

Apparantly the paint ‘darkened’ when it detected gas but was originally a yellowy green colour.

presumably the same paint on MVs as on aircraft

I think so – it had a wide variety of applications and would even be seen simply applied to sign-like panels on airfields and other key installations.

some answers

presumably the same paint on MVs as on aircraft

http://www.wdbsa.nl/Gas%20detector%20paint.htm