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Farmall & IHC Tractors Discussion Forum
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WW-2 Tow Tractor Color

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Harold H

06-13-2007 19:20:49




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Can anybody tell me what color most stateside airbase aircraft tow tractors were during WW-2? Yellow, orange, or olive drab? I have contacted the Eighth Airforce Museum and the Arcives at Maxwell AFB and niether one of them could tell me. Perhaps some readers are WW-2 Air Corp vets who remember. I would like to make my restoration as correct as possable.

Thanks,
Harold H




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Harold H

06-14-2007 11:28:41




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 Re: WW-2 Tow Tractor Color in reply to Harold H, 06-13-2007 19:20:49  
Several military (Air Corps)inquiries have responded and most "think" or "think they remember" that it most likely would have been yellow. Nobody has anything positive but yellow seems logical so that is what I will paint it. Olive drab is a distant second in answers. It is still a long way from painting but yellow looks like color at this point. Thanks for the replys.

Harold H



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Guy Fay

06-14-2007 20:48:24




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 Re: WW-2 Tow Tractor Color in reply to Harold H, 06-14-2007 11:28:41  
Navy tractor painted yellow in Corpus Christi- wrong brAND, BUT HELPFUL:



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El Toro

06-14-2007 07:47:20




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 Re: WW-2 Tow Tractor Color in reply to Harold H, 06-13-2007 19:20:49  
I can contact Dover AFB to see if they would know.
They may someone to contact. I will post back with any info. Hal



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Mike CA

06-14-2007 10:28:47




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 Re: WW-2 Tow Tractor Color in reply to El Toro, 06-14-2007 07:47:20  
If it's a Navy tractor, then an AFB wouldn't know. The Army Air Corps would most certainly have painted it Olive Drab. The Navy would depend on where the tractor would serve.

Personally, I would paint it yellow since it most likely served stateside.



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El Toro

06-14-2007 14:46:45




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 Re: WW-2 Tow Tractor Color in reply to Mike CA, 06-14-2007 10:28:47  
third party image

He didn't specify Navy. So it could be yellow.
Should be a tag on it that has the branch of service. The Army back then painted every thing
OD. The fire trucks may have been red. We even had some vehicles painted blue. Hal
PS: This was on an Army base.

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Mike CA

06-14-2007 10:28:42




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 Re: WW-2 Tow Tractor Color in reply to El Toro, 06-14-2007 07:47:20  
If it's a Navy tractor, then an AFB wouldn't know. The Army Air Corps would most certainly have painted it Olive Drab. The Navy would depend on where the tractor would serve.

Personally, I would paint it yellow since it most likely served stateside.



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John M

06-14-2007 02:53:00




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 Re: WW-2 Tow Tractor Color in reply to Harold H, 06-13-2007 19:20:49  
If I recall correctly, there was a program on the discovery channel sometime back and they were using a IH to pull a blimp, but I dont recall if it was a tactor or a tug or what, just a standard tread tractor. It was yellow if memeory serves. I know of a Corp Of Engineers I-6 that at one time was drab, the repainted red.Sorry could be of more help.



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Mike CA

06-13-2007 22:09:18




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 Re: WW-2 Tow Tractor Color in reply to Harold H, 06-13-2007 19:20:49  
Harold, are you the guy who bought that '42 tractor that said U.S. Navy on the side at an auction in Yuma?

This pic is B&W. This tractor is sitting next to a Navy PBY with a bomb train behind it. I would guess that the color is olive drab.

third party image



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tprexhurst

06-13-2007 20:50:41




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 Re: WW-2 Tow Tractor Color in reply to Harold H, 06-13-2007 19:20:49  
I attended a private high school near St. Louis MO in the late '50s and early '60s. The school used to go to some place that sold government surplus stuff. The school had a tow vehicle, from the military, it was bright yellow, had small tires and was kind of tippy. We lost a young man when he drove it too close to the edge of the road and it rolled on him.
Tex



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Wardner

06-13-2007 20:46:27




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 Re: WW-2 Tow Tractor Color in reply to Harold H, 06-13-2007 19:20:49  
It probably depends on the branch of service if military. I'll bet all Navy tractors were painted grey.

I doubt if Air Force blue was used as that branch did not exist then.

My KB-5 (1947) was government surplus. It was painted in the factory Adrirondac Green like nearly all IH trucks from that era.

For years, the Army and USMC had separate colors for their vehicles.

During WW2, alot of military photos were shot in color.

I feel foolish for suggesting this because it is so obvious. but can't you find original color somewhere on the tractor?

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