Blue and Gray stars and bars???

I bought a set of "Yoxford Boys #1" decals for a project I am working on and noticed on C5-D "Gash Hound" and B6-C "Mountaineer" that the national insignia (stars and bars) are blue and light gray. Its not the normal bright white I am used to seeing. Does anyone know the reason for this? I did a little reseach and couldnt find anything. Were these early paint jobs? done due to lack of white paint? a SNAFU?

Check this thread ... http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ai...e/united-states-aircraft-markings-9315-2.html

thanks wurger! i started reading that thread but didnt go all the way through.

So... have you reached the post #53 and a few next? Here is a shot posted in one of these.

See also THIS thread on WiX.

All the best,
PB

It was simply grey, or thinned black, paint. Some pilots did it, some didn't, as photographs clearly indicate; quite how the "It's weathering" brigade reconcile a "dirty" insignia with a pristine fuselage will remain a mystery.
4 Group, in Bomber Command, started it off, in July 1942, when the old roundels, with broad white circles, prevailed on the fuselage. They painted over the white with medium sea grey, and the yellow with a mix of yellow and dark earth. This got them a rollicking from "Head Office," but eventually led to the "Type C1" roundel, with thin white and yellow circles.
When South East Asia Command asked for permission to do away with the red, in all roundels, they, at first (and grudgingly) got permission to leave the centre white, but they soon came back, saying that the white was far too bright, which was when they were allowed to have a light blue centre.
Edgar

The SEAC roundels were first, as Edgar stated, blue and white, made by simply painting over the red centres, as the RAAF had already done by this date. This was done before permission was received from the Air Ministry or Air Command, S.E.Asia (ACSEA) and Group HQs. The eventual order called for the centre of the roundel to be 'Off White', which was made from a mix of blue and white, giving the light blue tone, and the diameters were reduced also at this time.