An Austin Tilly in Maltese camouflage scheme turned heads at The Overlord Show earlier this year and Craig Moore set off to find out more about it
This was the first mainland UK outing for Isle of Wight-based Simon Thomson’s magnificently restored Austin Tilly in its original World War Two Malta camouflage. The striking paint scheme attracted much attention at The Overlord Show in Hampshire, standing out against the green backdrop of trees and grass. Yet in Malta, Tilly’s native home, the outline of the vehicle would have helped it ‘disappear’ when parked beside the yellow stone walls and buildings.
Malta suffered hundreds of bombing raids by the German Luftwaffe and Italian Regia Aeronautica during 1941 and 1942, and any military target seen from the air would have been bombed. The reason the island was so furiously targeted was the fact that it was used by the British to attack the supply lines of the German and Italian armies in the North African deserts.
The Austin Tilly’s official designation is Car, 2-seater, 4-wheeled light utility, maker’s number 185518, WD No.M4324110, and it was supplied to the British Army in July 1940. Tilly is an affectionate abbreviation for utility vehicle. In …
