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Marsden Matting question... what did it look like new?


willysmb44
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I've wound up posting this question in several forums and so far, all I've gotten anywhere is:

  • Conjecture (which I can do on my own)
  • Postwar stats (most of which is conjecture as well) or info on surviving sections which couldn't possibly lead me to the fact of how they were painted-colored as they left the factory in WW2.

I've emailed the Seebee museum thinking they might know but haven't gotten a response yet. I've also emailed a few historians, so maybe one of them has the info

You'd think this would be an easy question. I guess not.

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RustyCanteen

The main problem I'm having with photographic evidence, is that the colors are not good enough to prove it was OD. I have only seen it in OD in person, but to eliminate any doubt I would like to find that extra 'proof'; but it just isn't forthcoming. I have a number for a photo of the matting being installed, but I can't seem to locate it online. National Archives image NA.80-kg-13307. There was a series of color photos showing Seabees installing it at Torokina Airfield in early 1944.

 

I'm not sure that they would have the answer, since it would probably be in the contract specs and I suspect the Seabee's wouldn't have handled that side of it.

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I'm not sure that they would have the answer, since it would probably be in the contract specs and I suspect the Seabee's wouldn't have handled that side of it.

 

I agree that it's a long shot but frankly I'm getting fed up with trying to explain that I have zero interest in postwar stats for the stuff as that doesn't answer my question at all.

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RustyCanteen

Just a thought, but have you checked any of the airfield construction manuals from WWII? They may give a basic description (i.e. '..is non-reflective olive drab in color..') that would be better than nothing.

 

RC

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RustyCanteen

This is all I could find with a quick google search:

 

From a 1944-45 (it is in volume forum) issue of "Military Engineering"

 

Google gives this snippet view:

 

"Pierced steel plank repairs. — A rehabilitation unit, suitable for overseas theatres, has been developed in America, for straightening, rolling, cleaning and painting P.S.P. reclaimed after service. Badly bent planks are first roughly straightened ..."

 

Which at least infers they were painted at some point.

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Wasn't some aluminum planking (painted green) used during the joint exercises in South-East Asia.....I was in '63 to '70.

 

I can say for sure that at least some of PSP made during WW2 was OD........we had some large surplus operations near my home and they had tons (literally) of it.....some was nice and fresh, some new. I can tell you that the employees that had to handle the stuff hated it!!!!!!!

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This got solved to my satisfaction on a warbird forum. Someone posted some very good color photos with airplanes sitting on what looked like new-ish sections. From the color of the planes, you could tell the color was relatively true.

They appeared very much a gun metal grey color.

I would post the photos but they're on that icky forum that isn't allowed here for some reason. You can see the photos at this link: http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=550602#p550602

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I can't even type the name of the photo server but this forum for some reason won't allow photos from a server that has photos in a bucket if you get which one I mean. And all the photos on that thread are on that server.

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RustyCanteen

what do you mean not allowed? i'll post them for you? lol

 

 

I can't even type the name of the photo server but this forum for some reason won't allow photos from a server that has photos in a bucket if you get which one I mean. And all the photos on that thread are on that server.

 

 

No offsite hosting is allowed anymore. We had too many nice threads which were rendered useless once the photos were deleted or links broken.

 

RC

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RustyCanteen

Regarding the discussion in the link. I see they aren't sure either, and there is a lot of speculation.

 

I found a 1944-45 article which said they would recondition it and then paint it for re-use. So at some point, it was okay to paint it. A lot of us saw it painted OD or green. I don't know about it being unfinished; I wouldn't want to come in for a landing with the bright Pacific sun glaring off the steel, not to mention that it would be a beacon for the enemy. I do think it was painted before 1945, and the article references I found mention paint on it.

 

You might consider contacting the Engineer Museum to see if they have samples they can look at.

 

Just my thoughts.

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No offsite hosting is allowed anymore. We had too many nice threads which were rendered useless once the photos were deleted or links broken.

 

RC

oh that i understand. like with photobucket and all that but i guess it wasnt comprehending cause i just saved and uploaded them myself

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upon research of *Marston* Matting i found that the Carnegie Illinois Steel Company's patent had no mention of them being painted in the factory.

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RustyCanteen

upon research of *Marston* Matting i found that the Carnegie Illinois Steel Company's patent had no mention of them being painted in the factory.

 

 

Yeah, but a patent is a little different than a specification. So keep in mind that while the design was patented, any orders to paint or coat it to make it meet the Government's standards wouldn't be reflected on that patent.

 

RC

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Yeah, but a patent is a little different than a specification. So keep in mind that while the design was patented, any orders to paint or coat it to make it meet the Government's standards wouldn't be reflected on that patent.

 

RC

true

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The debate continues on the warbird forum, I created a real monster over there it seems.

I contacted the Seabee and US Army egnineer museum via email but neither have responded.

These WW2 photos to me seem to reinforce they weren't OD green during WW2, which is something I was surprised to see. The main problem with people chiming in, is that many recall postwar-made or re-finished PSP sections in timeframes long after WW2 and assume that what they saw in the 60s, 70s, 80s or even later has to have been the color they were made in WW2 (other than rust color, that is).

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RustyCanteen

I did some fast checking, and if you are trying to make it look new I have at least some information for you (but not to what you asked)..

 

I presume you wanted it to look straight from the factory, in which case it isn't as easy as 'throwing' some pieces in the back of a truck. What sort of truck are we talking about? I need to know the bed length and the model of truck (for example, a Chevy 4x4 could only carry one bundle).

 

Is this layout set in CONUS or theater?

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I presume you wanted it to look straight from the factory, in which case it isn't as easy as 'throwing' some pieces in the back of a truck. What sort of truck are we talking about? I need to know the bed length and the model of truck (for example, a Chevy 4x4 could only carry one bundle).

 

Uh, does that really matter? I think it's a safe assumption that the stuff would stay the same color regardless what type of truck it's in.

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RustyCanteen

 

Uh, does that really matter? I think it's a safe assumption that the stuff would stay the same color regardless what type of truck it's in.

 

 

If you are a stickler for the color and ready to disregard what people at least remember it as, then I assumed you wanted to keep things by the book. So if we stick to the stated desire for historical accuracy, yes it does matter. PSP came in bundles (which were actually sub-bundled), and the manual tells you how many bundles were to be carried by each type of truck. That is why I asked. It even states how many can be loaded on railroad cars..

 

 

1.jpg

 

2.jpg

 

3.jpg

 

 

Note "Restore to original condition" and "painting". I think the answer, is that at some point they probably tried a natural and painted finish. By 1944 and later, it was painted. Pre 1944? Who knows.

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Wow, I never thought it being rail-loaded, I like that idea. I have plenty of flat cars and gondolas it could fit in.

As for trucks, they'd either go into GCCWs or weapons carriers. I have models of the former and probably will get one or two of the latter. It's all stateside, circa 1943.

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RustyCanteen

I'll work on scanning some of it tommorrow. I was trying to find another source which might have addtional information, but I can't locate it at the moment.

 

RC

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