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When a Space Marine returns to his chapter, what does he do to his armor?

Does it remain in the DeathWatch colors: Black with silver arm, silver Inquisitor shoulder, and 1 chapter shoulder?

The only thing I can find online states that some keep their Inquisition markings. In Rynn's World, there is mention of a Crimson Fist that was in a Deathwatch squad that returned, but I can't recall how his armor was treated.

Thanks.

He keeps keeps a deathwatch shoulder pad IIRC though it can differ between chapters.
Otherwise he either gets placed where his experience can help or he is just plonked back where they took him from in the first place.
As awlays this differs from chaper to chapter.

It also goes without saying that, when returning to his home chapter, the SM is awarded great honors for having served in that organization. He is also a great asset to his Chapter, as he has trained in fighting alongside SMs from other Chapters, and learned their tactical doctrines (to some degree) as well as those of the Deathwatch in general.

He get's his old armor and get to train his brothers in new tactics. Or he simply continue to fight for the chapter.
See Cyrus in DoW II, he was in Deathwatch. And when he returned to Chapter he start to train scouts in matters of war.

In McNeills "Courage and Honour" he just wears normal armour.

The service in a deathwatch team entitles to keep The =I= shoulderpad and the weapon/ammo IIRC.
Was possible to add a single deathwatch veteran to a SM army as a returned brother and the examples back then were chapter paintscheme
plus shoulderpad ( =I= ) and different special ammo. Now redundant with sternguard....

Sources:
- index astartes II
- chapter approved II page 74

A shoulder pad engraved with:

"I spent 50 years serving the death watch, and all I got was this lousy shoulderpad."

I reckon they should be advanced in the chapter to the status of veteran, and that they should commend the chapter master from the chapter he came from so he can be advanced.

Yeah but different chapters have different ways of doing things.
In a codex chapter he may be placed in a command squad or the 1st company where his experience can be used to its best effectiveness.
In a chapter such as the Space Wolves many things could happen.
He could become a pack leader or part of his Wolf Lords Wolf Guard or if his previous pack was wiped out he may become a Lone Wolf...
It also depends on how the chapter views secondment to the Deathwatch.
Some see it as an honour whereas others see it as a punishment.

Daba wrote:A shoulder pad engraved with:

"I spent 50 years serving the death watch, and all I got was this lousy shoulderpad."

This... lol.

Would the Deathwatch wear/use terminator armor?

Yeah.
There can be dreadnought in the deathwatch as well.
There can be marines with jump packs and maries on bikes.
It is pretty much a big old mix of marines and fighting styles.

My interpretation here.

What would happen to a Salamander?

Probably the same thing for most chapters...
He gets put back where he came from.
Admittedly he probably uses his new found experience and knowledge in killing xenos to great use and either dies heroically or gets promoted.

I've done some returned from DW, go back to were the where in original scheme colour, but keep the Inq. Pad and silver arm.

The Armour is just repainted into the orignial colour, as the marine is wearing the same armour in the Deathwatch as in his Chapter, its just painted over with black.

Most of the books about this simply have them repainting their armor. IIRC Uriel was seconded to the Deathwatch and his armor was normal (however I am unsure about if he repainted the Inquisition pad, then again he probably had to when his armor got painted over for his death oath.) Also, any battle-brother can be seconded, Dreadnought, Terminator, or what have you. Rank also doesn't matter. In warrior brood, they had a captain in the Deathwatch (Octavius), and also Librarians out the wazinga (like one in every story I read about it haha). The inquisition just needs "men and women of inquisitive nature, hunters who might seek the witch, the traitor, the mutant, the xenos".

IIRC the Mantis Warrior Librarian from one of the books retained full black armor after despite returning from secondment.

ChrisEdgeworth wrote:Most of the books about this simply have them repainting their armor. IIRC Uriel was seconded to the Deathwatch and his armor was normal (however I am unsure about if he repainted the Inquisition pad, then again he probably had to when his armor got painted over for his death oath.) Also, any battle-brother can be seconded, Dreadnought, Terminator, or what have you. Rank also doesn't matter. In warrior brood, they had a captain in the Deathwatch (Octavius), and also Librarians out the wazinga (like one in every story I read about it haha). The inquisition just needs "men and women of inquisitive nature, hunters who might seek the witch, the traitor, the mutant, the xenos".

IIRC the Mantis Warrior Librarian from one of the books retained full black armor after despite returning from secondment.

IIRC

purplefood wrote:

ChrisEdgeworth wrote:Most of the books about this simply have them repainting their armor. IIRC Uriel was seconded to the Deathwatch and his armor was normal (however I am unsure about if he repainted the Inquisition pad, then again he probably had to when his armor got painted over for his death oath.) Also, any battle-brother can be seconded, Dreadnought, Terminator, or what have you. Rank also doesn't matter. In warrior brood, they had a captain in the Deathwatch (Octavius), and also Librarians out the wazinga (like one in every story I read about it haha). The inquisition just needs "men and women of inquisitive nature, hunters who might seek the witch, the traitor, the mutant, the xenos".

IIRC the Mantis Warrior Librarian from one of the books retained full black armor after despite returning from secondment.

IIRC

Spoiler:

All Mantis Warriors seconded to the Deathwatch during Warrior Brood died on that mission... including the Librarian.

I think I may have confused the Librarians. It was Ashok I was thinking of I am pretty sure. It has been a long time since I read those so they may be kinda glossy and I apologize.