OVER 10 PAGES OF NEW KITS AND CASTING

TOY
February/March 2020 • 5

www.toysoldiercollector.com • Iss 92

SOLDIER
We’re as
serious ab ut
collecting
you are NEW RELEASES

COLLECTOR
02

Royalty Samurai
Mounted Princesses Searching for
of Europe 1890 – 1920 elusive figures

The Old
Guard
...and more highlights from the
December London Toy Soldier show

76 PAGES OF TOY SOLDIERS | METAL | PLASTICS | MODELS

Editor:
Mark Avery
Sales & Marketing Director:
Tom Foxon
(tom@guidelinepublications.co.uk
Tel: +44(0) 7540153368
Contributors: Mike Blake, George
Phillips, Keith Nairn-Munro, Martin
Ainscough, Gary Haines, Gary Emery,
Mike Williams, Chris Bartlett, Colin
Luxford, Raymond E. Bell Jr and Paul
Osbourne
Welcome...
First off, happy New Year! I can’t quite
Sub Editor: believe it’s 2020 - yet another new
Emma Whittaker decade. Honestly, where does the
Editorial Assistant: time go?
Gemma Avery Sadly for me, the end of 2019 wasn’t
great and I ended up missing the
Design: December show, I heard from both
Andy Whittaker writers and a few of you collectors,
Printing: that it was a really good event once
Kingfisher Print & Design again and to coin a youthful term, I
was ‘gutted’ to miss it. Unfortunately
Toy Soldier Collector ISSN for me it’s been another year of
2631-3073 getting older and ‘bits’ wearing out, in
Subscription rates:
UK £27, Europe £36.50, ROW £40
(all prices include shipping and postage)
Front cover: King & Country figures
depicting the last stand of the Old Guard
Issue 92 this case my shoulder, and it just so
happens that the operation date I was
offered was the day before the show.
Of course, being a typical man, and
somewhat stupid, I thought as I would
be home the same night, I’d be okay
at Waterloo. Diorama by TM Terrain. for the show the following morning. In
4 NOTICEBOARD 36 BEST SHOW IN TOWN fact, I felt okay and probably could’ve
www.toysoldiercollector.com
6 SEARCHING FOR The final London Toy come along were it not for the fact
Magazine Licensing & Syndication Soldier Show of 2019 that I had to go back to the hospital
SAMURAI Saturday morning to start my physio.
Guideline Publications publishes top Colin Luxford tells of his offered collectors a
Anyway, I’d like to take this
quality magazines, books & bookazines. hunt for some elusive Del tempting selection of
opportunity to say thank to both
Guideline Publications publishes a wide Prado Samurai and how seasonal treats Andy and George for taking up the
he created some additional slack in my absence and getting
range of publications that are available
43 MODEL FIGURES some cracking photos, which you’ll
for licensing and reproduction around ones for his collection
the world. You can find out more by New unpainted metal and see throughout both this and next,
issue. I must admit, it’s one of the
contacting Tom Foxon. 10 NEW RELEASES PART 1 resin/plastic figures/kits
first times where I’ve read George’s
reviewed by Gary Haines
Published by Guideline Publications 19 FORGING AHEAD show report and not known what was
Unit 6 Kensworth Gate, 200-204 High Street and Paul Osborne coming next. It was most enjoyable.
South, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU6 3HS. Martin Ainscough gives an
Rest assured I’m on the mend now
+44(0)1582 668411 overview of his Victorian 49 THE SAGAS OF and will be back at the March show,
e-mail tom@guidelinepublications.co.uk countryside blacksmith’s NOGGIN THE NOG so I hope to see lots of you again
www.guidelinepublicatons.co.uk forge 52 ZOUAVES then.
And apart from George’s show report,
Copyright © 2019 Guideline Publications &
Guidelines Licensed Publications 2019
23 DEFYING THE EAGLES Mike Williams builds and in this issue there’s also some great
The legend of Rome paints ICM’s 1:35 scale features on Romans, the 17th/21st
This magazine / book shall not without the
written consent of the publisher, be lent, resold may not have been so French Army of 1914 four Lancers, long forgotten Princesses of
, or otherwise disposed of by way of trade in figure set Europe, Zouaves, an old TV favourite
legendary were it not for
excess of he maximum recorded retail price. as well as the usual mix of painted,
All rights strictly reserved. No part of this some of its opponents 56 FANTASTIC PLASTICS kit and plastic figure reviews. I guess
publications may be reproduced print or digital all that’s left for me to say is turn
in any way without prior written agreement of 28 THE DEATH OR 62 SHOW DATES the page, enjoy the issue and see
the publisher. All material and artwork generated
by Guideline Publications Ltd & or Guideline
GLORY BOYS 64 NEW RELEASES PART 2 you back here in another couple of
months when hopefully the nights
Licensed Publications Ltd, photographs,
drawings, and plans used in the magazine and
The history of the 17th/21st 72 THE SUPPORT will be getting lighter and the weather
or book become the publisher's copyright under
Lancers 1914-1993 BRIGADE a little warmer!
copyright law. The company reserves the right to
suspend or refuse any advertisements without 34 REIGNING ROYALTY
giving reasons. Whilst every care is taken to The mounted Princesses All the best
avoid mistakes Guideline Publications Ltd and
Guideline Licensed Publications Ltd cannot be of Europe 1890 – 1920 as Mark Avery
liable in any way for any errors or omissions. Nor created by Alec Sim Editor
can the publication accept the responsibility for
the bona fides of advertisers.

TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 3

 Noticeboard
NEWS

The latest news from around the global toy soldier hobby
Email any hobby-related news to the Editor at tsceditor@darkmedialtd.com
or alternatively write in to: Guideline Publications 6 Kensworth Gate, 200-204 High Street South, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU6 3H .

piece is no different. Expect

GNM to pay £200, which I think is very

Miniatures fair, if you fancy adding these minia-

ture warriors to your display cabinet.
Graham Mollard, owner of GNM, was in
attendance at the London show in De- CONTACT: Battle of
cember with various new items on show. Agincourt
G.N.M. MINIATURES diorama by
There were some stunning Hussars for The Old Chapel GNM
the Charge of the Light Brigade, but more Selby Road Miniatures
on those next issue. What caught our Camblesforth
Selby
eye initially was this four knight Battle of North Yorkshire
Agincourt diorama. Graham has always YO8 8HX
loved doing heraldic pieces which always Tel: 01757 611 485
shows in anything he releases, and this www.gnmminiatures.com

Centurion Toy Soldiers

Online retailer CTS was back at the London show with some
new figures from Peninsular Soldiers, one of the select few
manufacturers it stocks. Peninsular are Russian made figures
of a museum quality standard and the two new pieces, Royal
Welch Fusilier Drummer and 92nd Gordon Highlander Pri-
vate both from the Peninsular War, definitely fit the criteria of
museum quality!
If you like the look of these two new figures, you’ll have to
‘dig deep’ though as they are priced at £270 and £220 respec-
tively. For further information on these or other Peninsular
The Trump Regime by Wm. Hocker Proprietor
Soldiers releases visit www.centuriontoysoldiers.co.uk.

Wm. Hocker Proprietor Royal Welch

I’ve known Bill Hocker for a very long time, and one thing I will Fusilier Drummer
say about Bill apart from he makes great figures, is that he has
a brilliant sense of humour. At the Chicago show back in late
September he previewed the start of a new toy soldier range
titled The Trump Regime.
I don’t think I really need to explain this initial grouping of the
sets and I’m pretty sure like any political satire some may enjoy
92nd Gordon
it whilst others take offence at it. To be honest, given the UK’s Highlander
past few years of political turmoil we’re not exactly a country Private
that can comment on another. All I will say is, when I was sent
this photo it made me chuckle and I’m hoping it may do the
same for you during the dark and gloomy winter months.
For more information on this amusing release, or indeed Bill’s
more traditional range of figures then visit his website at: http://
wmhocker.com.

4 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR

The Collectors
Showcase
A company that doesn’t really contact us to promote its ‘wares’
is TCS but I always keep an eye on the website to what the team
there are up to and the latest release from the Texas based com-
pany is these 11th Mississippi for the ACW period. I’ve always
liked TCS’s figures, although they’re not to everyone’s tastes as
I’ve heard said they can be a little ‘caricatured’ in both faces and
poses, but I must say I think these 11th Mississippi look pretty
good and at under $40 a figure, decent value for money.
Getting on track with outstanding orders
Following the purchase of Dorset Model which payment has been received. Mike
Soldiers by Imperial Miniatures in No- Lewis of Imperial also hopes to receive
vember 2019, Andy Gibbs is working to any other outstanding order details from
complete some outstanding orders for Andy at some point early in January.
Plastics news from Mike Blake
New book
I mentioned Edward Hallett and Michael Skriletz, British
Empire Uniforms 1919 to 1939, Amberley Publishing Limited,
Jul 2019. This book does indeed do what the blurb says, in
providing an insight into the uniforms and equipment used
by British Empire forces between the two world wars. It covers
British deployments in China, India, the North West Frontier
and Palestine, from the end of the First World War to the eve of
the Second World War. Coverage of this between the Wars pe-
riod is hard to find and this book is an absolute must for anyone
interested in the military history of the inter-world war years.
BMC
The BMC Toys Plastic Army Women crowdfunding campaign
on Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bmctoys/
plastic-army-women) passed $40K with 6 days to go. Jeff at
BMC reports that ‘We just might reach that next stretch goal
to add the medical team. I don’t know if we’ll get to the K9 and
Handler reward but you never know…In case you’re wondering
where all that sweet cash will go, most of it will go to production
and fulfilment of the rewards, a little for the Kickstarter fees, and
the rest should help out with some of the stretch goal sculpture
expenses. I don’t think there will be anything left after all that,
so the plastic injection tooling will come out of my equipment
budget and will probably take a couple of years to break even.’
For armour fans, BMC has acquired the WWII German
Jagdpanzer IV Tank Destroyer from Erwin Sell. Contact: Toys
shop@bmctoys.com.
MARS
MARS is near to shipping set 32022, French Old Guard. One
eBay seller seems to be taking orders already. https://www.ebay.
com/itm/Mars-Figures-32022-French-Old-Guard-1805-1815-15-
NEWS
The 11th Mississippi from The Collectors Showcase
For further information on these or the rest of TCS’s offering
then visit https://thecollectorsshowcase.com.
New orders can continue to be placed
through the Dorset Models website or by
email, by phone or post. Cheques should
be made payable to Imperial Miniatures.
figures-8-poses-1-32/303381480868?hash=item46a2f205a4:g:O
k0AAOSw4PBd3wGc. Contact: info@marsfigures.com.
Conte Collectibles
Conte’s Facebook page has a load of photos of test shots
for their new Romans which look very impressive. https://
www.facebook.com/pg/EinarOneEyeIsTheGreatest/
photos/?ref=page_internal.
Warhansa
Warhansa has updated their online store listings with a num-
ber of additional single figures and sets: Druid, Mr. Clawfinger,
Mummy, Scary Clown, SpecOps, Chimpanoids, and Feral Orcs.
Full reviews as soon as I get my hands on some, but they all
look good.
Publius
Publius has issued German Knights and Hussites, in sets
as well as single figures. https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-
Collectible-Plastic-Toy-Soldiers-Publius-German-knights-set-
3-1-32-54-m/184045864006?hash=item2ad9fd0446:g:BjcAAOS
wRBFd1w9o.
Expeditionary Force
Just had some info regarding the next releases from EF for
2020; 54 BRT 10 British Light Dragoons (1812-15), 54 FRN 12 Pol-
ish Lancers. The code 54 FRN 10 is reserved for dismounted
Dragoons which will be released sometime next year. On Old
Guard figures there’s no indication of a release date, but they
will be makeable for three periods; in bicornes, in plumed
shako and in bearskin. Interestingly the Old Guard Grenadiers
will be slightly taller than the other infantry figures to reflect
that Grenadiers were the tallest. www.expeditionaryforce.com.
TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 5
 Samurai
Searching for

Colin Luxford tells of his hunt for some elusive Del Prado Samurai
and how he created some additional ones for his collection

A
part from admiring
models of Samurai,
I had never been
interested in collecting
them. Many years ago, I did
purchase a couple of East
of India castings when that
company started but that
was it. Even when I lived in
Spain and came across the
figure of Takeda Shingen in
the Del Prado (DP) p
‘Guerreros Medieva ’
I liked enough to pu h
the theme still did n
my imagination en h ll
buy more. It was no lI
returned to live in E l d
that I became awar h
there were seven S fi -
ures spread across h
(English version – ‘M
Warriors’).
I was motivated b h
‘collector’ in me to t d l f ‘l ’
obtain the remainin
but in searching for h I i -
soon discovered th h
were many more D l P d
Samurai around, th h d
been made for a ser f
their own (all foot figures). tradictory and contained Show. He confirmed that they
They were based mainly obvious errors. I contacted had indeed created many of
upon specific characters plus Richard Walker in the USA the early figures in the series
representative Ashigaru (the who had acquired at one time but there had been problems
foot soldiers). This seems to the DP stock but he did not in dealing with DP so ceased
have been marketed only in have a comprehensive list. their involvement. It can be
mainland Europe and Japan I found a reference that seen from the variations in
but not in the UK. It included King and Country had pro- modelling styles across the
the seven already mentioned duced some of the range, so series that more than one
plus a number whose total I asked Andy Neilson when model maker was involved in
was difficult to determine I I spotted him at a London its production.
h h h I h ld fi d
h f h k
b f
d
Th
d b
h k
h h
DP h d
f
b d
lh hI
f d -
l h
l
con-

The doctored bits of Takeda Shingen

& Maeda Toshiie Maeda Toshinaga completed Maeda Toshinaga - Richard Hook's illustration © Osprey Publishing

6 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR

 Shimazu
Takahisa
completed

Shimazu Takahisa - Richard Hook's illustration
© Osprey Publishing
In the end my best guess
is that there were 80 figures
numbered in this ‘SAM’ range
(81 to be more accurate as an
additional masked variation
of one figure was produced
with an ‘a’ added to its series
number). I have been able to
identify 78 of them, together
with photos of each that I
have been able to download
from various sources. The
missing numbers are 77, 78
and 79. Numbers 76 and
80 are different in style and
mounted on plinths with only
Japanese writing, they also
depict characters already rep-
resented earlier in the series.
I wonder whether the final
five were intended purely for
the Japanese market and pos-
sibly not completed.
DP also produced an off-
shoot series of their ‘Cavalry
Through the Ages’, sub-titled
‘Samurais’ where they didn’t
supply a mounted figure but
instead had pairs of the foot
figures from the main range.
I have been able to collect,
Oda Nobunaga
(1534-1582)
s f 61 f
th
s Th
h th
f ll
th ld
a d h d h d
b l
s b d dd l I
t h h th h
in the UK. I also discovered
and added three compatible
figures from another part
works publisher, (they were
erroneously advertised as DP
figures). I wondered whether
they had started life in the DP
stable but were ‘transferred’
when DP ceased trading.
I was also very fortunate to
obtain a mounted Samurai.
I only realised that DP had
made one whilst looking
through the French series
‘histoire de la cavalerie’ on
Ebay although I don’t know
wh h h
fi
i l d d
i h
E l h
ed
Th
t l
p b
had been no
bids. Luckily the seller still
had it and sold it to me. The
figure was Oda Nobugana,
complete with the French
magazine. I do know that one
more mounted figure (Uesugi
Kensin) was produced but I
don’t know in which series
it appeared. Both of these
mounted figures depict char-
acters already covered in the
main series.
I have not given up hope
of finding the missing figures
although it has become in-
g y difficult
t fi ny more.
I h ocess
f ring the
I d have,
h h been
when
Ih h d to
p h group
of fi me of
wh h d licates
of already.
T ‘ ker’ in
m h an op-
p I d o men-
t h h he cause
of e bought
s f O prey
b k h bject,
f series
w b d Ih wled
through them looking for
characters that DP did not
cover, in order to create a few
of them by converting some
of my duplicate figures.
My first creation was to
cannibalise the two Samurai
figures that DP produced in
the greatest quantity, Maeda
Toshiie and Takeda Shingen,
in order to make Maeda
Toshinaga – (1562-1614). He
was incidentally the son of
f Maeda Toshiie, so half of the
model’s ‘DNA’ would come
from his model father as in
real life! He is portrayed in the
Osprey ‘Samurai Command-
ers (2) 1577-1638’, by Stephen
d Turnbull with illustrations
by Richard Hook © Osprey
Publishing.
I first sawed them in half at
the waist, removed Takeda
from his seat. I then cut off the
tiger’s head from the rest of its
body (this part was actually
made of resin).
I trimmed the two body
parts to ensure that they
both had the same girth,
glued them together and
cut off both arms. It was the
helmet in the illustration that
attracted me to it. The Osprey
text reads ‘in this illustration
Toshinaga seems deter- ¼

TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 7


Shimazu Takahisa
before priming
and painting
¼ mined to outdo his father in
the size of his helmet . . .’ The
size of Toshiie’s helmet can be
seen in the background of the
illustration and in the model.
Although I left the original
helmet, I filed it thinner so
that it would provide support
for the new helmet. This I cut
from thin metal plate (the
neck from a wine bottle screw
top). It took me two goes to get
the shape right and to make
it fit properly around the
filed-down helmet. The DP
figure was wearing a surcoa
(jinbaori) although the Ospr
illustration was not. I noticed
that most of the DP figures
had this clothing which I
assume was because it’s a lo
easier to sculpt these than
create full sets of the armou
plates that they covered. My
version would retain the sur-
coat that it had. I made new
armour plates by either ap-
plying a thin layer of Millipu
to the chest or to rectangles
of thin metal plate (later to b
glued to the arms) and then
whilst still soft, indenting
them by drawing a pin along
their lengths many times. I
used thin metal sheeting to
cut the sword shape and wi h
the same technique as abov
8 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR
textured tiger skin and the
handle. I re-used parts of the
original arms and completed
them with Milliput.
Milliput was also used to
create baggy trousers, shin
guards and making good
the tiger pelt where I had
removed the head.
I then thought about mak-
ing a mounted figure by using
a horse and rider’s lower torso
together with the top half of
one of my duplicates. I found
a perfect example a damaged
T k L h C l
H l k h I am sure that there are
m d l l l h h
f l h d ’
Takeda Shingen
& Maeda Toshiie
Turkoman Light Cavalryman
clothing was simple and was
wearing a plain helmet, simi-
lar in shape to a Samurai one.
I decided that I would convert
the figure without any ampu-
tations. I settled on making
Shimazu Takahisa (1514-1571)
as depicted in Osprey’s ‘Samu-
rai Commanders (1) 940- 1576’
again by Stephen Turnbull
with illustrations by Richard
Hook © Osprey Publishing.
Amongst Shimazu’s claims
to fame was that he was the
first Samurai commander
e.
Th h d h his
s s of
f m
P d who
h k d on
h .
O
h d b ed
f n
fi illed
h h k new
d h sad-
dl l h d ller.
I d l h me
h I h d with
fi is
h d
f re,
l bl d d bb rd
d h b ttle
of
for
f om-
l d h f h ob. I
dd b k photo
of the finished conversion
prior to priming and painting
so the changes can more eas-
ily be seen.
Well, my conversions are
still in essence the bodies of
Del Prado models and hope-
fully in the same modelling
and painting style, so I am
regarding them as additions
to the range.
I’ll probably leave the
conversions alone for a while
but if the drought of tracking
down missing ones contin-
ues, then who knows.
readers who are in the same
boat as me regarding the
identification and completion
of this set and I would love to
hear from you and exchange
information and even figures.
If so, the editor would be
very pleased to forward any
correspondence to me via
tsceditor@darkmedialtd.com.
In closing I would like to
thank Osprey Publishing for
giving me permission to use
their illustrations. Their books
across all military subjects
are invaluable to anyone
making models or wishing to
research further facts about
them: https://ospreypublish-
ing.com. END
 Tradition of London
The Belgian Army at
Second Battle of Ypres
Painted

Toy Set 831: Belgian Army WW1, Officer and five Privates

Toy Set 832: Belgian Army WW1, Sergeant and five Privates
More to follow in the Belgian Army!
Tradition of London Toy Soldiers are available from the following retailers in Europe
Au Plat d’Etain Scott’s Models Soldiers of Rye The Armoury of St. James’s Scarlet and Gold
16 Rue Guisarde 9 St Margaret’s place 110, High St.,Rye 17 Piccadilly Arcade Lansdowne,
75006 Paris G1 5JY Glasgow East Sussex, TN317JE London, SW1Y 6NH Cavendish Road
France United Kingdom United kingdom United Kingdom Church Crookham
Hampshire, GU52 6PZ
Patricia Hebert Tel: +44(0)141 552 3956 Mr.Chris Viner Tel: +44 (0)20 7493 5082
Tel: 01 43 54 32 06 Email; info@scottsmodels.co.uk E-mail: soldiers.of.rye@hotmail.co.uk Fax: +44 (0))20 7499 4422 Tel: +44 (0)1252 622604
E-mail: auplatdetain@orange.fr https://www.scottsmodels.co.uk Website: www.armoury.co.uk www.scarletandgold.co.uk
www.auplatdetain.sitew.com

Manufacture Belge de Dentelle SA
Galerie de la Reine 6-8
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Tel: 32 (0) 2 511 44 77
Fax: 32 (0) 2 513 09 17
E-mail: info@mbd.be
http://www.mbd.be/index.html
Serneels
Avenue Louise, 69
1050 Brussels
Belgium
Tel: +32 (0) 2 538 30 66
Fax: +32 (0) 2 538 05 37
E-mail: info@serneels.be
www.serneels.be
S.P.R.L Rayve Saimex di Stefano Allorini
48 AV Albertyn via guicciardini 24
1200 Bruxelles 41012 Carpi (mo)
Belgium Italy
Tel: 0039059699788
Tel: 0032 2513 2422 info@saimextoys.com
E-mail: souvenir@rayve.be http://www.saimextoys.com
www.rayve.be
And shop at the following address;
IL SALOTTO DEL SOLDATINO
VIA ASSISI, 19
ROMA
enrico@ilsalottodelsoldatino.it
Berliner Zinnfiguren
Knesebeckstr. 88
10623 Berlin
Germany
Tel: 0049 30 315 700 0
Fax: 0049 30 315 700 77
E-mail: info@zinnfigur.com
www.zinnfigur.com

www.traditionoflondonshop.com
e.mail shop@traditionoflondon.com
For telephone enquires contact Bob Prati of RP World Models on 0115 9427462 who are working with Tradition
RP World Models Ltd, Chelsea House, Chelsea Street, New Basford, Nottingham, NG7 7HP
 New Relea e
REVIEWS
Reviews of new metal figures to arrive in
by Mark Avery and George Phillips
Loggerheads Military Stud
Zulu Wars
In just a few short years Log-
gerheads Military Studios
has established itself as a
respected supplier of connois-
seur painted miniature figures
and busts.
While proprietor Louise
Handley offers a range of
54mm figures, it is slightly
larger-scale items that will
feature in this review.
The Zulu War of 1879 has
inspired the production and
collection of many thousands
of figures representing the
combatants on both sides.
The most popular items have
been 1/32 or 1/30 scale figures
produced in traditional toy
soldier gloss or a more realistic
matt finish.
But there is also demand
for more singular models and
10 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR
display pieces and Louise is
tapping into this market niche.
The first item on review is a
150mm resin model of Lieu-
tenant John Chard an officer
in the Royal Engineers who
found himself commanding
the British and native forces
during the Battle of Rorke’s
Drift.
Louise commissioned
sculptor Mark Bibby to
produce the master of
the figure which is
offered in kit
form for £40 and fully painted
to a connoisseur standard for
£180. At Chard’s feet on the
base piece of the
item lies the head
of a Zulu warrior
and in his hand
he holds the pith
helmet of a fallen
comrade. This is
a very reflective
piece that for me,
tells a story. I believe
it is intended to depict
Chard after the battle; relieved
and grateful to be alive but
also mindful of those who had
perished under the onslaught
of 4,000 Zulu warriors against
a garrison of just 139.
In the picture that accom-
panies this review you can
see the grey resin pieces that
comprise the kit – thankfully
there aren’t that many – along
with a fully painted version.
I’m sure many modellers will
be keen to have a crack at
assembling and painting the
figure. The image of the fully
painted figure alongside these
words shows how great it can
look when some talent and a
well-trimmed paintbrush are
applied!
The other two items under
review are a rifleman of the
24th Regiment of Foot and
a Zulu leader wearing a red
tunic removed from the body
of a British soldier.
The figures are based on
80mm castings produced by
Tradition of London and while
‘static’ in pose are beautifully
painted in a matt museum-
quality finish.
I like the fact that each figure
has a ‘trophy’ of sorts from the
other side. The Zulu warrior
has his tunic – which may also
have been a status symbol
within the Impis – while the
rifleman is holding a captured,
hide-covered Zulu shield.
The fully painted figures
are priced at £70 for the Zulu
and £75 for the British soldier.
Both items are also available
as unpainted castings from
Tradition of London.
Review by George Phillips
 Alymer
arious new releases
Classic Spanish toy soldier
maker Alymer Miniatures un-
der the direction of Antonio
Marti is bringing an exciting
range of new production and
reissued collectables to the
market.
Perhaps not surprisingly,
the Civil War of 1936-39 has
been a popular theme for
Spanish manufacturers and
collectors alike and Alymer
offers a wide range of figures
depicting the combatants
from the conflict.
The first item on review is
terrific machinegun and crew
from the Nationalist faction in
the War. The Hotchkiss M14
machine with which the crew
is armed was widely used
by French forces in the Great
War. Chambered for the 8mm
Lebel rifle round, it proved
rugged and reliable in the
mud of the Western Front and
the weapon was still in use in
the 1930s and 1940s.
The Alymer model is fed
by a 30-round ammunition
strip which is about to be
inserted into the action by a
crouching crew member. The
Fired up members of the CNT during the Spanish Civil War
gunner, wearing a steel hel-
met and with sleeves rolled
up, is bringing the heavy-
weight weapon to bear on the
enemy. The third figure in the
set, a Nationalist officer,
has a pair of binoculars
in his hand to moni-
tor the effects of the
machinegun fire.
The base of the
piece is a mini-diorama that
features sandbags, a low
section of wall and a garden
plant! Urban fighting is often
a feature of a civil war and
the designer of this piece has
picked up on this. With work-
manlike gloss paintwork, the
Nationalist
Hotchkiss
machinegun
and crew
boxed set retails at £60.
Another Spanish Civil War
set is entitled No Pasaran!
(They shall not pass!) a slogan
appropriated by anti-fascist
forces in the conflict. It depicts
three members of the Confed-
eración Nacional del Trabajo
(CNT) a Spanish confedera-
tion of anarcho-syndicalist
labour unions marching with
a CNT flag. The three-figure
set is based on a famous press
photograph shot during the
height of the conflict and
therefore has an important
back-story. It could be yours
to own for £50.
The next item depicts a unit
of the Tiradores de Ifni, North
African volunteer riflemen
who served with the Spanish
army. Largely recruited in
the enclave of Ifni, a Spanish-
ruled province in Morocco,
REVIEWS
Ifni riflemen on the march
the units were typically
officered by Spaniards. Dur-
ing the Spanish Civil War
they took the side of General
Franco and were a force to be
reckoned with.
The Alymer set contains
six marching riflemen in
distinctive North African uni-
forms, along with a flag-bearer
and an officer.
They look terrific marching
in formation and are supplied
in attractive cardboard boxes
which look like throwbacks
to the traditional figure pack-
ing produced by Alymer
from the 1940s onwards. In
my view, the eight-piece set
is very reasonably priced at
£125.
Review by George Phillips
TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 11
 LAH082 The Nuremburg
Display Stand $199
REVIEWS

(figures not included)

LAH242 The
Leibstandarte
Adolf Hitler
Standard Set
$149

LAH244 i g all aspects of a period or

SS-Brigadefuhrer LAH258
conflict are key including The Street
$45
these ceremonial versions of Poster
Column
the SS. $42
There are a total of four (figures not
new releases, two figure included)

King & C y s ts and two scenic items.

The figures are a three piece
WWII ‘Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler
Standard’ set consisting of
two officers and the standard
As I’ve said many times before ber. Now these figures may bearer and a ‘SS-Brigadefuhr-
the period of history K&C possibly upset some but with er’ each figure being dressed
is most famous for, and I’d any aspect of history I believe in the stark black uniform two scenic items, a reissue of
even say built its unenviable the philosopher George San- with white accents. All four the long-retired Nuremberg
reputation on, was and still is tayana said it best “Those who figures are brand new sculpts display stand and the third
WWII. I can’t think of any other cannot remember the past are and not simply repaints of version of the popular ‘Street
manufacturer, past or present condemned to repeat it” and previously released figures. poster column’, either of these
that has released the volumes with our hobby I think depict- To accompany them are the can be used in combination
of figures, vehicles and acces-
sories for this period that K&C
has achieved over its 36-year MG081 Going Into
The Attack $109
history.
Nearly all figures in the lat-
est batch of releases from the MG082 The Arnhem
Hong Kong-zxbased company Vickers Set $69
play to its strengths with fur-
ther additions to the pre-war
and late war periods.
So, let’s start at the beginning
in the 1933 to 1938 pre-war
period when the Nazi Party
was famous, or should that be
infamous, for making a specta-
cle of itself with mass parades MG080 The Bren
Gun Section $169
and rallies, none more so than
in Nuremberg every Septem-

12 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR


LW069
Fallschirmjager
Squad Leader
$55
LW071 FJ Field Radio
Operator $55
with these figures or many
others from the period.
Moving to the latter part of
the war first up there are new,
and what Andy Neilson co-
owner of K&C has stated are
the remaining releases for the
Arnhem ’44 range (originally
launched 25 years ago!) There
is a new three piece Bren Gun
team, a pairing of Para figures,
one with Sten and the other
with a Lee Enfield titled ‘Going
into the attack’ with the third
and possibly final ever release
for the range a Para firing his
Vickers no doubt to try and
help his mates either take or
hold that bridge!
From the summery fields
and rivers of Normandy we
cross to the wintery land-
scape of the Ardennes in
December and of course the
B f
O D
BBG119 Winter
Jagdpanzer IV $299
LW070 FJ MG42
Machine Gunner $55
LW072 FJ Rifleman $55
and his team have also re-
leased three new sets, ‘Winter
rifle section’ features three GI’s
all advancing with their trusty
M1 Garand rifles, the ‘Winter
machine gun group’ features
the two man gun team ac-
companied by a bellowing
NCO, and finally there is the
‘Winter Bazooka team’ featur-
ing the kneeling Bazooka-man
and his two GI buddies.
Obviously with all these
new Allied combat troops it
would be amiss if K&C didn’t
add some Axis equivalent
to balance the table top
battlefields and these are in
the form of Fallschirmjagers.
Designed to accompany the
original releases for the ‘Mus-
solini rescue set’ these Ger-
man Airbourne specialist can
of course be used as addition-
l f ‘Il
’ d l .
BBA088 Winter Rifle
Section $129
BBA089 Winter Machine
Gun Group $129
BBA090 Winter
Bazooka Team $129
but equally they can be used
elsewhere during the WWII
period should you so wish.
There are a total of four new
individual figures, a ‘Squad
leader’, machine gunner, field
radio operator and a rifleman,
all very useful figures and
dd l l
A d fi ll WWII
K&C
REVIEWS
would be complete without a
piece of armour and this issue
that comes in the form of a
winter camo Jagdpanzer IV,
also known as the Sd. Kfz.162.
The K&C version features a
7.5cm Pak 42 main gun and
comes with a vehicle com-
d r in the main hatch.
O all a cracking bunch
f WWII releases and I’m
eryone of you reading
h ll find at least a figure
ngst these to capture
agination!
R Mark Avery
C TACT
K g Country
oo 301
No ockhart Road
Wa c ai
H g ong
Te : 852 2861 3450
w ngandcountry.com
TO SOLDIER COLLECTOR 13
 g
REVIEWS
&
A TV series I’ve been mean-
ing to watch, due to literally
dozens of recommendations,
is Vikings which has been
airing on the History Channel
over the past few years. By
all accounts it’s a great show.
As for historical accuracy I
won’t comment although
I’ve read that it’s based on
original Scandinavian tales
of Viking chieftain Ragnar
Lothbrok and his family.
When Matt Pavone,
co-owner of First Legion,
got in touch recently he
explained that
he loved the
show and when
watching it was
impressed by
the Viking
shield walls
portrayed
during
14 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR
the battle scenes and imme-
diately decided this would
make a great addition to FL’s
growing Viking series. There
are a total of 12 new figures
to make up the shield wall.
These are formed of three
‘banks’ of four, basically each
group of four figures forms
the front row, middle row and
back row.
Each of the 12 figures fea-
ture individual clothing and
shield designs and when
multiples are massed
together, as shown here,
then a very im-
pressive and
Viking Shieldwall $79.95 per figure
much longer shield wall can
be created. The only thing
possibly preventing the con-
struction of a larger wall such
as this will be your individual
budget, given figures are just
shy of $80 each (the wall
shown is just over $3,300).
That said though, these fig-
ures are worth every penny
as the detailing, both sculpted
and painted, is by far the best
I have ever seen for Viking
figures (and in nearly 25 years,
trust me, I’ve seen a few)!
Moving on from the cold
climate of the Viking North
we move to the just-as-cold
climate of the Eastern Front
during WWII, and Stalingrad
to be more precise. FL have
been developing the Stalin-
grad range for a few years
now and so seeing some
further German infantry ad-
ditions came as no surprise to
me when Matt sent through
the details. There are three
figures in total, each in dif-
fering poses with individual
weaponry (grenade with rifle,
MP40 and PPSH41), again
great figures to add some
variety to this period.
Now we cross West from
Stalingrad back to the
Ardennes and the Battle of
the Bulge, and a new Panzer
model, the Panzer IV H - 1st SS
Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler to
be exact. As FL’s own public-
ity material states:
‘Our version is the latest
version of the tank produced
during the war and features
both side and turret skirts,

with the side skirts being re-
movable to allow for a variety
of display options. With its
7.5cm KwK 40 L/48 gun, it had
plenty of penetrating power
against most Allied tanks. Our
model is consistent
with the other tanks
we’ve released in that it
is part of the 1st SS Leib-
standarte Adolf Hitler
Division, Kampfgruppe
Peiper. With every hatch
on the model being able
GERSTAL077 German Infantry
Firing PPSH41 $79.95
to be opened or closed, there
are a large variety of display
options.’
The combination of mixed
materials from resin and
plastic to aluminium and
white metal give this piece,
like other around releases
GERSTAL076 German
Infantry Throwing
Grenade $79.95
by FL before it, a great sense
of realism in miniature. The
‘pot marked’ camo combined
with multiple gun posi-
tions, opening hatches and
removable panels the display
options are pretty much all
covered, I guess the only
thing missing would be the
ablity to remove a track and
some wheels for that truly
battle-damaged option!
REVIEWS
GERSTAL078 German
Infantry Firing MP40
$79.95
The final release from FL
for this issue is another piece
of armour, a German Panther
Ausf G Early w/Zimmerit - 4
Co, 24 Panzer Rgt 116 Panzer
Division “Windhund”. No
explanation really needed
with this one apart from to
say it’s been designed for the
Battle of Normandy but could
also be used slightly earlier or
later in the war. Again, a good
quality
model with decent ‘scarring’
of the paintwork, along with
some effective rust touches
show this Panther has spent
more than its fair share of
time on the battlefields of
Northern Europe.
Review by Mark Avery
NOR092 German Panther Ausf G
Early w/Zimmerit - 4 Co, 24 Panzer
Rgt 116 Panzer Division
“Windhund” $399.95
BB034 German Panzer IV H -
1st SS Leibstandarte Adolf
Hitler $389.95
CONTACT
First Legion Ltd
PO Box 1540
Newburyport
MA 01950
USA
Tel: +1 978 925 5067
www.firstlegionltd.com
The UK stockists for First Legion are
Maison Militaire, see their advert
elsewhere in the magazine for full
contact details.
TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 15
 World War II and a conflict
REVIEWS

from the latter half of the 20th

Century are the inspiration for
a series of new releases from
Thomas Gunn Miniatures
(TG).
First up is another great
addition to the TG Japanese
army range from the Second
World War in the form the
mounted figure of Baron
Takeichi Nishi. A privileged
aristocrat by birth, Nishi
joined the army in 1920 as a
cavalry officer. An accom-
plished horseman, he repre-
sented Japan in an equestrian
event in the 1932 Los Angeles
Olympics where he won a
gold medal.
As with most armies of the
period, as Japan modernised
its armed forces, cavalry regi-
ments evolved into armoured
units and Nishi became a tank
division commander.
It was in this role that he
met his end during the battle
for Iwo Jima in 1944. Reflect-
ing a time when Japanese
Cavalry Officers rode horses
on ceremonial occasions,
Nishi has been recreated by
TG mounted on his favourite
horse, Uranus. It was said of
Nishi: “Few people compre-
hended him and only Uranus
understood him.”
The proportions of man
and horse are spot-on and
figure of Nishi looks poised
and alert with his unsheathed
katana gripped in his right
hand.
The figure, which retails for
£79, will be a global limited
edition of 100 pieces.
Another World War II char-
acter figure recently released
by TG is “Old Blood & Guts”
himself, General George S
Patton.
Patton was arguably the
most famous and colourful of
all US Generals. His hard-driv-
ing personality and success as
a commander were at times
overshadowed by his contro-
versial public statements.
Thomas Gunn
Miniatures
Various new releases
His philosophy was to lead
from the front and he had
the innate ability to inspire
his troops with attention-
grabbing, expletive-ridden
speeches, such as his famous
address to the 3rd Army in
May 1944. He assured his
audience “No bastard ever
won a war by dying for his
country. He won it by making
the other poor dumb bastard
die for his country.”
While such sentiments
were received favourably
by his troops, they were less
popular with members of the
sharply divided Allied High
Command.
But Patton’s emphasis on
rapid and aggressive offen-
sive action proved effective,
and he was regarded highly
by his opponents in the Ger-
man army. It was his willing-
ness to throw his units into
all-out frontal assaults that
earned him the nickname,
“Old Blood & Guts”.
The TG depiction of Pat-
ton wears a stone-coloured
officers’ summer coat and
this three general’s stars are
clearly in place on the front
of his steel helmet. The figure
wears a leather holster but it’s
impossible to tell if it con-
tains the nickel-plated, pearl
handled Colt .45 revolver
for which the general was
famous. According to TG,
he is “purposely striding to
wherever duty calls.”
This figure is also limited to
100 pieces worldwide and is
priced at £39.
Fast-forward the clock
23 years, switch from the
European Theatre of War to
the Holy Land and you will
encounter the subject of the
next new releases in this
review.
TG has produced a set of
four very accurately ren-
dered Israeli paratroopers
from the period of the 1967
Six-Day War against the forces
of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria.
Paratroopers were the elite
unit of the Israeli Defense
Force (IDF)and were given
the toughest combat assign-
ments – such was their com-
manders’ confidence in their
abilities. Tough assignments
call for serious firepower
and many of the Paras were
armed with the awesome
Belgian-manufactured FN
FAL rifle, a very close relative
of the British SLR (Self-Load-
ing Rifle).
Chambered for a powerful
7.62mm cartridge, the weap-
on had an effective range of
800 metres and its accuracy

16 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR


in use was enhanced by a pis-
tol grip. A friend of my mine
who was on active service
with the British armed forces
in the early 1980s swears
by the hitting power of the
weapon which he said “could
go through trees.”
The new TG Paras are
armed with the FN FAL and
standing to attention. The
sculptor’s hand and painter’s
brush have created a resolute
and defiant expression on the
face of the figures and their
uniforms and ammo pouches
are the simple and practical
pattern of the time.
It was a unit of Paras that
recaptured Jerusalem in
the 1967 conflict, further
cementing their legendary
status among the world’s elite
special forces.
This very nice four-piece
set is priced at £135.
The final item in this issue’s
TG review is a cracking new
addition to the company’s
popular – and highly collect-
able – Wings of War series: the
twin-engined Boeing CH-4
Chinook helicopter.
The CH-47 is among the
heaviest-lifting helicopters
in use by the armies of the
West. Its name derives from
the native American Indian
Chinook tribe. By February
1966, the US army had a force
of 161 of these aircraft in its
inventory, just in time for the
Vietnam conflict.
The most spectacular
mission in Vietnam for the
Chinook was the placing of
artillery batteries in perilous
mountain positions inacces-
sible by any other means, and
then keeping them resup-
plied with large quantities of
supplies and ammunition.
CH-47s in Vietnam were
generally armed with a single
7.62 mm M60 machine gun
on a pintle mount on either
side of the aircraft to lay
down fire on ground-based
enemies.
The Chinook still operates
today in various upgraded
formats and has been one of
the most successful helicop-
ter designs of all time. I’ve
seen one perform a simulated
“Dust-Off” (medical evacua-
REVIEWS
tion) at the Duxford Air Show
in Cambridgeshire and the
power and manoeuvrability
of the aircraft were incredible.
In particular, the effect of the
downward thrust of the twin
rotors was quite spectacular.
The TG release of the Chi-
nook is produced in 1:32 scale
in the markings you see in the
accompanying photographs.
It’s limited to a run of just five
models worldwide and is
supplied with a free Vietnam
War-era sentry figure as per
our photos.
If you’d like to be one of
the five exclusive owners, the
model is priced at £1,200 plus
shipping, depending on your
location. Contact TG for full
details on delivery costs.
Review by George Phillips
CONTACT
Thomas Gunn Miniatures
Unit 21, Deverill Road Trading Estate
Sutton Veny, Warminster, Wiltshire
BA12 7BZ
Tel : 01985 840539
thom@tomgunn.co.uk
www.tomgunn.co.uk
TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 17
Boeing Chinook Vietnam Sopwith Dolphin 1918

1/30
T
sca H
ful
ly
le
and a
sse
pai mbled
mod nted
els

Nowotny Fw-190 Russian Front Taube Western Front 1914

www.tomgunn.co.uk
email: welcome@gunnclub.co.uk

Available direct from us and from all good quality

toy soldier stockists throughout the world.

Thomas Gunn Miniatures,

Unit 21, Deverill Road Trading Estate, Sutton Veny, Warminster, Wiltshire, BA12 7BZ

Tel: 01985 840539

A view of the
interior with the
roof removed
Forging ahead
Martin Ainscough gives an overview of his Victorian
countryside blacksmith’s forge
O
ne of the best things about the hobby of collect-
ing toy soldiers I think is its diverse nature. It
caters for a whole host of collecting tastes be it in
scale from 90mm, 54mm or even 28mm, subject matter
or a specific period in history, military or civilian, combat
and non-combat to name just a few.
Some of us, for instance, collect just one particular period
while others encompass the whole of a campaign for example
Aerial view of the building whilst still under construction
The Battle of Waterloo as opposed to the whole of the Napo-
leonic Wars. Others of us tend to stick to one specific subject
or theme which dictates the direction of their collections. In
my case it is the horse and by default I am afraid for my sins I
am drawn to any related equestrian subject matter. If only the
available display space and disposable income could match
my imagination when it comes to adding horse related pieces
to my collection. A sentiment shared I am sure by many of you,
if not about the theme of the collection or funds for their hobby
at least as far as available display space goes!
There are of course ways round the budget constraints, in my
case it is usually either birthday or Christmas that allows me
to add to my collection. I for my part don’t mind this as I think
you appreciate things more if you must wait for them. How-
ever, the anticipation associated with waiting for new figures
or a diorama to arrive is quite addictive. You plan for months
only to wonder what your new addition might look like. Again,
once the excitement of unwrapping your new acquisitions has
subsided and they are safely in the cabinet, or in some cases
storage, I experience a bit of a low until such time as I start to
plan what my next project will be which brings me on quite
nicely to the above-mentioned subject. I bet some of you were
wondering when I would stop rambling and get down to the
real purpose of this article!
The blacksmith had a social standing firmly fixed in the work-
ing class, working as they did with their hands and arms in the
hot and often grimy conditions of the smithy. However, for a
trade that can be traced back thousands of years they had a far ¼
TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 19
 A young lad earns his keep by working the forge bellows
Iron work etc. undertaken
¼ higher social position in the local community than for example
farm or factory workers. As highly skilled craftsmen they also
managed to remain independent and in demand well into the
20th Century when the automobile had a major impact on
their opportunities for work. Although even then they turned
their skill with iron work to their advantage and grasped the
opportunity as many became motor mechanics. Another trade
that went hand in hand with the Blacksmith was that of the
Wheelwright another essential craftsman in any village, these
skilled workers were often located near each other, and in some
cases shared the same buildings. The wheelwright was tasked
with the making of wheels for the horse drawn farm carts and
wagons with wooden stocks and spokes as well as repairs
when needed. Local variations were commonplace apparently,
with every area/district having its own type of cart due to local
requirements and traditions.
But I suppose it is in the typical rural village location of
Victorian England that is the scene that springs to mind when
one thinks of the local blacksmith and forge. Writers and poets
End view of Forge showing road sign
20 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR
Interior of the forge prior to the addition of all the figures and accessories
have not been shy in the past to highlight the role of this village
stalwart. “Usually the strongest man in the community and as
such noted for his usefulness on the cricket pitch – was the local
blacksmith” to quote Longfellow who painted an everlasting im-
age of an individual hard at work with the following verse:
“Week in, week out, from morn till night, you can hear his
bellows blow; You can hear him swing his heavy sledge, With
measured beat and slow, Like a sexton ringing a village bell,
When the evening sun is low”.
While in a lighter and much softer view of rural life George
Eliot wrote in ‘Life in an English Village 1800’ “there was the
pleasant tinkle of the blacksmith’s anvil, the patient carthorses
waiting at his door”.
However, this idyllic picture would soon change and by 1901
the year that Victoria died fewer craftsmen remained in the
typical English Village because of the Industrial revolution. This
can be best summed up by the following statement – The road
running through the village would be made up of stone and
gravel while lanes and tracks had dirt surfaces, white with dust
in summer and deep in mud in winter.
The scene depicted here is therefore a snapshot from the
village smithy during the reign of Victoria in a typical country
village of the time before the effects of the industrial revolution
and the resulting exodus to the towns for work would inevita-
bly kick in.
As with any diorama project a certain amount of initial plan-
ning was required. In this case though having had the initial
idea it was very much a case of having to wait until suitable
figures could be sourced and acquired before any definite plans
Note the open side door which gives additional display possibilities
A close up of the
glowing coals of
the forge
could be laid down. Conversations with Nik Biberovic (owner
of Alexander’s Toy Soldiers), who once again I had charged with
the task of putting this diorama together, had suggested that if
possible both the interior and exterior of the smithy should be
somehow incorporated into the final design and be accessible.
I however, forgot about the project to concentrate on smaller
tasks only to receive an email from Nik a couple of months later
to let me know he had found some blacksmith related figures.
He had managed to find a source of W. Britain figures from the
Home Farm Series which included set (No: 8706) ‘The Forge’.
This set was made up of the forge fire, a blacksmith working at
an anvil, a farrier shoeing a horse and finally a small boy. These
were the initial figures and accessories which would help set
the basic scene around which Nik would construct the physi-
cal structure of the forge while at the same time planning what
other related figures and scenic pieces could be added to help
enhance the finished piece still further.
This is my largest commission to date measuring approxi-
mately fourteen by nine inches before being placed on a base.
It has also been a project that for various reasons has taken
some while to come to fruition, not least because Nik has had
to fit the construction work required around his regular orders
for catalogue figures produced by his company ATS as well as
other special commissioned work that he had in his order book.
Again, certain components required for the actual building
structure had to be specially produced by Nik’s youngest son
Preparing a shoe for yet another customer
Tomi using both laser and 3D printers and this too had a knock-
on effect on progress as this work had to be fitted around Tomi’s
everyday commitments.
The beauty of this diorama is that both roof sections can be
removed to reveal the interior, while the large wooden doors at
the end of the section on the left can also be opened to allow for
that part of the diorama to be utilised. This also allows, over time
if I wish, for additional related figures and features to be added
to enhance the scene still further.
Another factor in the construction process that extended the
completion date and subsequent delivery was the research
work that needed to be undertaken to ensure that the finished
diorama was an authentic representation of a village forge/
blacksmiths from the 1800’s.That coupled to a commitment on
Nik’s part to ensure that all items included and the detail were
correct for the time period concerned, not to mention his prom-
ise to try and recreate the glow of the forge fire (*) and working
out a mechanism that enabled this to happen, all took time, but I
hope that you agree that the time taken to complete this project
has been fully justified in the end product featured here. It has
taken a while to become a reality, but boy it has been well-worth
the wait! END
(*) this was achieved by placing a small light bulb powered by a battery in the canopy
of the actual forge with the light generated being directed at the forge fire to give the
impression that the fire’s embers are glowing.
Another customer quietly waits their turn
TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 21
 THE
DORSET I am pleased to
MODEL announce that I am We carry a large stock of soldiers from W. Britain,
King & Country, and Thomas Gunn.
the new owner of
Dorset Model Soldiers. Also stockists of: Corgi/Airfix/Britains Farm & Steiff.
Orders can be placed We also sell: Militaria/ Antiques/Collectibles/Jewellery & Toys.
as usual through the
Dorset website:

www.dorsetmodelsoldiers.com

I am still in the process

of organising stock,
moulds, etc so orders
may be a little slower Mail Order Worldwide
than usual as I get up
to speed. Opening Times – 9.00am to 5.30pm
SOLDIER
COMPANY Closed Wednesday and Sunday
1 High Street, Evesham
Worcestershire, WR11 4DA. England UK
Imperial Miniatures, Nyetimber, Norfolk Farm Road, Woking, Tel/Fax: 01386 41631
Surrey, GU22 8LF, England Tel: 01483 855757
eBay shop: Manchester House Collectables
Email: magpie2500@aol.com
www.imperialminiatures.co.uk www.magpieantiques.co.uk

22 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR

 Carthaginian
war elephant –
Thomas Gunn
Defying the eagles
The legend of Rome may not have been so
legendary were it not for some of its opponents….
T
he building of an empire, it’s all
about economics and power.
Taking the resources and wealth
of others, enslaving your victims and
pressing the conquerors ideals and ways
of living in a massive power trip.
This was no different for the Roman
civilization as it grew by destroying
hundreds of others. In this process, many
brave men and women challenged the
mighty Roman army in the name of free-
dom, and even the Romans expressed
their admiration for their deeds and cour-
age. Today, many of these names are still
considered a symbol of independence,
determination, and national pride. Han-
nibal, Spartacus, Boudicca and Attila the
Hun still echo through the sands of time
representing great struggles and the fight
for freedom.
From humble beginnings the toy
soldier world has woken up to com-
memorating these struggles in miniature.
A decade ago limited releases of generic
figures representing barbarians were re-
leased to provide some opposition to the
increasing ranks of Roman legionnaires
being brought to market.
Nowadays Britons, Celts, Gauls,
Germans, Dacians and Carthagians are
all available through manufacturers
websites.
The story of Rome’s expanding empire
is one of brutal conquest and subjugation
followed by a stabilisation of the Empire’s
borders and protection against incur-
Etruscan and Samnite warriors by Kronprinz
sions. Finally, pressure was brought to
bear as those incursions increased and
eventually destroyed the Western half of
the Empire.
Roman conquest and expansion did
not happen straight away. As a struggling
small hill top settlement, established in
around 753 BC, it took a while to gain the
strength to expand its territory.
The Etruscans were the dominant ¼
TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 23
 Hannibal –
Black Hawk
Carthaginian warrior – Thomas Gunn
¼ power in Italy for the first couple of
hundred years of Rome’s existence. But
after Etruscan expansion south had been
rebuffed by Greek colonists Rome man-
aged to gain independence from their
Etruscan overloads in around 509 BC.
Rome dispelled with its Bronze Age
kings and formed a republic that lasted
for nearly 500 years. After some local
successes Rome really started to expand
its Italian territory from around 350 BC.
While local tribes including the Etruscans
and Samnites fought heroically to hang
onto their land and identity the Roman
war machine was changing up though
the gears and destroying all before it.
Although the Samnites scored a major
victory against the Roman legions in 321
Celtic cavalry –
Thomas Gunn
24 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR
Barbarians – King & Country
Enemies of Rome – Del Prado
BC they were eventually subjugated.
There are very few figures available from
this period by Kronprinz have brought a
couple to the market place.
The first iconic leader to rise up against
Rome was the Carthaginian general Han-
nibal. It was inevitable that once Rome
started to expand its conquests and influ-
Celtic chariot –
Thomas Gunn
ence beyond the Italian peninsular it was
going to run into the dominant power in
the Mediterranean - Carthage. Based in
North Africa in modern day Tunisia this
city state had led the way for decades
in trade, influence and conquest. Rome
got the upper hand in the first conflict.
Named the Punic Wars, a 23-year conflict
involving many naval battles resulted in
the islands of Scilly, Sardinia and Corsica
being taken into the Roman republic.
Bad blood remained between the two
empires who clashed again in 218 BC
when Hannibal, based in Spain, attacked
Saguntum, an ally of Rome. He didn’t stop
there though. He famously crossed the
Alps in winter to attack northern Italy and
directly threaten Rome itself. Although
many died several war elephants sur-
vived the crossing and were used initially
against the Roman legions. In ancient
warfare it was normally three strikes
and you are out. Rome suffered three
major defeats at the hand of Hannibal at
Trebia, Lake Trasimene, and Cannae. But
Rome didn’t follow the rules and refused
to surrender. Hannibal did not lay siege
to Rome but busied himself rampaging
through most of Italy.
Eventually Rome attacked Hannibal’s
heartland back in North Africa forcing

Visigoth – Del Prado
Barbarians ‘skewer’ Roman cavalryman – Conte
Iberian
cavalry –
Del Prado
him to return. He was decisively de-
feated at the Battle of Zama in 202 BC. He
escaped fleeing east and living in exile
assisting the Persians fight against Rome.
As Roman agents closed in some years
later, he poisoned himself rather than be
captured in around 182 BC. Black Hawke
and more latterly Thomas Gunn have
dipped their toes into the Punic wars.
Stand out items for me are a couple of
Carthaginian war elephants produced
by each manufacturer. More is promised
Jordanian
scout – Del
Prado
from this era and the ranks on my shelves
will hopefully expand.
The Roman Empire, like so many
others, was built on slavery. In 73 BC the
slaves in Italy revolted, led by a Thracian
slave called Spartacus. Training as a
gladiator he escaped with 78 others but
quickly raised an army from the slave
and poorer local population. The uprising
was greatly underestimated by the Ro-
mans and lasted for two years. Spartacus
was eventually killed but not before his
Enemies of Rome from the east – Del Prado
Spartacus – John Jenkins Designs
slave army had run amuck across the
Italian peninsular. His deeds were im-
mortalised in the pages of history books
and of course in the 1960’s Hollywood
epic ‘Spartacus’. While no slave army has
been produced by toy soldier manu-
facturers John Jenkins Designs have
produced a marvellous mounted figure
of the man himself. Perhaps fitting with
the Hollywood style Conte Collectables
produced a Spartacus range in the early
years of the millennium. Like the film the
range was not completely accurate as it
included Imperial Roman troops not the
late republic style of soldiers Spartacus
would have faced.
As the Romans pushed north over the
Alps, they set about conquering Gaul,
predominantly modern-day France. The
Gaul’s were a fierce independent collec-
tion of tribes who themselves had sacked
Rome in 390 BC. Rome would have
its revenge as the vast lands the Gaul’s
inhabited were conquered by the Roman
legions.
What followed was years of brutal-
ity perpetrated by Julius Caesar. This
persuaded local leader Vercingetorix
that the Gallic tribes had to either unite
against Rome to break the shackles of
oppression or die trying. He tried to
convince the council of his native town
to fight the Romans, but he was expelled.
Nevertheless he went to the countryside
and raised a large force.
In 52 BC, Vercingetorix took Cenabun
(present-day Orleans), where he mas-
sacred many Romans and seized a large
amount of provisions. His initial success
persuaded many Gallic tribes to join him,
but they were no match for the highly ¼
TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 25

¼ organized Roman legions. Vercingetorix
retreated against the powerful Roman
war machine burning the land, leav-
ing nothing behind and depriving the
Romans of supplies.
With little room to manoeuvre his
last stand against Rome was during the
siege of Alesia. Julia Caesar built a double
siege wall to keep the Gaul’s bottled up in
the town and stop a large force relieving
the town. Eventually starvation forced
Vercingetorix to surrender. He came to
Caesar asking for mercy, hoping to pre-
vent more Gallic casualties. Some Gallic
tribes were allowed to leave, but many
were turned into slaves. Vercingetorix
was kept in Rome as a prisoner for six
years before finally put to death. Rome
had shown once more its ruthless ability
to crush all opposition.
Gallic tribes have been popular opposi-
tion for miniature Roman legions. King &
Country, Conte, First Legion, Kronprinz,
Del Prado, John Jenkins and others
have all produced figures depicting
these brave warriors. Sometimes simply
referred to a Barbarians there are enough
on the market to make up a healthy num-
ber of opposition figures for our Roman
friends. AeroArt and King & Country have
also produced Vercingetorix figures.
After conquering Gaul Rome’s expan-
sion pushed east towards the Rhine and
the subjugation of Germanic tribes. One
of the Roman tactics employed to pacify
the many peoples of the Empire was to
take prominent locals (particularly their
children) and hold them hostage in Rome
to ensure loyalty. They generally treated
these hostages well and educated them,
inducted them into Roman life and in
26 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR
Dacian warriors –
Thomas Gunn
some cases taught them military skills
and tactics.
This happened to the son of the
Germanic chief, Arminius. He became a
Roman citizen and was a senior officer
in the Roman army. However, he never
forgot his allegiance to his homeland and
this led to the most disastrous defeats in
Imperial Rome’s history.
The Roman army, under the leadership
Winter
games-
Conte
Gaul’s – John Jenkins Designs
Germanic warriors
– Kronprinz and
John Jenkins
Designs
of Varus, was heading to winter quarters.
Unknown to him Arminius had colluded
with local tribes to ambush the three Ro-
man legions. A force in excess of 20,000
troops. Arminius persuaded Varus to take
a shortcut through the Teutoburg forest.
In the autumn of 9 AD a strung-out
army unable to deploy in the dense forest
was annihilated over a number of days
by fierce Germanic tribesmen ideally
suited to hit and run tactics. The victory
by the Germans did not enable them to
shake Roman occupation west of the
Rhine as they failed to unit and push
the Romans back. But the defeat of the
Roman legions became and symbol of
nationalism in Germany and this victory
is closely woven into its history.
Despite several successful campaigns
and raids by the Romans in the years af-
ter the battle, they never again attempted
to conquer the Germanic territories east
of the Rhine. First Legion and John Jen-
kins have produced specific Germanic
warrior figures for all those wanting to
recreate this most iconic of ancient bat-
tles.
Rome looked with envious eyes on
Britain as its rich resources and settled ag-
ricultural and trading peoples presented
Boudicca – King & Iceni warrior – John
Country Jenkins Designs
a tempting target. An expedition in 55 to
54 BC was undertaken by Julia Caesar
but he didn’t stay. Britain was becoming
more Romanised as it traded with the
vast empire and had regular contact.
However, in 43 AD Emperor Claudius
decided to invade and bring Britain fully
into the Roman Empire. The country was
quickly conquered and soon was under
the ruthless and high taxing rule of its
overlords.
Rome’s ability to continually take what
they wanted did not entirely endear
themselves to the Britons. Not long after
the Roman’s invaded they decided to
take the land of the Iceni in Eastern Brit-
ain. Their king, an ally of Rome, died and
left no male heir. His daughter Boudicca
became queen of the Iceni tribe but
Rome took this as an excuse to take the
Iceni lands and put the tribe under their
direct control. For good measure they
flogged Boudicca and raped her daugh-
ters in front of her. That was a mistake!
The Roman brutality sparked rebellion.
Neighbouring tribes joined the Iceni, and
together, they launched an attack against
the city of Colchester, where many,
largely defenceless, Romans were massa-
cred. Complacency and the fact that two
of Britain’s three Roman legions were in
North Wales fighting the Druids, the other
was far to the west based in Exeter, played
into Boudicca’s hands.
From Colchester the rebellious Britons
marched to London, the heart of Roman
commerce in Britain, and burned it to the
ground. Cassius Dio, a Roman historian,
describes the gruesome retribution of
Boudicca. “Most distinguished women
were hung up naked, their breasts cut
and sewed to their mouths in order to
make the victims appear to be eating
them.”
Boudicca’s bloodthirsty band, num-
bering maybe up to 100,000 warriors,
moved on to St Albans, again massacring
and burning the town to the ground. Ro-
man forces hastily turned south to crush
the rebels. The rebellion was ended by
the Roman general Suetonius in the Bat-
Barbarian ambush – Conte and Thomas Gunn
Caledonian
(Scottish) warrior –
Thomas Gunn
tle of Watling Street. Suetonius engaged
the rebel force in a narrow field, neutral-
izing Boudicca’s numerical advantage.
Boudicca fled to her homeland, where
she finished her life by drinking poison
before the Romans could catch up with
her.
Collectors can use the generic barbar-
ian figures to replicate Boudicca’s army.
However, more recently John Jenkins
and Thomas Gunn have produced
some figures that specifically depict
Britton warriors. Thomas Gunn have
also produced some wonderful Celtic
cavalry and a museum quality chariot.
King & Country have also produced two
versions of the Iceni Queen while Madrid
based manufacture Kronprinz have also
produced a figure depicting the queen.
The last great expansion of the Roman
Empire, after years of consolidation, was
Emperor Trajan’s invasion of Dacia (mod-
ern day Romania) between 105 to 106 AD.
Rome took control of the province until
around 275 AD but it had to fight hard
against a well organised enemy and su-
press several uprisings. Trajan led the Ro-
man legions across the Danube, penetrat-
ing Dacia and focusing on the important
area around the Orăştie Mountains.
Atilla the Hun –
Del Prado
It took two wars to finally subdue the
southern half of Dacia. After the first war
a truce was declared but was broken by
the Dacians who continually raided the
border with the Roman Empire and the
rich lands beyond. This could not be
tolerated and a second war commenced
when Trajan marched across the frontier
with just over two legions.
Despite heroic resistance the Dacians
were crushed in 106 AD. Gold mines
and thousands of slaves fell into Roman
hands as well as rich agricultural lands.
Dacian warriors are hard to come by
but Thomas Gunn have started a range
which it is hoped will expand as the inter-
est in collecting figures from ancient wars
continues to grow.
There are many other conflicts Rome
fought but have yet to be covered by the
major toy soldier collectors. The Jewish
revolt and the world-famous last stand
at Masada, Attila the Huns conquests,
Visigoths and Parthia’s horse archers to
name but a few. I am sure if we are patient
enough some of these figures will eventu-
ally come to market to enhance this col-
lectors’ shelves full of Rome’s enemies.END
Text & photography by Gary Emery
TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 27
THE
DEATH
OR GLORY
BOYS The history of the 17th Lancers, WWI

17th/21st Lancers 1914-1993

W
hen war broke out in 1914, for the cavalry regiments,
the horse was still king. This naïve and illusionary
vision was quickly dispelled as the machine gun be-
came the dominant factor on the Western Front. Trenches, not
wide swaths of flat cavalry charging country became the norm
and the role of the cavalry was about to change forever.
Nonetheless the Generals were loathed to dispel with the cav-
alry completely and wherever possible tried to insert mounted
troops into their strategic plans.
The lives of both the lancer regiments would alter dramati-
cally during this period. The 21st Lancers were to spend most of What might have been?

the war fighting Afghan Tribesmen. These Pashtun tribes had

been armed by Germany and threatened the security of the
Punjab in India.
The 17th Lancers by contrast left India in October 1914, dock-
ing in Marseilles in mid-November, as part of the Indian Cavalry
Corp. By the time they arrived the mobile phase of the war was
over. The Lancers were to serve in the trenches as infantry with
the faint hope that, if there was a British breakthrough, they
could return to their mounted role to exploit any advantage
gained.
Ironically the German cavalry were suffering the same fate
and what is coincidental is that one of their regiments, known
as the Death’s Head or Totenkopf Hussars, shared the same cap
badge with the 17th Lancers. I do not know if these two regi-
ments ever met in battle however, utilising Britain’s Lancers, it
afforded me the opportunity to enact what might have been.
Unbeknown to the cavalry at the time the introduction of a
new top secret weapon called a tank, would herald a revolution
in the lives all future cavalrymen. Ironically, however, it was the
tank which nearly gave the 17th Lancers the chance to feature
in their mounted role.
The regiment was present at Cambrai when the tanks were
first used, their brief to take advantage of any breakthrough cre-
ated by these armoured leviathans. Unfortunately at a crucial
time in the battle, the weight of one of these tanks destroyed a
vital bridge and the opportunity was lost.
In 1918 in one last desperate throw of the dice the Germans
launched an offensive and after the disappointment of Cam-
brai, the 17th Lancers really came into their own acting as
mobile infantry. In one episode they charged six hundred yards
under fire, to rescue the 9th Australian Infantry Brigade. The
regiment would win one D.S.O. six MCs and six MMs during this
conflict.
Although the role of the cavalry during WWI, in its strictest
form was vastly diminished, the need for horses for all kinds of
other tasks was inexhaustible. It is a sad tale that the majority of
horses taken to endure the labour and hardships of the Western
Front were never to return.
Their general care also left much to be desired and this was
exemplified by the insistence of the hierarchy to crop the
winter coats on swathes of horses stationed at the front. This

28 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR

 21st Lancers in Capes Courtesy
Irish Toy Soldier Museum

Cologne for occupational

purposes. However many
of the new recruits who
had joined after post war
demobilisation, were to
have a baptism of fire, when
the regiment was sent to
Ireland to deal with the IRA.
The regiment would renew
its association with this
particular foe approximate-
ly fifty years later during
the troubles in Northern
Ireland.
The name Geddes is
not recalled with much
fondness by most cavalry
regiments. It was under his
left them cold and vulnerable to illness, causing thousands of reign in Government, that as part of post war army reorganisa-
unnecessary deaths. tion, a number of cavalry regiments were amalgamated. This
At the end of the war many thousands more would be sold as merging of many famous regiments was a reluctant comprise
meat for the French people, rather than being returned home. to being disbanded altogether. Thus 1922 heralded the birth of
What was unforgivable was that large numbers were slaugh- the 17th/21st Lancers as these two regiments became as one.
tered and butchered while being watched by the remaining In the post war years priority was not given to the mounted
beasts, who standing in line, awaited the same fate. section of the army, as after the Great War the role of cavalry
The disregard for these animals is perhaps summed up by had been placed in serious doubt. Although the regiment
a wealthy officer from a distinguished cavalry regiment. After remained as mounted lancers, as a concession to modern war-
sharing the privations and being loyally served by his horse fare, the addition of a machine gun section with four Vickers
throughout WWI, he promptly sold him on their return. This machine guns was instigated.
was because, according to his owner, he was past his best. I do believe that the overall nature of the cavalry at this time
At the end of the war the 17th Lancers were initially sent to was only tolerated because of the extremely influential people, ¼

TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 29

 Not a good place to break down, Dublin early 1920’s

¼ who generally officered these regiments. Nonetheless it was embark on its first ac-
commonly felt they really were an outmoded entity. tion in 1942 having been
The first reflection of this sentiment had been the Geddes axe dispatched to North Africa.
and in 1926 a committee recommended mechanisation for all Their arrival in Algeria was
cavalry regiments. Due to the Depression this was pushed back, as part of Operation Torch,
however in 1927 after over one hundred years, the lance was the aim of which was to
finally abolished. brush aside the forces of
The misty reverie that was clung to so fervently by the Vichy France and head
doyens of times past and the days of the glorious charge with as quickly as possible to
the thunder of the hooves shaking the earth, were forever gone. Tunisia. This they did, how-
The squeak of the tank track and the claustrophobic envelop- ever the Germans reacted
ment of metal would be the future. quickly and with superior
In reality it would not be until the late 1930s in India, before air support were able to pre-
any members of the regiment were to experience the vagar- vent Blade Force as it was
ies of motorised armour. In classic British understatement the called, reaching Tunis.
conditions for training were described as “less than ideal.” What became very
The so called tanks were actually Vickers Light Tanks which Officer 17th apparent was how poorly
Lancers
in pristine condition were armed with a .50 Vickers Machine armed the British tanks
Gun, mounted on a hand cranked turret. The ones the lancers were, in comparison to the
cut their teeth upon had no guns, no internal communication long range and armour piercing qualities of the 75mm and the
and the driver could not see where he was going. 88mm guns of the Germans. The 88mm guns which originated
At the outbreak of WWII the regiment returned to the UK as Anti-Aircraft guns were to be the nemesis for many British
from India, having paraded on horseback for the last time in tanks. Nonetheless the Achilles heel of these guns was that their
1938. After equipping with some medium tanks and trucks crews were cruelly exposed during action and as a result many
mounted with machine guns, they toured South East England were killed while servicing their guns.
forming a mobile reserve, in The regiment’s request to
the event of an invasion. Trooper refuses
be rearmed with Sherman
From September 1940 to leave his dying Tanks was finally granted
however they were bri- horse, WWI and although these tanks
gaded together with the had relatively weak armour,
16th/5th Lancers and the they more than compen-
2nd Lothian and Border sated with their ease of use,
Horse (my county regi- reliability and more appro-
ment) in the 26th Armoured priate weaponry.
Brigade, as part of the 6th Regrettably before this
Armoured Division. They conversion could occur, on
were supplied with Valen- the 19th of February 1943,
tine and Matilda tanks and the Germans launched an
would use them for training attack at a place called the
purposes for the next two Kasserine Pass, in Central
years. Tunisia. The attack was
The regiment was to targeted at the American

30 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR

 The Germans
counter attack

result the attack dissolved. The Lancers had held the pass but at
Apennines Italy early 1945
a very high cost as only twelve of their tanks remained.
The end of the Germans in North Africa came a little later,
when as part of the 6th Armoured Division, the Lancers were to
smash through a force of 88mm guns and German crack troops
at Hamman Lif, taking hundreds of prisoners.
Italy and the haunting name of Monte Cassino were to be
the lancer’s next field of battle. After very heavy fighting the ¼

Vickers Light Tank

(Courtesy of Vectis
Auctions)

forces who, not being used to Blitzkrieg tactics, were thrown into
complete chaos. As a result the whole of the southern front was
in danger of crumbling.
To assist in shoring up of the now exposed front, the
17th/21st Lancers fought a delaying action
throughout the day of the 21st February. In
the process they lost fourteen tanks before
retiring to a defensive position at night
fall. Using a captured Valentine
Tank as a ruse, the Germans
advanced in the dark towards
where the regiment was
parked. They completely fooled
the guarding infantry, the incursion
not being discovered until the Ger-
mans opened fire.
The adjutant of the regiment, a Captain
Ponsonby, reacted first and firing the gun of his
tank himself, destroyed four German tanks in quick
succession. A further three were destroyed and as a

TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 31

 Resupplied
Matilda Tank
Tunisia 1942

On arrival, one of their

¼ Germans were forced to retreat, in theory clearing the way for
the advance to Rome. Further progress however was hampered
by the weather and as result the regiment spent the winter in
the Apennine Mountains in Central Italy. In early 1945 they took
part in their last action of the war at the battle of the Po Valley in
Northern Italy.
As the regiment had not been deployed from the UK until
1942, they were not due for immediate return to Britain. Thus
tasks was to act as escorts
for supply trains and their
armoured vehicles were
converted to run on rails.
They suffered a variety
of incidents from being
derailed, to being blown up
and on a number of occa-
sions being in collision with
vehicles at level crossings.
I948 saw them home
and back to tanks. They
were equipped with Comet
Tanks and now perma-
nently linked with the Not-
tinghamshire (Sherwood
Forrester) Yeomanry for
recruiting purposes. This
was the time of the Cold War and in 1951 they took up their post
in Germany as part of the Army of the Rhine.
They had a small sojourn away from this role between 1960
and 1963 in the hotter climes of the Middle East and Hong Kong,
but it was then back to the rigours of facing the Warsaw Pact
Countries, after having been re equipped with Chieftain Tanks.
The desert in Kuwait was to be the background for the final
chapter in the regiment’s illustrious history. Two squadrons
of men and most of its equipment were used to reinforce the
Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, in their battle against the Iraqi
army of Saddam Hussein.
Their contribution to ultimate victory in the Gulf War was not
enough to save them from the ramifications of the Cold War
ending and the inevitable spending cuts that followed. In the
summer of 1991 the glorious years of both the 17th Lancers and
the 21st Lancers and their time together came to an end, when
they were merged with the 16th/5th Lancers.
This amalgamation was completed by June 1993 when they
became The Queens Royal Lancers. However as an epilogue,
the very essence of the 17th/21st lancers still lives on, as their
cap badge was chosen as the main part of the badge for the
new regiment. Thus the mantra defined over 250 years ago and
devotedly followed by so many men, remains the embodiment
of the new regiment, Death or Glory! END

they initially had the unen-

viable task of trying to bring Author’s Note
some order to post war As always, a number of
Austria, prior to spending a figures came from Tradi-
year and a very cold winter tion, examples of their WWI
in Salonika Greece, keeping range being used with the
the communists and nation- Rolls Royce Armoured Car.
alists apart. The WWI Lancers came
Suez was to be their next from Toy Army Workshop
destination to carry out and Sarum, whilst the dying
relief work. It was here they horse was sourced from
were re-designated as an Little Legion.
armoured car regiment,
Text and painting by
before being sent to the Keith Nairn-Munro.
turmoil of the Arab/Jewish Photography by
Challenger Tank in Iraq Evelyn Nairn-Munro.
War in Palestine.

32 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR

 (L to R) Maegarethe, Landgrafin von
Hessan, Princess of Prussia. CIC
Fusiliers – Regimentsvon Gersdorff
(kurhessisches) No 80.
Viktoria Luise, herzogin zu
Braunschweig und Luneberg,
Princess of Prussia. CIC Light Hussars
– Regiments Konigin Viktoria of
Prussia No 2.
Cecile, Crown Princess of Germany.
CIC of Dragoons – Regiments konig
Frederich 3rd (2 Schlesisches) No 8.
Sophie Charlotte, Princess of Prussia,
Princess von Oldenberg. CIC
Dragoons – Regiments von Arnim (2
Bradenberg) No 12.

(L to R) Auguste Viktoria, deutsche Kaiserin, Koninginvon Prussia. Commander
in Chief (CIC) Fusilier Regiments Koningin (Schleswig-Holstein) No 86.
Charlotte, erbprinzessinvon Sachsen-Meinigen, Prinzessen von Prussia. CIC
Grenadier Regiments King Frederick 3rd (2 Schlesisches) No 11.
Viktoria, Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe, Princess of Prussia. CIC of 5th west
infantery, 53rd Regiment.
Sophie, konigonvon Griechenland, Princess of Prussia. CIC of konigin, Elizabeth
Garde-Grenadier 3rd Regiment.
(L to R) Alexandra, Princess of Prussia, Princess von Schleswig-Holstein-
Sonderberg-Glucksberg. CIC kurmarkischen Dragoons 14th Regiment.
Charlotte, konigin von Wurttemberg, Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe. CIC of
Wilhelm 1st, 20th Uhlan Regiment (2 Wurttemberg).
Luise, Grossherzogin (Witwe) von Baden, Princess of Prussia. CIC konogin
Augusta Garde-Grenadier 4th Regiment.
Hilda, grossherzogin von Baden, Princess of Prussia. CIC Badischen Dragoons
21st Regiment.

Reigning royalty
The mounted Princesses of Europe 1890 – 1920 as created by Alec Sim

H
ere in the UK we are accustomed
to seeing our Majesty the Queen,
at the Trooping of the Colour
mounted on a horse from the 1950’s to
1986, as head of all our armed forces.
Also our Princess Anne (The Princess
Royal) is also seen in the uniform of the
Blues and Royals as their Commander in
Chief (C in C) at the Trooping of the Col-
our ceremony. She is also a Commander
in Chief of very many other regiments.
What many people are now not aware
of is that during the 19th century the Prin-
ceremonial Commanders in Chief of
numerous regiments.
Indeed, our own Queen Victoria who
had five daughters and four of whom
married into European royalty for all
kinds of reasons and alliance’s featured
in this tradition.
I was very privileged to receive twenty
eight of these mounted princess’s from
the late Alec Sim. Alec was a long time
member of the British Model Soldier
Society and a very keen converter and
modeller of figures. As far as I can see
cast from a Prince August mould. But the
sitting figure is a mishmash of a few mak-
ers, especially the heads, along with some
additions ie ‘bigger’ hair and scratch made
saddle cloths. All the figures featured in this
article were made and painted by Alec.
Also all the information regarding each
princess was provided to me by Alec.
I don’t know if all these twenty eight
Princesses were ever actually on parade,
all together, but the models I have certainly
look very impressive on my display shelf!
END

cess’s from all the royal houses of Europe these figures are not based on any one
Text and photography by Chris Bartlett
and Russia were traditionally honorary maker, except the horse which I think is

34 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR

(L to R) Empress Alexandra Feodovna Guard Lancer Regiment. Grand Duchess
Maria Pavlona, Guard Dragoon Regiment. Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna.
CIC 8th Volernski Lancers. Grand Duchess xenia Alexandravna. CIC 15th
Ukrainski Hussars.
(L to R) Alexandra, grossherzogin von Mecklenberg-Schwerin, Princess von
Cumberland und Tiviotdale. CIC des Lieb Grenadier - Regimentskonig Friedrich
Wilhelm 3rd (1st Brandenberg) No 8. Viktoria Melita, grossherzogin von Sachsen-
Coburg und Gotha. CIC Infantry – Liebregiments (3 Grosshzl. Hessisches) No 17.
Alexandra Feodorowna, zarina of Russia, Princess von Hhessen. CIC Dragoon
Guards kaiserin Alexandra of Russia. Mary, Princess of Great Britain and Ireland
and India, Princess von Teck. CIC First Blucher von Walstatt (pomm.) No 5.

Viktoria, King of Sweden’s, Princess von Baden. CIC Fusilier Regiments of Sweden (pomm.) No 34. Wilhelmina, Princess of the Netherlands. CIC of the Hussar
Regiments of the King of the Netherlands (hann.) No 15. Margherita, Italian Princess. CIC kurhessischenJager battalions No 11. Luise Margarete, British
Princess of Connaught and Srathhearne, herzogin zu Sachsen, Princess of Prussia. CICof Regiments Gen. feldmarshall Prince Frederich karl von Preussen
(8th Brandenberg) No 64.

(L to R) Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, 3rd Elizavetgradski Hussars. Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna, 3rd Novorosski Dragoons. Grand Duchess Olga
Alexandrovna, 12th Akhtyrski Hussars. Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, 14th Iamburgski Lancers.

TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 35

 New Game of Thrones
busts by Loggerheads
SHOW REPORT

Military Studios

Best show
in town
The final London Toy Soldier Show of 2019 brought more than 60 domestic
and international traders to the Haverstock School in North West London for
Europe’s largest gathering of hobbyists. Always the busiest in the calendar of
shows organised by Guideline Publications, the event offered collectors a
tempting selection of seasonal treats…

W
hen I wrote the report on last year’s December show, sculptor who has served the collectable toy soldier industry
I’m pretty sure I opened the piece with a phrase like: for many decades. David is the creative force behind a large
“where did the last year go?” As I sit at my computer proportion of Patrick’s stocklist and you can read about some
preparing to write up this year’s event, I’m harbouring exactly of the new releases on page 69. In my experience, David was
the same thought. I’m sure I’m not alone… a good humoured and modest man and I hope to see him at
While I’m tapping away here at my keyboard, the country many more shows to come.
is going to the polls to decide which party will govern us and
ultimately, the nature of the relationship we’ll have with our Eu-
ropean neighbours in the years to come. I trust that as a nation,
we will choose… wisely.
With the campaigning in the build-up to polling day – and all
the claims, counterclaims, vitriol and venom it brought – the
December London Show provided a welcome and enjoyable
distraction.

Top team
On entering the Havistock School on the chilly morning of 7
December, I turned right into the Mountbatten Room and was
greeted by the smile of Patrick Adams, owner of The British Toy
Soldier Company (BTSC). Behind his tables with Patrick and
wife Christine was an older gentleman I’d never met before.
On introducing myself, I discovered the man in question was
none other than David Scheinmann, a talented and celebrated Check them out! Sculptor David Scheinmann and Patrick Adams of BTSC

36 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR

 Beneito Foreign Legion under attack
GoT busts
Next door to Patrick
were the tables of Dixon had done something he’s very good at: tak-
Loggerheads Military ing castings from a mainstream manufacturer
Studios attended by – in this case, Beneito –
artist Louise Handley and transforming them
and her husband and into a mini diorama that
daughter. Louise’s manages to capture the drama
tables featured some and dynamism of a small unit
eye-catching new engaged in combat.
additions, a number The piece fea-
of which are reviewed tured a battling
elsewhere in this issue. unit of French
But reflecting the increas- Foreign Legion rifleman and their
ing popularity of fantasy officer who look surrounded and
characters within the fighting for their lives. The image
model figure hobby, I that accompanies this review
want to focus in this gives an indication of the terrific
report on some new paintwork with which Steve has
resin busts depicting major brought the figures to life and the cus-
characters from the blockbusting TV series Game of Thrones. tom job he has done on the base with the addition of realistic-
The busts have been artfully painted and are highly realistic looking terrain features.
in terms of the colour tones and textures of flesh, hair, textiles When we photographed the item, we revolved it many times
and armour. I can’t claim to be a fan of the series so had to get to find an optimal close-up view. And it looked great at practi-
some help in identifying the characters as (left to right) Jamie cally every angle. The Beneito models from which the diorama
Lannister, Sandor ‘The Hound’ Clegane and Tyrion Lannister. was made retail at £85 and the completed piece itself was
My nephew was able to name the characters from a thumbnail priced at £225. A little bird told me the piece sold a short while
picture on my phone, so they must be a great likeness! after the opening of the show…
The busts are priced at £80 each and would make a fine addi-
tion to the cabinet of any hardcore fan. Bamboo base
In support of his expanding WWII range depicting the war in
Vive la legion the Pacific, Blake Reade of Thomas Gunn Miniatures is intro-
As I passed through the larger Waterloo Room at the school, my ducing a smart new terrain piece that would make a fine addi-
eye was caught by a really nice French Foreign Legion vignette tion to any island warfare diorama. The piece in question – still
sitting on a display stands of Mariela Miniatures. Owner Steve in prototype – is a bamboo building that for me has echoes of ¼

Thomas Gunn Bamboo

Hut in painted resin

TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 37

 Excellent 9.2 inch
WW1 howitzer by
Tommy Atkins
O
S O

¼ a much-loved Airfix kit I owned as a child. Cast in resin, Blake’s
building is larger, deftly painted and features a handy lift-off roof
to assist with the positioning of figures. We photographed the
building within a larger jungle diorama that Blake had commis-
sioned and we think you’ll agree, it looks great. The piece will
be priced shortly and in the meantime, some of the other TG
products hitting the market this winter are captured in New
Releases 1 on pages 16-17.
Nouveaux Normans
Hobbyists who have been wowed by the new Saxons released
by John Jenkins Designs (JJD) will no doubt ap-
preciate a sneak preview of what’s coming next in
the production pipeline for this range. The answer
is some pretty stunning Norman cavalry. Clive
Gande of Grey Goose Collectables was showcas-
ing the undercoated resin masters of the figures
at the London show and they were attracting
plenty of attention. The TSC team spirited them
away for an impromptu photoshoot and the
images that accompany this review give you an
idea of how great they look. In particular, there

Awesome resin
masters of Norman
cavalry by JJD

.
.
. 38 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR
 Primitive Polish
plastic field piece
is what I believe to be a character fig-
ure of William of Normandy who famous-
ly removed his helmet in the thick of the Battle of
Hastings to quash the rumour that he’d been struck down
by a Saxon opponent. The implied movement in the mounted
figures is terrific and I can only imagine how terrific they’ll look
once given their JJD paintjobs. The Saxon figures launched in
advance of the Norman horsemen are reviewed on page 66.
Mighty Howitzer
The tables of UK toy soldier maker Tommy Atkins are always
jampacked with collectable gloss-painted figures from conflicts
spanning several centuries. Among these – and as the company
name perhaps suggests – is a broad collection of World War
One-themed items. These include a humongous 9.2-inch Brit-
ish howitzer supplied camouflage painted and with a five-man
crew. The weapon could a 290lb high explosive shell more
than 1,000 yards and it’s not difficult to imagination the
carnage is would have wreaked on a trenches or other
fortified positions.
A solid, well-executed piece, the gun was on
sale for £125.
SHOW REPORT
Polish artillery
From Tommy Atkins’ solidly-made metal howitzer to a feather-
light plastic cannon and crew! Dealer Steve Viccars was offering
an artillery piece produced by PZG of Poland in the 1970s.
Steve reckons it depicts the forces of the nobles who opposed
Poland’s King Sigismund III Vasa during the Zebrzydowski
Rebellion of 1606-7.
While chunky in form and almost 100mm in height, the fig-
ures were moulded in the lightest plastic I’ve ever encountered.
The paintjobs were rudimentary at best but because of their
rarity the set it was priced at £40.
New faces
It’s always good to see new dealers at the London Show and it
was a pleasure to meet the team behind Mr Lee’s Minis. The
company was represented by owner Kyle Cruickshank along
with his wife and son. Kyle deals in fantasy figures and brings
the products from a number of leading artists and studios to the
marketplace.
“We have pieces from Big Child Creative, Ouroboros Minia-
tures, Roman van der Bogaert, Journeyman Miniatures and
many, many more,” he said.
The team from Mr
Lee's Minis were a
welcome new sight
at the London Show
Chemical warfare
I’m always on the lookout for unusual items to include in my
show reports and vintage figure dealer Adrian Little had a set
on sale that fitted the bill nicely. After the horror of chemical
warfare was unleashed in the Great War, when another conflict
with Germany seemed likely, the UK government made a provi- ¼
TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 39
 History of Toy Soldiers
It's always a pleasure to see renowned toy soldier expert
James Opie (below, right) at the London shows and on this
occasion, he was promoting an excellent new book on the
hobby penned by Italian toy soldier manufacturer and col-
SHOW REPORT

lector, Luigi Toiati (below, left). James wrote the foreword

for The History of Toy Soldiers and speaks in glowing terms
of the volume.
"Far from a dry encyclopaedia, it leads the reader through
the fascinating evolution of the toy soldier from ancient
times to the early twenty-first century," he said. "The
author's writing is packed with factual detail about the dif-
ferent types of toy – and model – soldiers and their manu-
facturers, but also with anecdotes, nostalgia, wit and his
enduring passion for the subject."
The History of Toy Soldiers is available from Waterstones,
Amazon and other leading booksellers.

¼ sion to equip all civilians with gas masks. By the time the war
had broken out, special units trained to remediate areas
affected by chemical weapons had also been formed. Such a
unit was the subject of set produced by Taylor & Barrett in the
late 1940s. In toxicity suits and masks, and armed with hoses, Excellent King & Country Imperial Guard
figures in a diorama by TM Terrains
a pump and other cleaning equipment, these unusual metal
figures represent a unit that thankfully was not deployed on UK
soil during the second world. The set was priced at £165. December Show David had a recently completed commission
on his tables that was due to collected by a client. The piece in
Last stand question was a mouth-watering diorama build around 25 King
Under the management of David Marshall, TM Terrains is a & Country figures depicting the last stand of the Old Guard at
regular trader at the London shows and is always guaranteed Waterloo. David had built the base and backdrop for the dio-
to bring something eye-catching along to an event. At the rama and painstakingly positioned the off-the-shelf figures to

Taylor & Barrett chemical clean-up crew from the 1940s

40 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR

 SHOW REPORT
Terrific Arnhem diorama featuring King & Country British Paras

create a realistic-looking composition.

We can’t say how much the lucky collector had paid for the
piece but we did get his permission to use the image to grace
the front page of this issue. In this way, tens of thousands of
collectors will also have the opportunity to enjoy the artistry of
both David and King & Country.

Miniature Me
Actor Jason Salkey who portrayed flame-haired Rifleman
Harris in the TV series Sharpe’s Rifles is a regular at the
In closing
Dealers seemed to be doing a roaring trade as the show gath-
ered momentum into the early afternoon and I saw many col-
lectors enjoying a cup of tea or coffee with plastic bags stuffed
with goodies carefully arranged around their feet!
The next show at the Haverstock School takes place on Satur-
day, 28 March, 2020.
We hope to see you there. END

London Shows.
Text by George Phillips
Jason takes a couple of tables to offer collectors the oppor-
tunity to own high-quality colour prints and other merchan-
dise from the show.
Eye-catching
At the December event, he wargame setup
was offering some terrific representing the
miniature busts of the Nile campaign

character for which he is

most famous. We couldn’t
resist taking a shot of
Jason with his Mini-Me!
Fans of the show can
meet Jason at the Inter-
national Living History
Festival that takes place at
Cressing Temple Barns in
Braintree, Essex on 18-19
April, 2020.

TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 41

 SATURDAY 28TH MARCH 2020
HAVERSTOCK SCHOOL
24 HAVERSTOCK HILL · CHALK FARM · LONDON · NW3 2BQ

NEW FOR MARCH 2020

Over 150 trader tables
King & Country, W Britain, Thomas Gunn,
First Legion, Jon Jenkins Black Hawk
plus many traders check the
website for full list www.toysoldiershow.co.uk
Andrew Stevenson from Replica Metal Sol-
diers and his team will be showcasing their
NEW Wargaming Spectacular game!!!!!
www.replicametalsoldiers.co.uk
Free valuation from James Opie -
C & T Auctioneers
FREE trader parking • FREE visitor parking
Opening times
Early bird 9.30 - 10.30 £10.00
10.30 - 14.00 £6.00
14.00 - 16.00 £4.00
For trader reservations and tickets
tom@guidelinepublications.co.uk
Telephone: +44 (0) 1582 668411

Unit 6 Kensworth Gate, 200 - 204 High Street South, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU6 3HS
www.guidelinepublications.co.uk
 Model figures
New unpainted metal and resin/plastic figures/kits reviewed
this issue by Gary Haines and Paul Osborne
ICM
Various new releases
First up from ICM for Autumn
2019 comes this very well-
appointed 1:35 scale set of
German machine-gunners
from WWI set number 35711,
(for reference a WWII MG08
Team has also been released).
The MG08 was the
German army’s primary
machine-gun for much of
the War. It was a heavy beast,
most frequently mounted
on a folding sled that formed
the shooting platform when
erected - it was a formidable
static weapon and cost count-
less thousands of British
troops their lives in defence
of the German trenches of
the Western Front.
The sled parts are well
detailed and intricately
moulded, without being
unnecessarily fiddly. A nice
MODEL FIGURES
touch is the option to model
the gun in a low prone-firing
position, or in a high position
for sitting / trench placement
by selecting one of two leg-
stops moulded on the main
frame. A choice of two elevat-
ing arms is provided to set the
gun cradle correctly for the
firing height. Also provided is
an LMG08/15 ‘Spandau’ most
WWI German MG08 Team in 1:35 scale
commonly used with a fixed
bipod and drum-feed. with uniform piping and cuffs mess tins, rifles... as well as
The two figures are in clas- well formed. Both figures iconic favourites like the
sic kneeling pose and wear sport handsome moustaches ‘Broomhandle’ Mauser, the
full battle order, including and field caps suggesting the Artillery Luger and another
packs and rolls, though this early days of war, before the Spandau. A versatile set then,
would be less likely in most horror of gas attacks and the with enough equipment and
static situations. Modellers need for masks. weaponry to fill most scenes
will need to replicate the ‘y’ The third sprue comprises in one box.
straps on the back of these the previously released Another brand new release
figures if the packs are not German Infantry Weapons from ICM - this time in 1:24
used, as they are not present. set and includes numerous scale, which suits the com-
Moulding is generally sharp, Stahlhelm, water bottles, plex subject matter as well as ¼
TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 43

MODEL FIGURES
The third sprue containing the German Infantry Weapons set
¼ making these figures more
compatible with likely urban
vignette settings and popular
automobile kits in the same
scale, is a new S.W.A.T. team.
Inside the box we have four
figures in various poses and
states of readiness that would
suit individual or paired us-
age in a smaller scene though,
with careful placement, they
will form a plausible team
together.
Each figure has its own
master sprue and is individu-
ally packed with two others
containing weapons and
44 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR
equipment, and clear parts.
Additionally, each figure has
its own double-sided A4
instruction sheet in full-
colour. This is very welcome
reference, given the complex-
ity of the personal equipment
they carry and the intricate
combinations of materials
and colours involved. The
sculpting is good overall,
though the faces don’t have
the level of individuality of
some ICM sets I’ve reviewed -
a stern ‘straight ahead’ look is
the order of the day here. The
tactical body armour, modu-
The four
poses in the
S.W.A.T. Team
set IN 1:24
scale
The WWI German MG08 Team
sporting optional Stalhelm’s
lar carry equipment and
strapping are well enough
represented but, given the
use of Nomex, Cordura,
Velcro, Nylon Webbing and
Rip-Stop, there is very little if
any attempt to show texture
- with all parts being just too
smooth. This feels like a lost
opportunity, and some ‘nod’
to the look of the real materi-
als is more than appropriate
for figures of this scale.
However, the weapons are
superbly realised. The M4 car-
bines being especially good.
The way these accessory
An example of the weaponry sprue
sprues have been arranged,
you end up with a full set for
each figure and enough sur-
plus firearms to start a small
scale conflict, including 4
different types of pistol and a
CQC variant of the Heckler &
Koch MP5 per man, over and
above the M4s. I suspect this
extra firepower will please
many modellers. You also
get 3 different types of Kevlar
helmet per figure.
Overall, a decent enough
set and one, I suspect, that will
sell plenty… but it just lacks
that few percent in terms of
realism.
The final (and largest)
release from ICM for this
issue comes in the form of
this suitably dynamic and
threatening looking Viking
Warrior from the IX Century
in 1:16 scale (16301). If I was a
little underwhelmed by the
attention to fine detail on the
SWAT Team release, then the
polar opposite is true of this
figure.
Starting with the main
sprue, and the torso, the
sculpting of the padded
tunic is exquisite - with care

given to the creasing of each
individual diamond-shaped
panel, as well as fine stitching
and hemming at the edges.
Similarly, the long undershirt
has a repeating triangle motif
around the collar, sleeves and
lower edge. The breeches, leg
wraps and shoes are equally
well detailed. Buckles and
belts are separate and mod-
elled with their loose ends
tucked and tied most con-
vincingly. The clothing really
is an invitation to bring your
best painting game to bear.
The face is shown in the
midst of a war cry and is a
dramatic sculpt with very fine
facial hair and a high level of
character. How much of it you
ultimately see will depend on
your choice of helmet. Two
options are provided - open-
faced with a nose guard, and a
visored version as shown on
the superb box art.
Moving onto the accessory
sprue, we find a sheathed dag-
ger, a battle axe, swords - both
sheathed and drawn… the
blade of which has a superb
inscription in the blood
groove, and would make a
superb substitution to the axe
as the main weapon. A large
wooden shield with metal
furniture and centre boss
rounds things out - along with
3 arrows to stick into its wood-
work for added excitement.
Viking Warrior
from the IX
Century in 1:16
scale (16301)
A well cast, tiered display
plinth is also included and,
with careful finishing, should
negate the extra expense of a
wooden base.
This is a superb figure
to ‘let rip’ on, whether you
portray it as a historical piece
or interpret it as a fantasy
warrior. The shield would
benefit from some wood
texture being scribed, and
the sleeves would look better
hollowed out where they fall
open, but there is little else to
remedy. No decals or painting
guide for the shield art are
given. The former would have
been a nice consideration to
younger modellers but, for
master painters, this is an op-
portunity for personal creativ-
ity - I rather like the idea of an
Octopus!
ICM kits are generally avail-
able through all good model
shops, or from their list of
distributors - www.icm.com.
ua/distributors/
Review by Paul Osborne
CONTACT
ICM Holding
9 Borispolskaya str., building 64,
Kiev,
Ukraine, 02099
Tel./Fax: +38 (044) 3695412
www.icm.com.ua
MODEL FIGURES
TB226 British
Footguards
Mounted
Colonel
Imperial Miniatures
Ceremonial
Two more castings in 54mm also enable a smooth finish.
join the band this time The Colonel is posed in the
around. Both from the All the perfect way. Strai h b k
Queen’s Men range. These and proud. He wo ld l k
have been recently remould- perfect leading h d
ed and resplendent in their he knows it!
ceremonial garb and would These are two m l l
not look out of place in the samples from Mik L d
Banqueting House, although Imperial Miniatu .
the horse may raise a few
Review by Gary Haines
eyebrows. TB76 The Drum
Major, Brigade of Guards,
retails for £5.50 as a casting or
£15 painted. He comes in four
pieces complete with mace
(which is nicely detailed) and
the casting is clean with no
flash. I could only spot one
mold line that would need
cleaning before priming.
The British Napoleonics
Colonel (TB226 £14.50 cast-
ing and £40 painted) is, as is
TB76 Drum
apt, rather more impressive. Major in Full
He comes in three pieces, State Dress
the horse in two pieces and
the Colonel himself is one CONTACT
solid piece. The two pieces Imperial Miniatures
of the horse do not fit as snug
Nyetimber
together as would be desired 35a Norfolk Farm Road
but a little bit of trimming Woking
Surrey
and smoothing with the trust GU22 8LF
file sorts this tiny issue out. Tel: 01483 855757
A touch of the classic ‘green www.imperialminiatures.co.uk
stuff’ in the joints would
TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 45
 Stalingrad Miniatures
MODEL FIGURES
Various new 1:35 scale releases
British Tank
Crewman, WWI
WWI continues to have a
profound sense of poignancy
and fascination for many mili-
tary modellers and historians
regardless of their preferred
era. It is certainly a period that
holds much interest for me,
from the point of technologi-
cal advancement in warfare.
Hence I am very pleased to be
able to review S-1104 British
Tank Crewman first hand.
If the pose of this figure
looks familiar, that is because
it is based on a historical
photograph - which I believe
also inspired a colour plate
by reknown uniform expert
Andrew Mollo.
The casting of our Tank
Crewman is superb with no
pitting or other quality issues.
Pour gates and mould vents
are sympathetically placed in
areas of least effect - the feet,
shoulders, top of the head.
Hence, clean-up and assem-
The
unpainted
kit
46 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR
bly should not present any
problems.
The bagginess of the
loosely worn and turned-up
trousers is very nicely execut-
ed, as is the undercut ‘return’
on the jacket that negates the
need for hollowing out the
hem / removing superfluous
resin. The tailoring of the
jacket is also crisp and a pleas-
ing contrast to the trousers.
The figure wears a respirator
bag on his chest, and a distinc-
tive tanker’s anti-splinter
mask around his neck - which
is nicely done. Topped off
with a slightly angled ‘tin
hat’, this fellow really looks
the part. I would suggest this
figure is best suited to early
tank actions since overalls
became more common-place
as the war progressed. This
gives us the rather attractive
option of painting his helmet
blue, as was the case for tank-
ers early on. S-1104 is part of
a collection of tanker figures
The painted
figure as
shown on
the box art
The unpainted Russian infantryman
that could be used together
to make up the partial crew
of a Mk.I or Mk.IV and I highly
recommend him.
Russian
Infantryman,
Berlin 1945
‘Endkampf’ is a chapter of
WWII that has seen a surge in
interest in recent years, due
in no small part to wave after
wave of Soviet ‘heavy’ and
German ‘late’ armour kits hit-
ting the market. Apart from its
obvious tactical significance,
the battle for Berlin is notable
for being photographed pre-
dominantly from a Russian
point of view - giving rise to
much interesting reference
material.
S-3043 depicts a Russian
soldier inspecting a Panzer-
faust 60 or 100, at least I hope
he’s inspecting it - unless he’s
aiming at a German Eagle
crest on top of a building! This
being quite an intricate pose,
the parts count is relatively
high, for resin. Some relief
comes with the moulding of
the hands in place around
the trigger of the panzerfaust,
making it easier to line up the
arms prior to fixing perma-
nently. Texturing on the
The painted
figure as
depicted on
the box art
‘Telogreika’ padded jacket is
superb, with shoulder straps
cutting deeply into the thick
material and, what appears
to be a Russian stick-grenade
in the left side pocket. The
jacket rides up at the front to
reveal the hem of the regular
uniform tunic beneath - a well
observed effect of the pose.
The face has a suitable
look of concentration and is
topped off with a fur-lined
‘Ushanka’ hat with Red Star
badge. Personal equipment
is limited to a small shoulder
bag, for magazines, and a
PPS-43 machine pistol slung
across his back. At this point
in the war, many Soviet troops
‘packed lightly’ and made full
use of tanks and other forms
of military transport. S-3043 is
part of a vast line-up of Berlin
1945 Russian Figures, all in
complimentary poses and
various states of dress, and
are recommended on the
basis of my sample.
Quarantine
Checkpoint
Bringing things right up to
date, we have a set of two
figures from the ‘Unthinkable’
range, where real-life events
such as Chernobyl begin to

The new
‘Quarantine
Checkpoint’ set
blur into post-apocalyptic
or undead territory. These
figures appear factually
based. It is more a case of their
versatility being of interest to
modellers of fantasy as well
as factual vignettes.
Both figures in set S-3711
are sculpted wearing fully
enclosed HAZMAT suits with
air supplies, and chunky rub-
ber boots. The proportions
of both appear convincingly
bulky in a way that suggests a
normally sized person under-
neath - no easy feat. Modern
battle-dress uniform is visible
at the chest and neck. Both
heads wear lightweight
tactical helmets and are cast
separately from the torso.
As indeed are the HAZMAT
hoods, meaning that these
head/hoods are properly
rounded multi-part sculpts
and not just facial details set
into a solid block of resin. This
is impressive attention to
quality in an area some might
have chosen to simplify.
Personal equipment is limited
to a Geiger counter and an
assault rifle, with one figure
having a moulded on thigh
holster as well. A sheet of flex-
ible clear plastic is included
from which the modeller is
intended to cut the front por-
tions of the HAZMAT hoods.
A step that is likely to demand
patience, accurate cutting
and a glue, such as PVA, that
bonds purely through contact
as opposed to melting or
other chemical reaction with
the surface of parts. Though
the effort is sure to pay off.
Painting sees an opportu-
nity to ‘let rip’ with bright hues
- whether you choose green,
yellow, orange warning col-
ours or some other scheme of
your own creation. These are
superb figures, for advanced
modellers.
My thanks go to Alexander
Zelenkov for all the samples
he provided for these reviews.
Review by Paul Osborne
CONTACT
www.stalingrad.diorama.ru
In the UK:
Fields Of Glory Models
St Martins Business Centre
Chequers Lane
Eversley
Hook
Hampshire
RG27 0NY
Tel: 07745 872908
www.fieldsofglorymodels.co.uk
Masterbox Ltd
MODEL FIGURES
Tiberious ‘Ty’ Constellation Hackington III
One of seven kits to date, Ty
Hackington (MB24054) is a
part of the Masterbox sci-fi
themed range ‘At The Edge Of
The Universe’ comprising of
1:24 scale mercenaries, smug-
glers, robots and assorted
other alien ‘roughnecks’ who
congregate in a disreputable
bar that some may call ‘a
wretched hive of scum and
villainy’...
Hackington is a Galactic
Trooper, passed over for
promotion, who decides to
take a chance on his own. He
wears a full suit of well detailed thumb on the trigger hand.
hardshell armour over a body- The proof, of course, will be in
glove. Though seam lines on how well they grip the chunky
the arms and legs appear a assault rifle - the front end of
little heavy and will need care- which differs somewhat from
ful removal, given the complex the box art.
nature of the surfaces they in- This is a useful looking
habit. The torso is moulded in figure for various diorama
front and back pieces that fair settings and, with careful
considerably better. The one clean-up and painting, should
piece head has a nice facial make for a business-like
sculpt but suffers from slight addition to your models. An-
mould allignment issues at the other similarly posed Trooper
crown - though these should (MB24055) is also available
be easily remedied with a file. for a more populated ‘door-
An armoured face-plate is bursting’ scene.
provided if you prefer, along
Review by Paul Osborne
with shoulder / hip armour
and ammo pouches for the
figure’s waist. The hands are CONTACT
surprisingly well modelled Tel: +38 056 233 7714
with good sculpting / finger www.mbltd.info
definition and a separate
Assembly instructions with sprue layout
TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 47
 Marco Navas Studios
MODEL FIGURES

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Marco Navas studios have cluding Citizen Kane (1941),

produced another series of
hand painted 54mm resin
figures available for 35 euros
each. This time they repre-
sent the glamour of Holly-
wood. Once Upon a Time in
Hollywood is the series in
question. The first two in the
series are the giant of mod-
ern cinema Orson Welles
and the beautiful Marilyn
Monroe.
Orson is represented with
his almost trademark scarf
and from his latter period.
The half smoked cigar is a
fine detail. Orson Wells is
famous for many films in-
The Third Man (1949) and
the radio play The War of
the Worlds (1938).
Orson Welles was a giant
in cinema although during
his lifetime he often used his
earnings to finance his films.
One can only imagine what
he would have achieved
with today’s budgets. He
received a special Oscar in
1970.
Marilyn Monroe (June 1,
1926 - August 5, 1962) was
the sex symbol but she was
much more than the stereo-
typical ‘dumb blonde’ as she
is often perceived as. Known

‘Orson is represented
with his almost trademark
scarf and from his latter
period. ’

as Norma Jean Baker in when he was brought up

her youth, (adopting the
name Marilyn Monroe and
officially changing it in 1956)
she was described by no
less than Billy Wilder as ‘an
absolute genius as a comic
actress’.
Her most famous roles
include Some Like it Hot
(1959) and as ‘The Girl’ in The
Seven Year Itch (1955). From
which this pose is taken. The
classic skirt blowing up.
Marilyn also took on more
tougher roles. These can be
seen in the films Bus Stop
(1956) and alongside Clark
against the House Un-Amer-
ican Activities Committee.
This risked her career. She
also actively spoke out
against nuclear bombs.
Marilyn would die in
circumstances that still
cause debate today. Perhaps
the only fact to remember
is that a beautiful, intelligent
woman died at the age of 36.
Review by Gary Haines
CONTACT
Marco Navas Studio

Gable in The Misfits (1961). C/ Independencia Nº3-4

33212 Gijón- Asturias
Not often publicised is the SPAIN
fact that Marilyn stood by www.marconavas.com
her husband Arthur Miller

48 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR

The Sagas of
Noggin the Nog
In the lands of the North, where the Black Rocks stand guard against the
cold sea, in the dark night that is very long the Men of the Northlands sit
by their great log fires and they tell a tale…

T
he Little Soldier Company kindly sent me some figures
to review. Rather wonderfully presented they brought
back memories of the wonderful peaceful restful
worlds of Ivor the Engine, Bagpuss, The Clangers and of course,
who these figures represent, that man from the frozen north
and leader of men. No not Ragnar Lothbrok but Noggin the Nog.
It is the combination of the magical animation and the magi-
cal music (the introduction music so memorably played by
Vernon Elliott on basson and his daughte B d
on clarinet) which cements this world int
childhood minds. I also loved the viking a
a small nog and anything mysterious and h
graduated from Noggin to Lagertha and
Astrid as I have grown older. Receiving
these figures brought back lots of won-
derful memories of Mum’s sandwiches
and Me and Dad watching these. David Wood’s initial ‘tribute
figure’ of Noggin
Noggin was very much a combination f
the talents of Oliver Postgate and Peter Fi
They would form Smallfilms, the output of
created some of the best most imaginativ -
mations ever. These are more than ‘childr ’ s by the BBC for
stories’ as they are termed. They are stori £ 00 f each ten min-
from two of the best storytellers. ode. The Land
This sublime stop-motion television of nd its people
series was originally broadcast in 1959- o ed from the
1965 and then again for a short period fro f Norse chess
1979 - 1980. Although it was firmly set in th f m the Island of
viking period it would feature dragons, fly L d display in the
machines and talking birds. Very much v k B r and Oliver
meets steampunk. The whole concept w h d h d d h h ast and they
young minds as Oliver Postgate would re ll h th h h h d o be reluctant
Seeing Things remembering an incident 1962 p h b P er concluded
I was standing in Piccadilly Circus tube b k h h ld b ll d N and come
A small boy came up to me pushing an effi d ll’ f f C ring the chess
He plucked at my trouser pocket and said ‘P f h h h h ers one can see
guy, Mister? h
I replied: ‘Penny? I haven’t got a penny t !’ ’ me derived
‘Course you have!’ he cried. ‘You’ve got p f r f om the name of
You’re Noggin the Nog!’ N S g When viewing
How he knew who I was I don’t know, I suppose he had heard this name when travelling on the underground Peter’s imagina-
me speaking to the booking-clerk or something… tive mind came up with the name Noggin.
The very first episodes of Noggin the Nog were commis- I asked David Wood of The Little Soldier Company how Nog- ¼

TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 49

 Here we see Noggin and his Uncle and rival Nogbad the Bad
¼ gin in all his 28mm cast white metal glory originated as a series
of miniatures.
The acorn of an idea for the range came about when I was dis-
cussing Noggin with a good hobby friend, Peter Brown (of The
Mouldmaker who now casts everything) back in 2014. He was
so enthusiastic about Noggin that I decided to sculpt a tribute
figure... I am no sculptor but it seemed like a good idea.
Anyway, fast forward a few years and I was discussing having
a set of Snow White & The Seven Dwarves sculpted with the
sculptor Martin Buck... I had picked up an old set of Grenadier
Models Snow White - a paint and play set that I had never
known existed back in the day and was really enthusiastic
about getting a tribute range done however, the Disney licens-
ing shenanigans put me off. I then remember old Noggin and
found that he was one of Martin’s favorites as well. The game
was afoot. I managed to get hold of Peter Firmin who was inter-
ested but said I should discuss things with Nick Case of Amuse-
ment Games who was working on a boardgame; ‘Tales of
the Northlands, The Sagas of Noggin the Nog’. I owe Nick
a huge debt of gratitude as he guided me through the
pitfalls of contracts and licensing. I then commissioned
Martin to produce a set of 16 minia-
tures, all of which had to be vetted by
Peter and Daniel Postgate. Peter
was very exacting in his ap-
proach to what he wanted but
eventually we got the initial
set completed and released
via Kickstarter back in 2017. Nick
ran his successful Kickstarter for
the boardgame and we decided
that a set of the eight ma h
acters would be a great add
replacement parts... throw
to the wind I also commi dM
to produce further piece f h
game. I ran a second Kick
to release all the other pi
my favorite being, I think ‘Th
Game’ featuring Noggin a d
50 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR
And here we see his wife Nooka and King Knut.
Nogbad playing Hnefetafl with Thor Nogson and the accompa-
nying trolls as per the book. Peter’s death in 2018 hit everyone
very hard as he had been such a support of the project however
his memories live on in so many ways.
David also mentioned that they are currently involved in
another project which also features some of Peter’s creations.
So watch this space for further details.
As mentioned the presentation of these figures is superb.
Box Set One: The Sagas of Noggin the Nog is delightful. Avail-
able to purchase for £70 it contains 16 figures. The box is a box
of delights. The cover consists of gorgeous art of the charac-
ters from the series by Peter Firmin and the reverse includes
photographs of the beautiful painted models which can act as a
painting guide if you so wish and a source of inspiration for any
painter. The casting themselves are clean and crisp and very
true to their source material.
I would certainly recommend looking at The Little Soldiers
Company website, the range is expanding and as well as the
box sets you can also buy some individual castings. My own
favourite is ‘Dozing Sentries’. This range is obviously crafted by
fans, with love and attention and serves as a fitting tribute to the
great work of Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin
who are alive in the memories and creative
output of all those who watched their stop-
animations and were transported to other
worlds. To the Lands of Nog...cue basson. END
Text by Gary Haines
And finally a particularly happy looking
pair of soldiers. I have never seen such
happy soldiers in 28mm
CONTACT
The Little Soldier Company
184 Cheadle Old Road
Stockport
Cheshire
SK3 9RH
https://thelittlesoldiercompany.co.uk
 HISTOREX AGENTS, Wellington House,
157 Snargate Street, Dover, Kent, CT17 9BZ, ENGLAND
Tel: 01304 206720 eMail Sales@HistorexAgents.com

Watch preview videos

AVAILABLE FROM
www.HistorexAgents.com
www.YouTube.com/historexagents
 Zouaves
MODEL FIGURES

Mike Williams builds and paints ICM’s 1:35 scale

French Army of 1914 four figure set

T
he French Army
which went to war
in August 1914 must
have been a truly fantastic
but archaic sight, with its
uniforms displaying all of the
panache and elan of its inher-
ent overpowering doctrine
of ‘offense’ at the core of all its
thinking resonated in its dress
and personal equipment, and
in reflecting this paramount
here were its Zouaves.
The Zouaves had deep
North African roots, with ICM’s box-top is an evocative piece of striking artwork faithfully conveying a
the colonial French in 1830 small group of Zouaves in action, capturing their colourful uniforms worn in The combined assembly and painting
wanting to raise a regiment August 1914 guidance sheet provided fully
illustrates the salient aspects of this
of initially Berber volunteers extremely basic fuss-free build and
from the native Zwawa Republic era, as seen in the described as flamboyant and more involved finish.
group of tribes in Algeria, disastrous Franco-Prussian truly garish colours, with for
but having French officers war of 1870-71, even reminis- example its core metropolitan with its traditional prominent
and NCO’s. However it was cent of its Napoleonic origins. Regiment d’Infanterie (line garance (red) trousers and
later decided that the pool of All branches of the French infantry regiments) display- kepi counter poised by dark
recruits should be expanded Army in August 1914 were ing all the splendour of a blue greatcoats predominat-
to include volunteers of any outfitted in what can only be peacetime army on parade, ing.
ethnicity, so the first Zouave
Regiment (Regiment de Zou-
aves) was a mixture of Berber,
Arab, and European. But by
1842 the Zouaves began to be
recruited almost exclusively
from indigenous European
stock, but they still retained
and emphatically displayed
their exotic North African
roots through their outland-
ish uniforms.
While all the other major
powers had adopted subdued
utilitarian camouflaged dress
by the outbreak of the Great
War in August 1914, the French
had retained uniforms virtu-
ally unchanged from a genera- A platoon of Zouaves on the march in August 1914, obvious in any image from this period is their antiquated appearance,
tion before during the Third which belied their intense fighting qualities

52 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR


1 My usual inspection check of the basic parts on their tree indicated a nice
build ahead. This was supported by ICM’s equally detailed generic
equipment and armament set
However, the attire of a
typical colonial Zouave (and
Tirailleur and Spahis) was
significantly beyond even
this flamboyance, despite
the fact that they wore the
heavier weight North African
winter uniforms for service
in France, but it still appeared
lighter than the typical great-
coat clad Poilu.
An extravagantly attired
French Zouave of August
1914, was undoubtedly an
outlandish fusion of diverse
perceived exotic oriental
and North African cultures,
resulting in figures graphically
capturing all of the professed
inherent panache and elan
attributed to such colonial
warriors.
As was to be repeatedly
proven over the next four
years in the frontline trenches
dressed in drab utilitarian
uniforms, these North African
regiments were amongst the
very best in the French Army,
as is confirmed through the
famous Regiment d’Infanterie
Coloniale du Maroc from
Morocco, the most highly
decorated unit in the French
Army during the Great War.
Early in this conflict the
Zouave Regiments per-
formed with a naked ferocity
that was quite distinct from
the already aggressive typical
French metropolitan regi-
ments, and were subsequent-
ly regarded as an elite attach
force, however due to this
aggressive nature by the end
of the conflict they were no
better than a typical line regi-
ment due to high losses and
the dilution in their depleted
ranks by conscripts.
But when the first Zouave
battalion’s disembarked
at Bordeaux and at Sete
between August 7 and 15
1914, they were at their peak
in both terms of integral
strength, proficiency, splen-
dour, and indeed colour, a
status which ICM have thank-
fully faithfully captured in
their four-figure set.
Uniform
A typical Zouave from the
ranks during August 1914 was
resplendent in his distinc-
tive floppy tasselled chechia
headgear (which could be
covered by a blue sleeve to
make it make it less visible),
short collarless dark-blue
jacket which was heavily
braided, worn over a black
sleeveless vest/waistcoat
(sedria) buttoned up on the
When captured at rest the appearance of the Zouaves seemed as if they
belonged to a Napoleonic setting
2 Everything was easily detached from the tree due to their light attachment
points, with only minimal preparation work required before embarking
upon this four figure build
side, with a broad light-blue
cummerbund around his
waist, red baggy sarouel trou-
sers (pantaloons), high white
gaiters above black ankle
boots, all markedly divergent
features from ICM’s other
French Army of 1914-18 sets.
It is noted that Zouave’s cus-
tomarily carried a bigger pack
(black with natural leather
shoulder straps, the latter
worn under the jacket) that
French metropolitan troops, a
feature retained from the un-
certain resupply in the field
while operating in the harsh
North African environment,
with their regulations stating
the carrying of extra food
and water (large two litre)
canteens along with broken-
down tent sections.
Obviously while the cut
and attire of this uniform was
quite different, the retention
of a fundamentally dark-blue
and black top and red checia
MODEL FIGURES
and sarouel resulted in a
truly distinctive and colour-
ful figure, an overall striking
appearance which has been
faithfully rendered in these
well moulded 1/35 scale plas-
tic figures.
Figures
ICM’s 1:35 scale ‘French
Zouaves 1914’ (No. 35709) was
released in October 2019.
Their latest offering is obvi-
ously the perfect companion
to their earlier 2014 ‘French
Infantry 1914’ (No. 35682), and
2018 ‘French Infantry on the
march 1914’ (No. 35705), from
which an expanded ‘August
1914’ themed display can be
easily derived from.
However, upon my custom-
ary initial parts check and
overall inspection of the con-
tents, I noticed that ICM had
included their generic French
Army 1914-18 equipment set
to accompany these four
figures, so some prominent
features such as the Zouaves
enlarged packs and canteens
were not modelled here.
But overall this was cat-
egorically not a deal breaker,
with the final overall fixtures
and fittings provided all merg-
ing together into four figures
which faithfully capture all
of the salient features and
indeed flamboyant panache
of the Zouaves.
This set comes in a quite
adequately robust and secure ¼
TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 53
MODEL FIGURES

3 Setting the correct position of the torso with their respective legs and arms
was the obvious groundwork stage for all that was to follow 4 Due to the breakdown of each figure and personal equipment this permits
access to all features in the essential painting stage

5 The basic painting of each figure saw them take on some identity, obviously
touched up and finalised as the build progressed

¼ end opening box with nice in dynamic aggressive action

front ‘action’ artwork, with
a full painting guide on the
reverse, seeing ICM advance
two ranges, Revell, and thank-
fully for me Tamiya’s acrylics,
the latter being my preferred
medium these days.
As I have emphasised
above four figures are
provided, one officer ap-
parently stumbling (after
being hit?), with one of the
ranking Zouaves extending
a hand to assist, leaving the
other two soldats (privates)
6 My completed four figure set arranged in a striking action diorama as shown in ICM’s box-top artwork, all well
animated in convincing poses with excellent features and detailing
poses. However, one point not
previously mentioned is the
incredibly low asking price of
this release, which at just over
£10 can only be regarded as
excellent value for money.
The breakdown of each
core figure permits clean
painting, with its separate
torso, head, legs and arms
permitting clear access to
all areas. Here the finesse of
On parade a rough piratical looking group of Zouaves clearly give the
impression of being tough fighters despite their archaic theatrical dress
moulding has resulted in
the presence of nice facial
features and hands on the
figures, while their uniforms
all possess creases and folds,
but there was no clear guid-
ance towards the prominent
braiding through any notice-
able raised pattern, this had
to be perceived from the
accompanying artwork and
inspection of contemporary
photographs.
ICM’s generic French Army
of the Great War equipment
and personal
armament set, will
provide all the basic para-
phernalia required, although
the fullness of a noted Zou-
aves pack over the standard
issue has not been addressed
here, the modelled pack is
more than adequate.
The single officer figure in a
conventional uniform French
Army tunique and breeches
comes in very workable 8
light grey injection moulded
plastic parts. My only issue
here is that I would have pre-
ferred an erect advancing fig-
ure over the ‘stumbling’ pose
moulded here. I preferred
the officer figure from ICM’s
earlier (No. 35682) set, which I
suppose can be drafted in if a

54 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR

 MODEL FIGURES
7 Even as seen from the back the high degree of integrally moulded detail
ICM have worked into their Zouaves is enough for any modeller or
collector
8 To tellingly convey the truly dramatic changes which overwhelmed the
typical French infantrymen during the Great War, my Zouaves of 1914 can
be placed alongside their Poilu colleagues from 1918

9 My new Zouaves can evidently standalone all by themselves, but for me their incorporation into a display including
other ICM French Army figures from 1914 was called for

more dynamic overall display
is desired.
However the three Zouaves
soldats involve total fully
fitted out piece between 17
to 18 pieces, each I believe
certainly capture all of the
fundamental features of
these idiosyncratic subjects
in considerable sharply
executed detail. In approach-
ing these figures I am categori-
Gutermann 100% Polyester figures military modellers References
sewing thread (Red) Colour can now replicate faithful 1:35 French Army 1914 August
156 (on a 30-meter spool), ap- scale replicas of the exoti- to December - Officers &
plied through clear varnish, to cally attired Zouaves in their Soldiers: Andre Jouineau,
try an indicate this colourful prime, capturing them at their Histoire and Collections,
aspect of their dress. most ‘colourful’ period, a great Paris, 2008.
addition to any Great War col- The French Army 1914-18: Ian
Close lection, especially a French Sumner, Osprey Publishing,
After the extensive disastrous orientated one. END
Oxford, 2009.
‘Battle of the Frontiers’ in THE B
EST IN FIG
URES,
August and September 1914, FANTA
SY AN
D SCI-FI
the surviving units of the dev-
NE
Issue 2
•
Jan/Fe £4.95
b 2020

cally not a pedantic purist astated French Army quickly

New magazine!
W

counting buttons or the width adapted to the overwhelm- FIGUR

!

N A T I ES
of stripes, as is quite evident ing conditions of modern If you enjoy modelling why INTER

84
ONAL
02

from my unquestioned ac- warfare, with the adoption not try TSC’s new sister pages
of
9 772
ww w.
633 047 011

features fantas
yfigures
.co.uk
ceptance of the presented of more practical subdued publication Fantasy Figures & review
s
S uper Je
undersized packs and can- colours and dress, seeing International? More fr rry
om the
of Ma.K world
.
teens, I just found the overall the Zouaves along with the The La
look and appearance of these indigenous North African FFI is the only magazine Hope st
Mazinge
Super r Z
figures captured all that I Tirailleurs and Spahis quickly to bring you the best from Robot

desired as an average military
collector to faithfully model
these truly unique figures
from August 1914.
adopting initially khaki then the worlds of historical and SCOUT
I
T NG
FOR
the standard horizon-blue fantasy figure modelling an
ROUBL
as befitting their colonial
status, going on to be among
the various genres of Sci-Fi Buildin

SMC 20
Euro 19
g the A
E
T-ST fr
om Bandai
pe’s Pr
emier
In my attempt to cleanly the most decorated units of Chris C Model
Show
An excllayton
usive in E XC LUSIVE
FREE
replicate an ‘impression’ of the French Army during The terview
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Find out more at: POSTER!
the Zouaves braiding to their Great War.
jacket, my fine painting was However, now through www.fantasyfigures.co.uk
not up to this, so I called upon ICM’s excellent August 1914

TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 55

 Fantastic Plastics
REVIEWS

Mike Blake reviews all the latest and greatest plastic figures to
be released into the hobby for collectors

MARS
WWII German Infan

Elite Infantry in Winter Cloth-

ing was the set I wrongly
described in a previous
review. The set doesn’t follow
the usual MARS formulae;
there are 15 figures in eight
poses. They are all dressed in
white heavy padded winter
clothing with hoods, cast in
pale grey plastic.
The multiple poses, three
of each, are; standing turn-
ing to the left firing an SMG
from the shoulder; standing
firing a Russian LMG from the
hip; standing pulling the pin
from a stick grenade, ready to
throw it, rifle slung over the
back. There is a one-off figure,
presumably meant to be an
officer, running firing a Rus-
sian SMG from the shoulder.
The remaining figures are all
kneeling, and cast without ( ) t C kf f f s
bases; single sniper firing a them. As I suspected, they are the Red Army went over to up, apparently from nowhere
rifle with scope, firing a rifle another useful and unusual the Germans in a body, new in traditional unifo d
and firing an SMG from the set of figures. armed with sword l
shoulder. The final pose is a When in the summer of daggers, and rifles h h d
very interesting one, operat- 1942 the front in the south been buried for ye
ing a small mortar, and there was moving fast toward the The 1st Cossack D f
are two of these. Caucasus and six cavalry
Another very useful ad- the Volga, the was form d h
dition to WWII figures and German ar- summ f 1943
pretty much unique as far as mies entered und h
I recall. territories c d
I mentioned these (Set inhabited by of G l
32023) Russian Cossacks on the Cos- v P
German Service in Plastic sacks, who
News in the previous issue greeted the
and promised a full review Germans
when I had some. Sergey Z as libera-

56 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR

witz, then expanded into the

REVIEWS
XVth SS Cossack Cavalry
Corps, some 50,000 men. The
Germans used the Cossacks
to fight Soviet partisans, cover
the rear of their armies, and
sometimes for action at the
front. Later, some Cossack for-
mations were sent to France
and Yugoslavia.
The box contains 15 figures
in eight poses, two of each of
seven poses and one of the
eighth. All are action pos
officer (the single figure)
advancing with pistol in ft
hand, sword over the sho l-
der in the right hand (the
constraints of casting me
the blade is tight against h
back, but that could easil b
changed); stabbing forwa
with a knife in the left ha
German SMG held in the
standing firing a Russian S G
from the shoulder; advan
with German LMG levell d
at the waist; kneeling cock
the bolt on a rifle (unusu
the figure is without a ba )
all these are wearing a ja k .
The other figures are actually usable across a wider
dressed in the traditional C - timespan than that, right back
sack robe or cherkeska; s d through the Revolution and
with rifle with fixed bayo Civil War, WWI and even ear-
levelled; advancing firing lier. Some of the weapons are
Russian SMG from the waist strictly WWII, of course, and Another unique set from
lk h fl . would need to be replaced, MARS, which fill a gap with
B ded f WWII h C - but others are not period- theses exotic and unusual
s kd h specific. WWII fighters.

C
M S
w g m
(but this only seems to feature 1/72nd
scale figures)

TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 57

 Engineer Base
REVIEWS
Russian Civil War & Ukrainia u
Set 30 White Guard in Siberia .
Commanders I confe
Russian Civil War is who I a f d Th f
1918-21 poses ar b d
Two more Russian Civil War right hand d bl b
(RCW) sets in the usual EB overcoat f kh C -
boxes showing the figures sack dre hf
inside. There are four riders Cossack d d
and four horses; the riders forward h h h d
in four poses and the horses army un f f k d
in two. The rider poses vary cap, jack db h dd l
from aggressive to fairly revolver d h h d
passive, the riders are uni- and binos in the left hand;
formed differently as each another Cossack looking
represents a White Guard costume, with fur hat again,
(Royalist) leader. and this time the rider
The White movement wields a naigaika (short whip
and its military arm the in his right hand and sports a
White Army, also known as splendid moustache. All the
the White Guard, the White riders are in the same brown
Guardsmen or simply the plastic as their mounts, and
Whites, was a loose confed- are superbly sculpted.
eration of anti-communist The horses are those used
forces that fought the Com- in the Chintoy ACW generals
munist Bolsheviks, the Reds, sets. One pose is galloping
in the Russian Civil War full out, whilst the other is
(1917–1922/1923). To a lesser more static. They are both in
e d d kb l h
a f s l f l
i b h d s ddl .
a d h R b d Th ll l -
Set #31, Leaders of the Ukranian Revolution
58 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR
Set #30 White
Guard
Commanders
d
kh
fi
‘ l ’ h
‘toy soldiers’, it must be said.
Again, an exceptional fine
offering from EB!
Set 31 Leaders of
the Ukrainian
Revolution 1917-1921
The Revolutionary Insurrec-
tionary Army of Ukraine also
known as the Black Army or
simply as Makhnovshchyna,
was an anarchist army
formed largely of Ukrainian
peasants and workers under
the command of the famous
anarchist Nestor Makhno
d during the Russian Civil War
of 1917–1922 They protected
th f f ” p
a n u
h F T r -
tempt to form a stateless lib-
ertarian communist society
from 1918 to 1921 during the
Ukrainian Revolution.
OK, so you already knew
that – I just thought I’d make
it clear. I knew a little about
Makhno and his adventures,
and given the obscurity of
the subject matter, confess
I never expected to see a
figure of him, or any of his
comrades/rivals in plastic!
EB have really hit the jackpot
for ‘off the wall’ this time.
That said, this is another
set of excellent figures. There
are four rider figures in four
d bl l -

hair and frogged jacket.
Anyone interested in the
period should consider
joining the forum at Studio
Siberia (web site having
problems at the time of writ-
ing – Studio-siberia.ru). Lots
of interesting information
there. Do not let the apparent
focus on wargames figures
smaller than 54mm put
you off. Information about
them and photos of painted
figures can be very inspira-
tional, and enough having a
go at them and the period in
our bigger scale. There is also
a wealth of factual informa-
tion about battles, uniforms,
organisations, flags, and
more – a marvellous archive
in itself which lots of links to
other sources too.
CONTACT
Engineer Basevich
Email: soldafan2010@mail.ru
www.facebook.com/
groups/1858709394344370/
In the UK:
Steve Weston Toy Soldiers
14 Limburg Road
Canvey Island
Essex
SS8 0QJ
Tel: 01268 680117
www.plastic soldiers.co.uk
REVIEWS
Technolog
Russian Polar Guardsmen
Plastic figures from this Rus-
sian maker seem to be back
in production but there is still bolt gun combo) at waist level.
no UK retailer, so it is eBay for All have a back-pack of
them. There are several sell- some kind, some connected
ers who have proved reliable, to their firearm. They are true
b t l t t 1/32nd, short in comparison
T f to EB figures for example,
S fi but in my experience work
G OK with other 54mm figures,
v 2 especially when raised on
/ bases (which they need, as
i without them they will keep
i falling over).
g b Just what role they can
a 0 play in in a SF collection or
w f wargames army I am not sure.
f . They have a similarity in ap-
T fi fi pearance to Star Wars Rebel
fi Alliance Snow troopers and
odd l l l A could be used to supplement
is the norm with Tehnolog, these. Other possibilities are
there are no bases, the figures Post-Apocalypse settings as
being designed to stand on some kind of paramilitary
their own two, rather large, force, as they do look semi-
feet. uniformed.
The poses are: an officer
handgun raised in the left
hand; sniper firing rifle with
scope; holding an SMG at CONTACT
https://www.ebay.com/itm/POLAR-
waist level; advancing with GUARDSMEN-54mm-Tehnolog-soft-
SMG, head turned to the plastic/123603555616?hash=item1cc
left; advancing with heavy 7589520:g:dmoAAOSwLgNacE24.
weapon (some sort of flamer/
TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 59
 Raging Heroes
REVIEWS
Various new releases
This outfit is a small company
based in the South of France
which works with great artists
and partners from around the
world to produce resin war-
games figures. Indeed, they
have been in to role-playing
and miniature gaming on and
off for 25 years. More about
them in the next issue.
Their website reveals amaz-
ing creativity and imagina-
tion. The main range are
30mm collectible resin (and
sometime metal) miniatures,
designed for wargame, role
playing game or for painting
and collecting. Their models
include a range branded
as the Toughest Girls of the
60 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR
Galaxy (TGG) range. The TGG
are claimed to be the ‘most
formidable female warriors
you can think of’, and their
images certainly seem to bear
this out!
However, my interest was
piqued when I discovered
that they were doing some
larger 54mm-60mm sculpts.
To see just how good they
were, I got hold of three of
them as castings, to assemble
and paint. I have:
Nepharya, NecroPriestess
(IE) 54mm Heroic Scale. ‘Im-
bued with great necromantic
powers, Nepharya ruthlessly
lords over necrocyber zom-
bies who serve as bodyguards
and cannon fodder for the
Iron Empire.’
Raven, The Chainbreaker in the arena and her cunning but requiring no great skill to
(JB) 54mm Heroic Scale. ‘Su- intelligence, she became a assemble.
preme leader of the Jailbirds. star. But all this was part of her Nepharya is another mat-
Raven used to be a gladiator careful plans to achieve free- ter. She is still a single figure,
slave who fought for a power- dom for her and her cohorts’. but the kit is very multi-part!
ful family of the Kurganova Svetlana, the Light of Some of the pieces are very
realm. Through her prowess Freedom (KST) 54mm He- delicate too, so the whole
roic Scale. ‘Svetlana quietly thing needs care when as-
contributes to the battles sembling. Once together, she
that the Kurganova Shock is stunning.
Troops engage in, acting as an I am really impressed by
infiltrator and an occasional the quality of these figures;
hitwoman. In her hand she they look as good as their
holds an ancient Kurganova publicity suggests. Well worth
fallen flag that she uses to investigating by any fantasy
rally all the Kurganovas who collector or 54mm wargamer
have lost faith or fled from the looking for something really
battlefield.’ special for their fantasy army.
Great fluff! All of the kits
are beautifully detailed, with
superb sculpting of detail. CONTACT
Raven and Svetlana are single www.ragingheroes.com
figures on bases, multi-part
 54mm Soldier and Civilians
Many ranges and eras
Mad a d a ed h UK

14 Constance Road,
Whitton, Twickenham,
Middlesex, TW2 7hy
Tel: 0208 8945925 Secure web ordering at
Email: nik@ats-uk.net www.ats-uk.net

Show dates Details of the shows

happening in your area
February 47905, USA. Doors open at 10am and close at 3pm. If you organise a
Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd February Room trading on Friday and Saturday before the show. show, or know of
Admission: $5, children under 12 free. one other collectors
Atlanta Model Figure Show, Atlanta Hilton/Marietta
Organiser MTSS: www.mwtoysoldier.com would be interested
Conference Center, 500 Powder Springs St, Marietta, GA in, then please either
30064, USA. Organiser: The Atlanta Military Figure post us the details
Society, www.atlantafigures.org.
April or email: tsceditor@
Friday 18th & Saturday 19th April darkmedialtd.com.
79th Miniature Figure Collectors of America Show, Information we
March require is the date of
Radisson Hotel Philadelphia Northeast, 2400 Old Lincoln
Saturday 28th March the event, full address
Highway, Trevose, PA 19053, USA. Door times: Friday
The Toy Soldier Show London (Presented by Guideline of where it will be
midday until 5pm. Saturday 9am to 4pm. Admission: $15
Publications and Toy Soldier Collector magazine), held, admission times,
for both days, children under 12 free. Organiser: MFCA,
Haverstock School, 24 Haverstock Hill, Chalk Farm, ticket prices and all
www.mfcashow.com. relevant organiser
London, NW3 2BQ, England. Doors open at 10.30am and
info, including contact
close at 4pm. Admission: Early bird (9.30am onwards) Saturday 25th April telephone number.
£10, general admission (10.30am onwards) £6 (£5 for The British Model Soldier Society Annual Show 2020, All show listed which
prepaid tickets which can be ordered by phone or mail Church Hall, St. Saviours’, are followed by (TSC)
from the Guideline office), children under 14 FREE. St. George’s Square, Lupus Street, Pimlico SW1V 3QW. means the magazine
Organiser: Guideline Publications/Toy Soldier Collector Doors open at 10.30am for the general public and will have a table at
magazine (www.toysoldiercollector.com and www. 10.00am for BMSS Members. Admission: £3 non-BMSS these events. TSC
toysoldiershow.co.uk), tel: 01908 274433. (TSC) members and £2 BMSS members. Child admission is editors or contributors
may be in attendance
free, but must be accompanied by an adult. (Timings and
at other shows, but
Sunday 29th March entry prices as per 2019 show so please note these may the magazine may not
Midwest Toy Soldier Show, Courtyard by Marriott change for 2020). have a table.
Conference Center, 150 Fairington Avenue, Lafayette, IN Organiser: The BMSS, www.bmssonline.com.

62 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR

 Tradition of London
782 Toy Soldier Set

Joachim-Napoleon Murat Mounted

in Polish uniform
Painted

Joachim-Napoléon Murat, born

Joachim Murat 25 March 1767 – 13
October 1815 was a Marshal of
France and Admiral of France
during the reign of Napoleon.

He was also the 1st Prince Murat, Grand

Duke of Berg from 1806 to 1808, and King
of Naples from 1808 to 1815.
Murat received his titles in part by being
Napoleon’s brother-in-law through marriage
to his younger sister, Caroline Bonaparte, as
well as personal merit.
He was noted as a daring, brave, and
charismatic cavalry Officer as well as a
flamboyant dresser, for which he was known
as “the Dandy King”.

Tradition of London Toy Soldiers are

Au Plat d’Etain Scott’s Models Soldiers of Rye The Armoury of St. James’s Scarlet and Gold
16 Rue Guisarde 9 St Margaret’s place 110, High St.,Rye 17 Piccadilly Arcade Lansdowne,
75006 Paris G1 5JY Glasgow East Sussex, TN317JE London, SW1Y 6NH Cavendish Road
France United Kingdom United kingdom United Kingdom Church Crookham
Hampshire, GU52 6PZ
Patricia Hebert Tel: +44(0)141 552 3956 Mr.Chris Viner Tel: +44 (0)20 7493 5082
Tel: 01 43 54 32 06 Email; info@scottsmodels.co.uk E-mail: soldiers.of.rye@hotmail.co.uk Fax: +44 (0))20 7499 4422 Tel: +44 (0)1252 622604
E-mail: auplatdetain@orange.fr https://www.scottsmodels.co.uk Website: www.armoury.co.uk www.scarletandgold.co.uk
www.auplatdetain.sitew.com

Manufacture Belge de Dentelle SA
Galerie de la Reine 6-8
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Tel: 32 (0) 2 511 44 77
Fax: 32 (0) 2 513 09 17
E-mail: info@mbd.be
http://www.mbd.be/index.html
Serneels S.P.R.L Rayve Saimex di Stefano Allorini Berliner Zinnfiguren
Avenue Louise, 69 48 AV Albertyn via guicciardini 24 Knesebeckstr. 88
1050 Brussels 1200 Bruxelles 41012 Carpi (mo) 10623 Berlin
Belgium Belgium Italy Germany
Tel: 0039059699788
Tel: +32 (0) 2 538 30 66 Tel: 0032 2513 2422 info@saimextoys.com Tel: 0049 30 315 700 0
Fax: +32 (0) 2 538 05 37 E-mail: souvenir@rayve.be http://www.saimextoys.com Fax: 0049 30 315 700 77
E-mail: info@serneels.be www.rayve.be E-mail: info@zinnfigur.com
www.serneels.be And shop at the following address; www.zinnfigur.com
IL SALOTTO DEL SOLDATINO
VIA ASSISI, 19
ROMA
enrico@ilsalottodelsoldatino.it

www.traditionoflondonshop.com
e.mail shop@traditionoflondon.com
For telephone enquires contact Bob Prati of RP World Models on 0115 9427462 who are working with Tradition
RP World Models Ltd, Chelsea House, Chelsea Street, New Basford, Nottingham, NG7 7HP
 New Releases 2
REVIEWS
Reviews of new metal figures to arrive in the hobby by
Martin Ainscough and George Phillips
Little Legion
Napoleonic Cavalry
At the December London
Show, collectors of all marks
and scales were in attend-
ance looking for those new
figures as Christmas addi-
tions to their collections.
Despite having built a
reputation for retelling the
many various actions of
the Zulu Wars in perfect
gloss painted 54 mm scale,
Mike Norris has always a
maintained a steady supply
of new figures from other
theatres of war, most notably
the Napoleonic period and in
particular the mounted cav-
alry of the many nations that
fought either with France or
64 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR
against them throughout the
conflict.
The latest Cavalry regi-
ment to emerge from the
Little Legion stable comes
in the form of the Lancers
de Berg. The regiment of
cavalry raised by the Grand
Duchy of Berg during the Na-
poleonic era is considered to
have one of the most striking
and recognisably uniforms
since the unit ultimately
gained for itself the special
distinction of being admit-
ted to Napoleon’s Imperial
Guard. However, their fame
was short lived as by Janu-
ary of 1809 the original Berg
The new Lancers
de Berg
Light Horse unit had ceased mally reserved for purely
to exist, with the officers and ceremonially occasions. The
troopers being re-assigned figures are well sculpted with
to the regiment of Chasseurs different poses available and
which succeeded the Berg are priced at £36.00 each.
Unit or the already estab-
Review by Martin Ainscough
lished Mounted Chasseurs
of the Guard or the Mounted
Grenadiers.
In keeping with most
mounted releases from
Mike, the group consists of
CONTACT
an Officer, Trumpeter and 3
Little Legion Toy Soldiers
differently posed troopers. 7 Albert Road
The figures are depicted in Penarth
their campaign uniform of Vale of Glamorgan
CF64 1BX
green and pink as opposed
Tel: 029 20704331
to the pink and white dress
www.littlelegion.co.uk
uniform which was nor-

New Marching Legionnaires in true 54mm scale £18.50 each
Alexander’s
Toy Soldiers
Romans
Centurion
with
Mastiff
£25.00
Marching Legionnaires, East-
ern Archers and Centurions
with Mastiffs join the ranks of
the previously released fig-
ures that collectively made up
the diorama featuring Caesar
versus Vercingetorix at Alesia.
It is a period of military
history that Nik Biberovic,
owner of ATS, has always had
more than a passing interest
in but it is only recently that
this interest has transferred
itself into actual figures joining
the already extensive range
Male
Ballet
Dancers
£20.00
each
of time periods on offer to
collectors of gloss painted
figures available from the ATS
catalogue.
Having brought you news
of the first releases from this
scene, their ranks have now
been swelled with the arrival
of several finely sculpted in-
dividuals in true 54mm scale
depicting marching legion-
naires, eastern archers and
centurions. These sculpts are
the first masters created by a
new master sculptor for the
company. It has taken some
time for Nik to find a sculptor
able to ensure the accuracy
and detail that Nik required
after Alan Caton, ATS’s former
sculptor, sadly passed away.
Nik’s search took him far and
wide and he eventually found
a sculptor in Poland of all plac-
es that had the right attributes
and skills necessary to fill the
void that had been left. The
Eastern Archers £18.50 each
Romans in their many guises
are the first master sculpts
from this new source to go into
full production. Not that Nik’s
man in Poland can take all the
credit for these latest releases
as the Mastiff dog which can
be ordered with the Centurion
figure is yet another example
of the genuine artistic talent of
Nik’s younger son Tomi who
created the faithful canine
with the help of a 3D printer.
I am not someone who is
drawn to this period of his-
tory but given the number
of figures that are available
depicting the various arms of
the Roman Empire, I am sure
that you will agree that these
latest gloss painted examples
Male &
Female
Ballet
Dancers
£20 each
REVIEWS
Single
Centurion
£18.50
are some of the best currently
available today. Single figures
retail at £18.50 each inclusive
of P+P (Centurion, single
marching romans plus eastern
archers), while the centurion
together with the Mastiff dog is
priced at £25.50 but again this
includes P+P.
News has also reached me
of a new addition to the ‘World
of Ballet’ with a male principal
dancer taking his place a long
side his female counterpart.
Created again by Tomi there
is currently only one pose
available now although it is
available in a choice of differ-
ent coloured dancing tights.
Individual figures are priced at
£20 each.
Review by Martin Ainscough
CONTACT
Alexanders Toy Soldiers
14 Constance Road
Whitton
Twickenham
TW2 7HY
Tel: 0208 894 5925
www.ats-uk.net
TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 65
REVIEWS
John Jenkins Designs
Various new releases
If you’ve had the opportu-
nity to read my report on the
December London Show on
pages 38-39 you’ll have seen
the masters of some new
Norman cavalry in the pro-
duction pipeline with John
Jenkins Designs (JJD).
These figures will form the
opposition for the first new
JJD releases covered in this
review: superb Saxons.
The events of 14 October
1066 are well known to those
with even a casual interest in
the history of the Brit-
ish Isles for the Battle of
Hastings, fought on and
around Senlac Hill in
the Sussex country-
side, would set a
new social and
political course
for the na-
tion.
The
combatants
were the
Saxon forces
led by King
Harold God-
winson and the
invading Norman
army led by
Duke William
of Normandy,
known once by
66 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR
his political foes as William
the Bastard but by history as
William the Conqueror.
JJD has produced charac-
ter figures of Harold Godwin-
son and his younger brother
Gyrth which, as you’d expect,
are superbly sculpted and
skilfully painted. Both figures
carry the mighty long-hand-
ed battle-axe, also called a
‘Danish axe’ because it had
originated with the Vikings.
Swung with two hands, the
battle-axe was capable of
cutting off the head of a man
or horse. But it was also light
and well-balanced enough
Gyrth and Harold Godwinson
to be used with one hand,
while the other held a shield.
A highly versatile weapon, it
took years of training to mas-
ter and was far from the crude
hacking weapon that many
have assumed it was.
Both figures wear a chain
mail shirt – a relatively light
and highly innovative source
of protection for the warriors
who could afford them – and
the figure of Harold is seen
gesturing with his axe, per-
haps to communicate orders
or instructions? Gyrth on the
other hand has gripped his
weapon with both hands and
looks ready to wreak havoc
on the attacking Norman
formations. These are superb
figures that ooze quality.
British school children
are well versed in the fate of
Harold on the afternoon of
14 October 1066 but few are
probably aware that Gyrth
was also cut down , along with
another of Harold’s brothers,
Leofwine Godwinson.
Warriors representing the
army of Harold have also
been produced and in the ac-
companying photo, you can
see them positioned in a de-
fensive formation that mirrors
the classic Saxon shield wall
behind which Harold’s forces
fought on Senlac Hill.
Most of the JJD defenders
produced so far are Fyrd-
men -- militia called to arms
to serve their lord – and are
armed with the iron-headed
Saxon spear which could be
used as a thrusting weapon
or thrown like a javelin. In the
needlework of the Bayeux
Tapestry, some Saxons are
represented holding bun-
dles of spears ready to be
launched at the Norman
invaders.
There are plenty of realistic,
dynamic poses within the
ranks of the spear-wielding
Fyrdmen
Some of the spearmen are
offered in three-man sets
priced at £112 and others are
individually priced at £40
each. We mixed the figures
up a bit to create our version
of the shield wall, so please
do check the website of Grey
Goose Collectables, the sole
UK agent for JJD, for exact
pricing details.
Review by George Phillips
CONTACT
John Jenkins Designs
Unit 6E, Tower 2
King Ley Industrial Building
33-35 Yip Kan Street
Wong Chuk Hang
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 9041 9065
www.johnjenkinsdesigns.com
In the UK:
Grey Goose Collectables
Sparrow Wycke Farm
Maldon Road
Mundon
Essex
CM9 6PB
Tel: 01621 743815
www.grey-goose.co.uk
 London Gothic Collectables
Various new releases
Hobbyists who like a darker
dimension to their collectable
figures will be excited
by a crop of new re-
leases from UK-based
manufacturer, London
Gothic Collectables.
The first two new
figures from Tony
Slocombe’s workbench
represent the central
characters from Gaston
Leroux’s haunting 1909
novel, The Phantom of
the Opera. The book
was adapted into a
classic silent horror
film starring Lon Chaney
in the 1920s and it is the
visual representation of the
characters in this movie on
which Tony’s sculpts are
based.
The figures of Erique,
the eponymous
phantom portrayed
by Chaney, along with
his muse, Christine Daaé, are
rendered with realism and
expression. Erique, in true
gothic style, wears a black
cloak and blood-red cravat
His arms raised in torment
or fury, he edges towards
Christine with a manic
expression on his face. Is he
hoping against all odds to
be embraced by her, or does
she merely represent the rest
of humanity, which has so
cruelly rejected him?
Leroux’s Christine was in-
spired by the late opera singer
Christina Nilsson, a Swedish
soprano who made her debut
at the Theatre Lyrique in Paris
in 1864. She is represented
recoiling in terror on stone
steps at the approach of her
crazed captor, who, according
to the legend on which the
novel is based, would lurk in
the waters beneath the opera
house, watching and listening.
The Christine figure is
dressed in a simple long blue
skirt, typical for the 1800s
and an elaborate mauve and
white coloured blouse. Tony
has also given his Christine a
wine-red leather pouch, an ac-
curate piece of costume detail
as pouches would often be
sewn onto ladies’ skirts before
the advent of the handbag.
The figures are finished in
vivid gloss paint and pre-
sented in an attractive box,
either as a pair at a retail price
of £58 including the lair steps,
or individually at £25 for the
Phantom and £35 for Chris-
tine with the lair steps.
From one fear-inducing
supernatural character to
another, we have Tony’s repre-
sentation of The Scarecrow of
Romney Marsh, based on the
lead character from the 1963
Disney movie, Dr Syn, alias
the Scarecrow.
The movie itself was
based on a book by Russell
Thorndike that was inspired
by the smuggling activity
that was prevalent in the 18th
Century around Romney
Marsh in Kent. Thorndike tells
the story of a mild-mannered
vicar who transforms into a
vengeful masked scarecrow
character by night to stage
attacks on the customs men
and soldiers of the tyrannical
King George III.
Tony’s scarecrow figure
is solidly cast and striking.
It wears a brown sackcloth
smock, with black boots, a
black cloak and a floppy hat.
With its fearsome scarecrow
mask and straw for hair, this is
not a character you’d want to
bump into on a moonlit night
in the Kent countryside! He
holds a flintlock pistol in his
right hand, while leading a
REVIEWS
captured dragoon with his left,
revealing a second pistol in a
holster on his waist.
The king’s soldier wears
the distinctive short red tunic
and tricorn hat of the period
and I liked the overall detail
in the uniform. In addition,
the texturing on the base of
the figures nicely evokes the
marshy Kentish terrain
I would recommend buying
the two-figure set for £47, as in
addition to the small discount,
the pair together tell the story
of a captor and captive.
Alternatively, you can buy
them separately at £23 for the
soldier and £25 for the Scare-
crow himself. Both sets come
in an attractively designed
box and would make an ideal
gift for a friend or loved one
with a taste for the gothic and
an appetite for the unusual.
Review by Gabriel Phillips
CONTACT
London Gothic Collectables
Tel: 07866 107821
Email: anthony.slocombe@btinternet.com
londongothiccollectables.com
TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 67
 Kronprinz Toy Soldiers
REVIEWS
Various new releases
For a small husband and wife
team, Emilio and Carmen
Arredondo – the driving
force behind Kronprinz Toy
Soldiers – have a staggering
output.
In this issue I am reviewing
a small number of their new
releases which depict armed
forces from the the American
Revolutionary War and The
80 Years’ War – also known as
the Dutch War of Independ-
ence. The latter conflict took
place between 1568-1648 and
was a revolt of the Seventeen
Provinces of the modern-day
Netherlands, Belgium, and
Luxembourg against Philip II
of Spain, the sovereign of the
Habsburg Netherlands.
The first new releases are
from the Kronpriz Miracle
of Empel series which
celebrates the unexpected
Spanish victory at the Battle
of Empel in The Nether-
lands in 1585. A surrounded
Spanish force miraculously
defeated an enemy which
vastly outnumbered them.
The figures depict arque-
busiers and pikemen of the
Tercio or infantry division
led by Francisco de Boba-
dilla. Tercios could number
up to 3,000 men and were a
highly advanced and adapt-
68 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR
able military unit.
I have a great interest in
military history but have
to confess to knowing very
little about the 80 Years War.
The historically accurate
figures produced by Emilio
– a Spaniard himself – have
really opened a window into
the conflict for me.
The clothing and equip-
ment of the pikeman are
very typical of European
units for the period and the
anatomical correctness and
naturalistic posing of the
figure is noteworthy. When I
interviewed Emilio for a fea-
ture in this publication ear-
lier in the year, he explained
that he tries hard to make his
figures “look like people.”
“I’m not a fan of the ‘carica-
ture’ style of some figures or
the excessively ornate detail
of others,” he says. And It
shows, Emilio.
I was also very impressed
with the two arquebusiers
in recognisably “human”
relaxed poses with their
cannon-like firearms on their
shoulders and equipped
with bandoliers and winter
cloaks.. The Battle of Empel
took place in December, so
the combatants would have
needed the additional winter
clothing.
All three of these excellent
figures are priced at €35.
The other new releases in
this review are 18th century
British infantrymen from the
renowned 62nd Regiment
of Foot, also known as the
Wiltshire regiment.
The 62nd shipped into
North America in 1776, under
the command of Lieutenant
Colonel John Anstruther and
took part in the Canada Cam-
paign during the American
Revolutionary War.
The regiment’s flank com-
panies were detached to take
part in the Battle of Trois-
Rivières in June 1776 and
the whole unit came back
together in 1777 to fight in the
Battle of Saratoga.
Emilio’s new 62nd figures
are in the accurate uniform
for the campaign and armed
with the mighty 10 ½ lb
Brown Bess musket.
The poses include reach-
ing behind for a paper
cartridge, firing, and standing
to with bayonet fixed. You
can see how the comple-
mentary poses of the figures
would make them cluster
together well in a diorama or
cabinet display. They’re also
great value for money, in my
opinion, at €33 each.
Review by George Phillips
CONTACT
Kronprinz Toy Soldiers
Tel: +34 640626049
Email: info@kronprinztoysoldiers.es
kronprinztoysoldiers.com
British Toy Soldier Co.
Various new releases
Patrick Adams of The Brit-
ish Toy Soldier Company
(BTSC) has a carved himself
an enviable niche in the mar-
ket for gloss-painted figures
representing the military
units of Great Britain and the
Commonwealth.
In recent years – and
reflecting his Gibraltarian
ethnic roots – he has begun
producing figures that repre-
sent the armed forces of that
British Overseas Territory.
A headland on the south-
ern tip of Spain, Gibraltar
has always been of huge
strategic importance to the
British armed forces since it
was ceded to Britain in 1713.
The combined military
forces of France and Spain
sought to capture Gibral-
tar during the American
Revolutionary War. They
laid siege to the territory
between 1779-83 and it is
British infantrymen from
this conflict that are de-
picted in the first of Patrick’s
new releases, which build on
the release of the marching
infantrymen with muskets
from the same conflict that
were reviewed
in the last issue
of this magazine.
With uniforms
identical to those
of the British
infantry fighting
against the revolu-
tionary forces in
America, the new
marching figures
of an officer
and ensign are
vividly finished
in traditional
gloss paint. Their
marching gait is
correctly “stiff ” and
their bodies well propor-
tioned at 54mm. The ornate
detailing of the uniforms is
nicely picked out by the art-
ist’s brush and both figures
sport the tricorn hats and
powdered white wigs of the
period.
I’ve never really under-
stood the logic of making
vital fighting men wear white
or silvery wigs that can
create the perception of age
and arguably, the reduced
strength and dynamism that
is often associated with it.
But such was the military
fashion of the leading armies
of Europe at the time.
The ensign carries a care-
fully painted union flag and
is priced at £20. The officer is
priced at £15 and it’s not dif-
ficult to imagine how good
both of these figures would
look in procession with
the marching infantrymen
reviewed in the last issue.
The third new release has
a ceremonial flavour and de-
picts a senior Scots Guards
Officer taking the salute
behind a dais. Again, the uni-
form detailing is spot on and
the dais - which
bears the in-
signia of the
monarch – is
also equipped
with a small
set of steps at
the back. A
nice little piece
of detail. The
figure will work
extremely well
in dioramas
with other cer-
emonial Scots Guard
figures produced by
BTSC, of which there
are many.
REVIEWS
The dais itself provides
an eye-catching display
platform for the figure and
the set retails for £40.
A little bird also men-
tioned to me that Patrick
is gearing up to start the
production of 19th Century
British gunboats with all new
castings for the crew mem-
bers. I saw an example on
his tables at the December
London Show which looked
like a classic Nile gunboat,
It was genuine 54mm scale
and a substantial piece of kit.
When the models become
available you can be sure
that we’ll review one or two
for our readers
Review by George Phillips
CONTACT
The British Toy Soldier Company
Vein Cottage
Reapsmoor, Nr Longnor
Buxton
Derbyshire
SK17 0LG
Tel: 01298 276399
www.britishtoysoldiercompany.co.uk
TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 69
 M
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 Asset 54mm Military
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Painted £110 casting £60

For a full list send an A5

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Middlesex, HA2 7PE.
Tel: 0208 8680422.
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The original new “old”
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Andrew of Miniature Autoworld is
350 figures, over 1,000 looking for all makes and scales of:
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variations of style. Ensign-Glebe • Modern & Vintage Toy Soldiers
Regular boxed sets and Imperial-Mignot • Modern & Vintage Diecast Models
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jon@technet.it
Tel: 01305 815300 Selling couldn’t be easier!
We will travel anywhere in the
Any unwanted or duplicated soldiers & figures. Any scale
1.32, 1.72 etc, Britains, Trophy, Timpo, Airfix, Hinchcliffe etc.
UK & Ireland!
Unmade & made kits. White metal, plastic, lead, war game We can make payment by your
figures and accessories, vehicles, dioramas, tanks etc. preferred method!
Farm and Civilian items. Military uniform books, catalogues. Simply phone Andrew direct, anytime:
Large and small amounts welcome. Tel: 0781 011 2115. 01271 864061 or 07515 743152
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TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 71

 Maxim machine
gun section with
the gunners
wearing overseas
uniform #8917

The support brigade

Raymond E. Bell Jr explains more about the army he’s recruited for his
grandchildren and in particular the 58th Combat Support Brigade

F
or toy soldiers of the 19th Century, combat support could
be a happenstance matter. A wagon here, a mobile forge
there, and a one-horse ambulance present could in most
cases count for all the combat support available for the toy
troops. The arrival of the 20th Century, and especially World
War I, combat support presented another face. Now not only lo-
gistics vehicles but tankettes, motorized machine guns, mobile
anti-aircraft gun trucks, and lorry drawn artillery became part
of the realm of combat support. And it was here that Britains
toy soldiers became a major factor in representing the evolving
modernization of combat.
The 1996 produced Britains
Sets #8921 and #8922 with
gunners wearing helmets

In my grandchildren’s II Corps’ 22nd Infantry Division, the

The motor machine gun platoon featuring the Pre-WWII
produced Britains set #199
58th Combat Support Brigade holds the exclusive distinction
of being a unit specially organized to provide the division’s
two infantry brigades’ foot soldiers with the requisite back-up
support to fight a war. These troops make up the brigade’s 1st
Machine Gun Battalion; ‘C’ Company, 14th Armor Regiment;
three batteries of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Artillery; “B” Battery, 2nd
Air Defense Battalion, 1st Artillery; Number 4 Company, Royal
Army Service Corps; and a bridge platoon of 38 Company, Royal
Engineers. This array of organizations is composed of Britains
figures produced from after World War I to just prior to the 21st
Century but represent military personnel, weapons, transport,
and equipment present in the pre-World War II British Army.
The 1st Machine Gun Battalion consists of three companies. ‘A’
Company has prone and sitting machine gunners from Britains

72 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR

Mark I or Mark VIII
tanks with one of the
tanks being Britains
Set #8946
Britains set #8912, manned by WWI
cannoneers with peaked caps
Sets #194 and #198 which were produced before WWII. A pre-
WWII lorry, Britains Set# 1334, along with two plastic model kits
provide transportation for gunners. The soldiers wear peaked
caps as they did at the beginning of WWI. ‘B’ Company organ-
ized armed with four Maxim machine gun sections with the
gunners wearing different uniforms. Two sections are Sets #
8911 (field uniform) and #8917 (overseas uniform). Bill Hocker’s
Britains-comparable Set’s #3 and #13 make up with other Maxim
machine gun sections. ‘C’ Company is composed of two motor
machine gun platoons. The Pre-WWII produced Britains Sets
#199 and #200 form one platoon (see photo) with gunners wear-
ing peaked hats while the 1996 produced Britains Sets #8921
and #8922 (see photo) with gunners wearing helmets make
up the second platoon. The machine gun battalion’s diversity
allows it to be deployed many different ways in support of the
22nd Infantry Division’s infantrymen.
‘C’ Company, 14th Armor Regiment is an independent tank
Repainted Britains set #144A
Britains set #1203 tankette wtih
crewmen from Britains Set # 1250
Britains sets #313, #1419, #1292 and #1334
company organized into three platoons of three tanks each.
Two platoons have Mark I or Mark VIII tanks with one of the
tanks being Britains Set #8946 which is accompanied by a
four man infantry detachment. The third platoon (see photo)
consists of two versions of the Britains Set #1203 tankettes both
produced by Britains before WWII. One version has rubber
treads while the other’s tracks and road wheels are represented
as one piece. Accompanying the tanks are original and repro-
duced tank crewmen from Britains Set # 1250 with the original
crewmen in two different versions.
The field artillery element of the brigade is composed of
three firing batteries. They are the 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Artil-
lery’s ‘F’ Battery with Mark I 4.5 inch howitzers, ‘H’ Battery with
light field pieces, and ‘I’ Battery also with light guns. ‘F’ Battery ¼
Britains set #8926
TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR 73

Britains set #8920 with horse drawn wagons and soldiers handling supplies
Britains Set # 146A
¼ consists of two howitzers and limbers, both from Britains Set
#8912 which are manned by WWI cannoneers with peaked
caps and produced before WWII (see photo). ‘H’ Battery has two
Set # 1292 Britains guns and two Set # 1479 short pole limbers of
different colors with crews from pre-WWII Britains Set #313. For
prime movers pre-WWII Britains series 1333-35 lorries are avail-
able (see photo). Only one gun section of ‘I’ Battery is present for
duty since the second section is posted with another organiza-
tion. The available section is a reproduced Britains walking
horse artillery gun team with an original Britains mounted
officer both from Set # 144A first manufactured by the company
in 1916. The gunners mounted on the caisson did not appear in
the set after 1924 (see photo).
Firepower directed at aerial targets is provided by ‘B’ Battery
of the 2nd Air Defense Battalion, 1st Artillery is provided by
Britains anti-aircraft guns mounted on Thornycroft ‘J’ Three
Ton trucks (see photo). The Britains Set #8926 was produced
towards the end of the 20th Century and represents mobile
WWI anti-aircraft weaponry.
The machine gunners, tank crewmen, and artillery gunners
represent the additional fire and maneuver support available to
the foot soldiers of the 22nd Infantry Division’s 21st and 55th In-
fantry Brigades. Number 4 Company of the Royal Army Service
Corps provides the logistical support for the division while a 38
Company, Royal Engineer’s bridge platoon gives the division
river crossing capability on its pontoon.
Number 4 Company consists of three platoons and a medical
section. All the troops wear peaked caps and would have been
in service before World War II. Number 1 Platoon is made up of
Britains Set #8920 with horse drawn wagons and soldiers han-
dling supplies (see photo). The set was one of those produced
74 TOY SOLDIER COLLECTOR
Pre-WWII Britains series 1333-35 lorries
by the company in the 1990s which represented World War I
military supply vehicle. Number 2 Platoon consists of Britains
lorries, Sets # 1333, #1334, and #1335 which have various road
wheel configurations. Some of these pre-WWII model motor
vehicles would have originally had clothe tarps over the rear
beds when manufactured but time took its toll on the fabric
which has been replaced by metal replicas made by the late E.J.
Shimek II. Number 3 Platoon has pre-WWII made horse drawn
wagons with the khaki clad drivers wearing peaked caps. The
general service wagons are from Britains Set # 146A. Finally the
Britains horse drawn ambulance wagon of Set #145A makes
up Number 4 Company’s medical section. The two team set
is drawing a wagon the tarp of which has survived but shows
signs of lengthy age.
The pontoon bridge platoon of 38 Company, Royal Engineers
of Britains Set #203A has a wooden pontoon boat and folding
decking carried on a wheeled frame. The two horse teams are
driven by soldiers in tan uniforms wearing peaked caps. Britains
manufactured the set in the 1920s and was the active service
order version of Britains Review Order Set #203.
The 22nd Infantry Division’s 58th Combat Support Brigade
can only to be seen as a small representation of what a post-
WWI British combat and logistical support organizations might
have looked like as illustrated by figures produced by Britains
toy soldiers. Today the sophistication of figures on the market
has overwhelmed the hobby and soldiers, vehicles, and equip-
ment have progressed from being toys to be played with to
highly detailed military miniatures. Most of the figures in the
58th are no longer toy soldiers but have entered the realm of
collectables soon to be antiques. But not by happenstance, does
the brigade provide its parent division combat and logistical
support. END
Britains horse drawn ambulance wagon of Set #145A
 31281
U.S. Telegraphy 31226
Corps Set No.1 Federal
$86.00 Infantryman
with
Shirtsleeves
with
Shouldered
Musket
$38.00

31212
Senior Federal 31273
;\INN 7NÅKMZ “Mr. Johnson” Middle-
with Portfolio Aged Man Standing
$38.00 $38.00

31276 31277
31269
.MLMZIT1VNIV\Za7NÅKMZ5W]V\ML Federal Cavalry Trooper Mounted No.1
Federal Orderly Holding Horse
$90.00 $96.00
$90.00

Hu son & Allen Scenics to Go! W.Britain Photo Realistic Backdrops

Be sure to visit our
website to see the
complete collection
of modular, 12"
Hudson & Allen
Senics to Go!
HA2067.12 $49.00 scenic bases.
12" x 12" Grass Lawn Trans- 51054 $30.00
forming to Field Scenic Base Gettysburg, Federal Line, 3rd Day Scenic Backdrop

The products shown and the entire W.Britain range can be purchased from the retailers listed below:
For The Historian Trains and Toy Soldiers Green’s Collectables Sierra Toy Soldier Baraboo Toy Soldier
Tel: 717-685-5207 Tel: 800-786-1888 Tel: 973-627-4961 Tel: 408-395-3000 Shoppe
www.forthehistorian.com www.trainsandtoysolders.com www.greenscollectables.com Fax: 408-358-3966 Tel: 608- 566-7075
web@forthehistorian.com 3130 S. 6th Street, Suite 104 46 Warren Trail www.sierratoysoldier.com www.barabootoysoldiershoppe.com
42 York St, Gettysburg, Lincoln, Nebraska 68502 Denville, New Jersey 07834 524 Oak Street, Suite 15,
Pennsylvania 17325 Baraboo, Wisconsin 53913

Hobby Bunker
Tel: 781-321-8855
Fax: 781-321-8866
www.hobbybunker.com
33 Exchange Street
Malden, Massachusetts 02148
The History Store
Tel: 740-775-7400
www.thehistorystore.net
info@thehistorystore.net
101 North Paint St.
Chillicothe, Ohio 45601
Treefrog Treasures Michigan Toy Soldier Co. Redcoat Models
Tel: 507-545-2500 Tel: 248-586-1022 www.redcoatmodels.com
www.treefrogtreasures.com 888-MICHTOY 31 Hillingdale, Biggin Hill,
2416 E. River Rd NE www.michtoy.com Westerham, Kent,
Rochester, Minnesota 55906 1400 East 11 Mile Road TN16 3NR, U.K.
Royal Oak, Michigan 48067

See our complete collection of 1/30 scale ?*ZQ\IQVÅO]ZM[I\"

Tel: U.S. 419.865.5077 • wbritain.com • Tel: U.K. 08000869123

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