Camouflage Section

Camouflage Section
Unit name	Camouflage Section
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Technical corps
Role	Concealment, deception, disguise
Active	1916–present (units and successors)
Garrison	Aldershot
Notable commanders	Geoffrey Barkas, Solomon J. "Solly" Kaye

Camouflage Section The Camouflage Section was a specialized British Army technical unit responsible for concealment, deception, and visual disguise during major twentieth-century conflicts. It pioneered practical applications of concealment across Western Front, Gallipoli Campaign, Battle of the Somme, Battle of Amiens, and later campaigns such as Battle of Britain, North African Campaign, and Italian Campaign. Its work intersected with figures and institutions including Leonard Darwin, Aldo Cavalli, Royal Academy, British Museum, Imperial War Museum, and Camouflage Development and Training Centre.

Introduction

The Camouflage Section originated to address tactical vulnerability exposed at Battle of the Marne, Battle of Ypres, and First Battle of the Aisne, when visibility and observation by German Empire forces forced innovation in concealment. Early membership drew artists from the Slade School of Fine Art, Royal College of Art, and Chelsea School of Art, alongside engineers from Royal Engineers, surveyors from the Ordnance Survey, and naturalists associated with Natural History Museum. The unit collaborated with administrators from War Office, curators from Victoria and Albert Museum, and scientists from University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, and Imperial College London.

History and Development

Formation traces to directives from proponents such as Harold Gilman, Muirhead Bone, Solomon J. "Solly" Kaye and officers in Royal Engineers following scrutiny by committees chaired by members of Admiralty and reviewed at Downing Street. The Section evolved through influence from international practitioners linked to Étienne-Jules Marey, Camille Pissarro, and Henri Matisse, and incorporated technologies developed at National Physical Laboratory and Royal Aircraft Establishment. During interwar years the unit exchanged methods with counterparts at Musée de l'Armée, École des Beaux-Arts, United States Army, and French Army, contributing to doctrine adopted in the Second World War and operations planned at Combined Operations Headquarters.

Design and Techniques

Design blended principles from camouflage theory advanced by Abbot H. Thayer and pattern design studied by John Nash, applying disruptive coloration, countershading, and mimicry in collaboration with biologists from Royal Society and Zoological Society of London. Techniques included paint schemes informed by studies at Kew Gardens, netting systems inspired by research at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and structure disguises modeled after camouflage in Trafalgar Square statuary practices. The Section produced deception plans coordinated with staff at Operations Research units linked to Bletchley Park and Winston Churchill’s committees, and implemented large-scale deception operations paralleling principles used in Operation Bodyguard, Operation Fortitude, and Operation Bertram.

Materials and Equipment

Materials sourced included fabrics from mills associated with Textile Research Centre, dyes developed at Dyestuffs Research Laboratory, and metals and composites tested at Woolwich Arsenal and Royal Ordnance Factory. Equipment ranged from painted dummy tanks influenced by studies at Imperial War Museum workshops to netting and scrim tested at Aldershot Garrison ranges; optical systems were calibrated using optics expertise from Rochester Optical Works and British Optical Instrument Manufacturers. The Section adapted civilian items from suppliers such as Harrods and Selfridges, and procured transport through contracts with British Overseas Airways Corporation and Royal Navy logistics.

Operational Roles and Tactics

Operational roles spanned battlefield concealment for infantry and artillery deployed in Ypres Salient, Somme Basin, and Anzio, to strategic deception supporting amphibious assaults like Operation Overlord, Operation Husky, and Operation Torch. Tactics emphasized integration with reconnaissance from Royal Flying Corps, later Royal Air Force, and signals intelligence from MI5 and MI6 for counter-surveillance. The Section collaborated with engineers from Corps of Royal Engineers, planners in Supreme Allied Commander staffs, and liaison officers attached to commands such as 21st Army Group and Eighth Army.

Training and Organization

Training programs were held at centers influenced by curricula from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Staff College, Camberley, and specialist courses at Camberley and Aldershot Military Tattoo exhibitions. Organizational structure combined artistic detachments drawn from Royal Academy of Arts fellows, technical detachments from Royal Engineers', and administrative oversight by staff officers seconded from War Office and the Adjutant General's branch. Instruction included field exercises near training areas at Salisbury Plain, simulation work with staff at Cambridge University Military Education Committee, and collaboration with civilian agencies including Ministry of Supply and Ministry of Information.

Notable Deployments and Impact

Notable deployments included concealment and deception efforts preceding Dunkirk evacuation, extensive masking of supply lines during Battle of El Alamein, and decoy installations implemented for D-Day landings. The Section’s methods influenced postwar doctrine adopted by United States Army, Canadian Army, Australian Army, and NATO forces, as well as peacetime applications in heritage protection at Stonehenge and landscape management by National Trust. Key personalities linked to deployment success included artists and officers who later served in institutions like Imperial War Museum, National Gallery, and Royal Engineers Museum. The legacy persists in modern camouflage research programs at Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, University of Southampton, and University of Leicester.

Category:British Army units