2nd is for Tranche

We looked at an almost complete load ofthese years ago, when I inherited my brother's lot and cleaned them up, these were in the storage lot and between the two I'll have quite an army!

The one figure missing from my brother's childhood stash was the radio-operator, so that's sorted! I also think that with a bit of warm water (to soften the lugs) I will end up with a complete set of the first six poses on both brown bases and green bases, and with my storage one, have matching mortar teams now, but will need to track-down the mortar bombs for both.

Seven more, just as I have the figure missing from my brother's set, so his sample has the second issue's marching/sentry figure I am missing! Also my squatting shooter seems to have had a terminal accident with his muzzle, and will be looking at permanent surgery to an arm-swap conversion of the type we looked at last time, now I have the spares!

I have two of the various vehicle crew/riders but no vehicles for them! The pale-grey motorcycle is also still to join the fleet, and the only thing missing now really.

On the right are the two I picked-up a few weeks ago in a Farnborough charity shop, these are the last version issued - to date - and are a bit leery. I suppose Tomy Britains have these now (but only run or develop new farm moulds); DSG have the Afrika Korps tool, but not the German infantry one I believe?

The best set was the mid-1990's set which got a good paint-job, matt dark-green bases and differing shades of helmet paint. Funnily enough I handled tons of them but it was before I collected the larger scales and so I now have none!

Both recent issues seem to use a re-jigged bolster with two cavities from the first set; the above MP40 guy and the grenadier, and four cavities from the second set; the above officer, and the radio-operator, squatting firer and advancing/walking with anti-tank rifle chap.

Stop Press Image

The whole army (almost) after the two units have been amalgamated, I'll sort them further another day, give that kneeling guy a new arm with a different weapon/pose and sort the six brown bases into a set, hopefully I know who to go to for a set of helmet decals, originals not copies, and there are enough for some of the arm swaps we looked at last time, but, after this shot was taken . . .

It's OK the presses are still stopped stop press image!

. . . the missing motorcycle turned-up! Along with another of the latter ones, but with the earlier rider, all I need now is another black Kar.98 and I'm sorted! they were both in the Motorcycle box, and despite an autumn Blog-post taken from that box, I'd forgotten these were in there?

You can see how the earlier versions have a plug-in rifle, rather than the plug-on rifle in tan of the later versions. And that really is it - box ticked.