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[john44]

Hi guys, does anyone out there know what color the sand bag walls
placed around the large twin machine gun on the Fairmile D MGB should be?

cheers

john

[Tug-Kenny RIP]

Good question.

I'd be interested in the answer.  I should imagine it would be Hessian sacks during the war but a colour picture would show it better.

Ken

[john44]

Hi Ken, a colored picture would be great, I have been on various websites
navy archives etc.but all the pictures I could find were black and white.
I even have a borrowed copy of John Lamberts book The Fairmile D.
it shows them on one photo but as you can guess Black and white
I don,t think there were many on board pictures of the Fairmile.
I am restoring the boat I want the info for, it had no sandbag walls
fitted, so I made some and just need to get the finished color right.
I will post pictures when I have finished it.

cheers

john

[Netleyned]

I think you will find that they are not sandbags but splinter mats.
Most of them were grey/white or khaki depending on the vessel.


Ned

[Netleyned]

Also Black and Yellow 


http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Qv-2iPFSUBkC&pg=PA167&lpg=PA167&dq=splinter+mats&source=bl&ots=HP7MBv0gWN&sig=hJR7Wo_p9jGCVn04k0ra8Dci_Vk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=KMkVU4TqMO2v7AaCjYHoBw&ved=0CF0Q6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=splinter%20mats&f=false




Ned

[longshanks]

As far as I'm aware the mats were made from canvas - the contents of which I'm not sure.

Canvas is a pale/dirty grey colour.

When looking at pictures if the mats are paler than the surrounding grey I would suggest they are unpainted.

Yellow/black mats as far as I'm aware were only seen on air sea rescue launches.

Hope this helps

Cheers longshanks

[john44]

Thanks guys, yes your comments have helped.

cheers

john

[peter61_uk]

As far as I'm aware the mats were made from canvas - the contents of which I'm not sure.

Canvas is a pale/dirty grey colour.

When looking at pictures if the mats are paler than the surrounding grey I would suggest they are unpainted.

Yellow/black mats as far as I'm aware were only seen on air sea rescue launches.

Hope this helps

Cheers longshanks

We had some made for a job at work a few years back .......... Dark Grey Canvas, Rope filling, with Manilla loop handles on each corner ......... I'll take a look in the manual of seamanship tomorrow........ I think there is a sketch / drawing of them.

[Pondweed]

As far as I'm aware the mats were made from canvas - the contents of which I'm not sure.

Canvas is a pale/dirty grey colour.

When looking at pictures if the mats are paler than the surrounding grey I would suggest they are unpainted.

Yellow/black mats as far as I'm aware were only seen on air sea rescue launches.

Hope this helps

Cheers longshanks

Kapok my friend. They made mats, matresses and life-belts from it, the latter as it is "resilient, lightweight and water resistant, which means it also resists mold."

So why do they make the mats with it that surround bridge platforms and manned positions? Does it help stop shrapnel? I can't find anything on the ballistic protection qualities of kapok.

[john44]

Hi guys, I have made some sandbag/splinter mats and fitted them to my boat, I have taken a few photo,s so you
can see what I was having trouble finding proper photo,s of.
Thanks for all the input, brilliant as usual.

john