AMWO 349/1930 (28 August 1930)

Identification Marks on Aeroplanes

1. In order to facilitate the identification of individual aircraft while in flight, it has been decided that the respective letters and numbers of aircraft shall be painted as large as possible on the under side of the lower planes

2. The method of marking will be similar to that which now applies to the Avro 504N and which is as follows -

   1. The first letter or number commences one foot from the outer edge of the identification circle.

   2. Letters and numbers are placed centrally along the under-side of the planes.

   3. Those on the port wing are painted in the reverse way to those on the starboard wing so as to facilitate reading from two directions.

   4. Height of letters and. figures          - 2 ft 6 in.
      Width of letters and figures           - 1 ft 6in.
      Space between letters and figures - 6 in.
      Width of marking                         - 4 in

3. This method will be the basis of all markings, and aircraft should be marked with letters and figures of an proportionate size.  Black paint will be used.

4. (i) The provisions of this order will apply to all aircraft at home, with the exception of those of the Fleet Air Arm, and arrangements should be made for the necessary markings to be carried out as early as possible.
   (ii) As regards aircraft in overseas commands, application of the order will be left to the discretion of the respective AOCs.

(AMWO 171/1927 cancelled.)

Marking of Escape Doors, Hatches and Break-in Panels on Aircraft

1. It is now possible to describe fully the measures which are being taken to introduce the scheme for painting distinguishing marks on aircraft escape doors, hatches, break-in panels, and releases so that service or civilian rescuers of crews of crashed aircraft may know the possible methods of entering aircraft and reaching the trapped crew.

2. The scheme applies to all types of RAF, Fleet Air Arm and US Army and Nava1 aircraft, with the exception that the United States employ orange for their aircraft markings. and the Fleet Air Arm employ yellow on camouflaged surfaces only, and black in the case of silver, white or yellow surfaces. The United States also limits the scheme to multi-engined aircraft; experience has shown, however, that there is value in extending the scheme to all aircraft, including fighters where markings are appropriate and of value, and the markings are being applied accordingly in the Royal Air Force.  The scheme is net yet extended to civil aircraft.

3. It is intended to give as much publicity to these escape markings as is possible and to further this aim the police and National Fire Service authorities have arranged to make their members conversant with the details of the scheme.  COs of stations are requested, however, where security permits, to assist both these civilian services by contacting the local chief constable and head of the local NFS organisation, and by giving them facilities for inspecting markings on actual aircraft.

4. Further publicity measures are intended, but these have not yet crystallised and they will be notified later.

5. Markings are being applied in two stages as detailed in pares. 6 to 12 below.

6. Stage 1 - Markings of permanent exits and releases. - The action to be taken by all commands has already been notified by Special Technical Instruction/Misc/86 and amendments from the Air Ministry (SMS).  The following are details of the requirements

   1. Interior of aircraft -

      1. All internal releases (knobs, handles, levers, etc.) are to be coloured yellow and are to bear an appropriate direction, e.g., "PUSH" TURN ", "LIFT " etc., in lettering one inch high, normally.

      2. Internal jettison handles are to be indicated by the words "EMERGENCY JETTISON HANDLE ONLY" the one inch high lettering is to be in yellow on a red background.

      3. The periphery of all normal exits and hatches is to be marked internally by a continuous yellow band two inches in width.

      4. It should be noted that auxiliary exits which are ditching exits are already required to be marked with a two-inch yellow band and by a notice in two inch red letters on a white background "DITCHING EXIT ".

   2. Exterior of aircraft. -

      1. On camouflaged surfaces, knobs, handles and releases are to be coloured yellow and are to bear an appropriate direction, e.g., "PUSH", "TURN ", "LIFT", etc., the lettering is to be one inch high, normally.

      2. On uncamouflaged surfaces or light coloured surfaces, where red markings will show, up better (e.g., on yellow, white and aluminium) the knobs, handles and releases are to be bright red.

Stage II - Markings of auxiliary exits and break-in panel

7. To provide an indication to rescuers of where they may hack an entry into the aircraft should access by the normal exits not be possible, it is necessary to select and mark auxiliary exits, such as windows and navigators' domes, which would permit passage if enlarged, and also to mark other unobstructed areas of the fuselage where a suitable opening to permit entry can be made by chopping or cutting.

8. The Ministry of Aircraft Production will investigate and select suitable break-in areas on each individual aircraft type, to ensure standardisation.  The action to be taken by commands will be indicated by advance technical instructions which will be duly followed up by class II modification leaflets published in the relevant air publications Vol. II, part I.

9. It should be noted that certain types of aircraft, i.e., those no longer in production or nearing the end of production, are being dealt with under command modification procedure; it is necessary to point out, however, that the technical approval of the Ministry of Aircraft Production is still required for these command modifications.

10. Details of the markings to be employed are as follows :-

    1. Interior of aircraft. - No special markings.

    2. Exterior of aircraft, -

       1. All auxiliary exits, e.g., windows, navigators' domes, where the structure surrounding the selected area is free from heavy members and is capable of being broken into, are to be marked, depending on whether the aircraft is camouflaged or uncamouflaged, by a yellow or bright red broken band (segments are to be 1 inch x 1 inch, and 12 inches apart) painted on the line to be cut or round the area to be forced, with the stencilled words in lettering one inch high - " CUT HERE FOR EMERGENCY RESCUE ", "CHOP HERE FOR EMERGENCY RESCUE ", "BREAK IN HERE FOR EMERGENCY RESCUE ", "BREAK WINDOW FOR EMERGENCY RESCUE ", "BREAK DOME FOR EMERGENCY RESCUE", "EMERGENCY RESCUE - BREAK IN TO OPEN' - as applicable.

       2. In addition, other areas of the fuselage, where the structure surrounding such areas is free from heavy members and is also capable of being broken into, are to be marked by four right-angled corner markings in the appropriate colour. Each horizontal and vertical bar forming each corner marking is to be three inches in length and one inch in width, and in the approximate centre of the panel selected the words "CUT HERE FOR EMERGENCY RESCUE" or "CHOP HERE FOR EMERGENCY RESCUE " - as applicable, are to be stencilled in letters - one inch high.

       3. Entrances or exits are to be marked by the notice "ENTRANCE or EXIT ", as applicable, in letters of the appropriate size and colour.  This is to be applied on the exit or entrance as convenient.

11. Stage II also covers the marking, externally on the fuselage, of the location of aircraft fire extinguisher or axe where these aids can be easily reached from outside the aircraft by the rescuer.

12. Suitable notices are being prepared which call attention to escape panels and break-in points on the top and wider surfaces of the aircraft when these are not evident.
     

Marine Craft

AMO A1093/1941 (26 December 1941)

Distinctive Marking of Air/Sea Rescue Marine Craft

1. Distinctive painting and additional numbering is required to be carried out on the following types of marine craft when employed solely on air/sea rescue duties: -

   1. 64 ft high speed launches

   2. 63 ft high speed launches

   3. 60 ft ASR pinnaces

   4. 41 ft 6 in seaplane tenders

   5. 40 ft seaplane tenders

   6. 38 ft seaplane tender

   7. 37 ft. 6 in seaplane tenders.

2. The decks, wheelhouses and cabin roofs on the above-mentioned craft ere to be given three coats of yellow paint, Stores Ref. 33A/374, and all craft are to bear identification numbers in accordance with appendix I to this order.
   All deck numbering is to be carried out with three coats of black paint, Stores Ref. 33A/346, the figures being outlined with a one-inch margin painted with three coats of white paint, Stores Ref. 33A/370. Hull numbers are to he painted with three coats of yellow paint, Stores Ref. 33A/374, without white margin, the existing numbers being scraped off and the surface being made good with black paint.

3. When continuity of the figures would otherwise be interrupted by deck fittings, e.g., lifebuoy, vents, etc., such fittings are to he so painted as to preserve continuity.

4. Demands for paint are to be submitted to the appropriate maintenance unit, this order being quoted as the authority.

5. The relevant air publications will be amended in due course.

APPENDIX I

SITING, ETC, OF IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS

Type of craft	site	Height of figure		Width of figure		Width of stroke		Overall width of marking		Remarks
		ft	in	ft	in	ft	in	ft	in
(i) 84 ft. high speed launch.	Engine room hatch.	2	9	1	9		6	5	2	Numbers to run athwartships. (See appendix II, fig. 1.)
	Foredeck	4	9	3	0		10	9	3
(ii) 63 ft. high speed launch.	Foredeck	7	0	4	0		12	11	0	Number to run athwartships.  Base line of figures to lie between the two after ventilators, equally spaced about the centre line.
(iii) 60 ft. air/sea rescue pinnace	After stretcher compartment cabin roof.	3	0	2	3		7	-		Numbers to run athwarthhips.
	Fore raised cabin roof	3	0	1	9		6	-		On either side of forecastle hatch.
	Bows, port and starboard, 1 ft. abaft the roundel	3	9	2	6		9	-
(iv) 41 ft. 6 in.	Cabin roof.	3	1	2	10		8	10	3	Figures to before and aft on centre line. (See  Appendix II, fig. 3.) See Appendix II, fig. 2.
	Bows, port and starboard, 1 ft. abaft the roundel.	2	6	1	9		6	-
(v) 40 ft. and (vi) 38 ft. seaplane tenders	Bows, port and starboard, 1 ft. abaft the roundel.	2	6	1	9		6	-		See Appendix II, fig. 2.
(vii) 37 ft. 6 in. seaplane tender.	Cabin roof.	2	1	1	9		6	7	3	Figures to before and aft on centre line. (See  Appendix II, fig. 3.) See Appendix II, fig. 2.
	Bows, port and starboard, 1 ft. abaft the roundel.	2	6	1	9		6	-

 

APPENDIX II

 

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 AMO A705/47 dated 28 August 1947.

Painting of RAF Ships and Marine Craft

1. Painting of RAF ships and marine craft. - All RAF ships and marine craft are to be painted in the regulation colours detailed below.  Wooden decks and rubbing stakes are to be left unpainted: -

   1. Flying boat depot ships; auxiliaries; mooring vessels

      Hulls, coamings and deck fittings	Light (Mediterranean) grey
      Deckhouses, masts, ventilators, stanchions, boats	White
      Funnels	Buff
      Below water line*	Black anti-fouling

   * Except mooring vessels which are to be painted with the red anti-fouling prescribed for other RAP craft.

   2. All other marine craft

      	Home and other temperate waters	Tropical caters including Malta and the Eastern Mediterranean
      Hulls	Black	White
      Masts, ventilators, stanchions, deck fittings	Dark (battleship) grey	White
      Deckhouses, upper-deck wood. work	Coped varnish	Copal varnish
      Steel decks	Dark (battleship) grey	Light (Mediterranean) grey
      Waterline	2 in. white band	2 in. black band
      Below waterline	Red anti-fouling	Red anti-fouling

2. Names, service numbers and RAF identification marks -

   1. In the larger ships (flying boat depot ships and auxiliaries) the naval practice is to be followed and the name carried on the stern.  Where the ship's structure allows, the name may, additionally, be carried on the half-deck screen.

   2. In mooring vessels and all other RAF craft, the name or service number will carried, with the RAF identification mark, on each bow.  In mooring vessels, the name, and, in other craft with square transoms, the number only, will also be painted on the transom.  On each bow, the RAF identification mark, letters and/or figures are to be painted close up under the rubbing strake, the letters and/or figures being located one foot abaft the RAF identification mark outer circumference.

   3. Letters and figures are to be painted white on black or grey bulls, and black on white hulls in block letters and figures.  In ships where raised brass letters are fitted, these are to remain unpainted and polished.

   4. The RAF identification mark consists of a roundel formed by three concentric circles, the centre disc of which is red, the middle circle, white, and of twice the diameter of the centre disc, and the outer circle blue, and three times the diameter of the centre disc.

   5. The sizes of letters, figures and roundels are to be as detailed below, and except where otherwise specified, the sizes of letters or figures on the transom are to be the same as on the bows.

      Type	Height of figures or letters
      	P. and S Bow	Transom	On deck	Diameter of roundel	Remarks
      Pulling boats and powered boats, up to 20 ft. in length	4 in			4in
      Bomb scows	4 in			5 in
      Whalers	6 in			8 in
      Marine tenders	6 in			9 in
      Ferry boats, seaplane tenders, fire floats, refuellers	9 in			12 in
      Mooring vessels	12 in			18 in
      Pinnaces	12 in			18 in
      Lighters and barges	15 in			15 in
      68 ft. launches	4 ft	2 ft 6in	4ft	1 ft	Additional roundel on deck 4 ft. 6 in
      Range safety boats	2 ft 6 in			1 ft

      Note, - Fire floats are, additionally, to have the word "FIRE " painted on each side of the hull in white (tropical; black) block letters 2 feet 6 Inches in height, the width of the stroke being 7 inches.  The centre of the lettering is to be located at a point abaft the stem, half the overall length of the craft.

   6. To facilitate identification of craft when occupying alongside berths, or lying in such a position that the numbers or letters on the bows or transom are not readily visible, the following markings are to be adopted: -

      1. Mooring vessels, 68 foot launches, pinnaces, seaplane tenders and ferry boats are to be provided with a white painted board, on which, in black, the name or service number is to be painted in block letters or figures 4 inches in height. This board is to be displayed in the vicinity of the wheelhouse or bridge, where it can best be seen

      2. Refuellers, bomb scows, marine tenders and all similar types are to have their service numbers in block figures, 4 inches in height, painted on the engine room hatch covers or on top of the engine casing, as appropriate, in black paint.  All such figures are to run athwartships, and are to be outlined with a half-inch margin of white paint.

3. KR & ACI will be amended in due course.
    

Equipment

AMO A619/1941 (7 August 1941)