Hi Mudway, I do not dispute anything you say, just that there were several government departments that operated various craft taken up from various private owners to use as required around the UK and overseas. The only problem is very little is now known about them, their official title etc, most civilian operated.(MOWT). As to TIDs a lot of them were not completed until near the end of the war in Europe and as such some went immediately to foreign ownership/civilian companies. But I have seen a few photo's which you most probably seen of new tids leaving build yards painted grey, though in B/W photos that can be open to question as you say. But what I say is if you build a model (any) paint it how you the maker wants it to, to please your own imagination no one can definitely stipulate any colour as the war as today has proved there may be a spec provided, but actual contract supply is another matter when money and resources are tight.