Mike E. wrote:
Dick:
Pray tell what is MSD, and would you know whether "Japan Black" was a pure black, a very dark grey, or a bluish-black color? The decks in the color photo I linked to look very black.
EJ:
Thanks for sharing those photos. I agree that it looks like the decks of KGV and PoW have been painted over with some kind of darker tint--though in the latter case it seems to be wearing off.
Very interesting.... thanks so much again to the both of you!!!
Best,
Mike E.
In case Richard (dick) doesn't see this for a while (busy man!) MSD was "Merchant Ship Deck", one of two merchant ship colours listed in the same file as naval colours in file ADM212/124 at The National Archives, Kew, London.
Their sample of MSD was a very good match with Colourcoats RN01, which itself is labelled as 507A but a the darkest end of the allowable limits for 507A.
As an aside - a rabbit hole we've been down and come back out of is to try to make a connection between MS1, 2, 3, 4, 4A and the merchant pair MSD and MSS then conclude that MS stands for "Merchant Ship". It sounds good when you have that first "light bulb" moment, but we've collectively found zero documented evidence of what the MS in MS1,2,3,4,4A stood for. I think the only place where they even appear together is in that file (Richard can correct me if he's seen something else) and whilst it specifically spells out "Merchant Ship Deck" and abbreviates that to "M.S.D." and likewise for MSS, it makes no such connection to the naval camouflage MS series. I mention this only to nip that one before it even buds.