[Graham Boak]

The SAAF Venturas had their own colours in the 1950s, they were not part of Coastal Command, but the dark grey used was the British Extra Dark Sea Grey, or very similar. I believe the underside was the British PRU Blue, or similar, as on their Shackletons. Ron Belling has a book of paintings of SAAF aircraft which includes a number of Ventura schemes. Other books are available of SAAF aircraft in WW2.

By the time Venturas were available for Coastal Command in WW2, the uppersurface would have changed to be a single tone of Extra Dark Sea Grey. In the 1950s this colour was used overall, later with white tops.

The white was not used from the start of WW2, undersides being initially Aluminium or Black, later Sky or Black. In these cases the uppersurface colours came down ths sides. Prewar they were overall Aluminium.

There is a lot more to Coastal Command colours than the one maritime patrol scheme. The torpedo bombers had their own scheme of EDSG over Sky, which some Mosquitos carried whilst others retained the Night Fighter scheme of Medium Sea Grey overall with Dark Green disruptive on the upper surfaces. Hampden torpedo bombers and Halifax night bombers often retained Bomber Command colours - as I believe did the one unit of Lancasters detached to CC in WW2.

Plus the PRU was part of Coastal Command, and operated a wide range of colours, but perhaps this was a special case.