B is for Box-ticking - Matchbox Afrika Korps

Working through the DAK tubs in the WWII box we've come to these chaps, who are a solid-enough crew of not-so-Nazi chaps (it was the 'gentleman's war' apparently, if that wasn't always an oxymoron and I suppose you wouldn't feel much like a gentleman, dying in the sand with half your face missing, covered in flies?) from Matchbox, who - to us kids - appeared suddenly as a rival to Airfix, with lovely new sets, and then  . . . sort of petered out almost the same instant!

12 decent figures, short's aren't worn in this unit so it can be painted-up for other theaters and provide reinforcements to other units, although as with the Kepi = Union / Slouch-hat = Confederate rule of ACW toy soldiers; these guys are mostly wearing the cap, which may have been worn day-to-day but wouldn't have been worn by Infantry in action.

The most interesting figure is the guy waving at the back, who seems to have begun life as a motorcycle rider (note the goggles) with the polystyrene 1:76th scale model-kit range! My sample consists of a mix of older, played-with figures, and some near-mint ones with their little 'sprulettes' still in place.

I've mentioned before (when looking at the small scale versions?) the phenomena of some Matchbox figures leeching a deposit of a greasy powder, which seems to be a combination of pigment and lubricant?

These days it has mostly become a relatively stable substrate, which can still be removed (with TFR or a similar ammonia-based heavy-duty cleaner, or just a soak in warm, soapy water, and a scrub), it first presented quite soon after the figures were made, as a more transferable grease which would wear-off with handling.

Here we see on the left two such figures, next to perfectly stable versions, still shiny-new, with a similar officer to the left of one with the deposit, which these days gives a dry-brushed effect to the figures; rather than clean them I keep them as a 'variant'!

The 'Rommel' figure is more theatre-specific with the high lace-up boots and sand-goggles.

On the right is a 'scaler' of prone figures, with the Matchbox fully compatible with Airfix, albeit slightly better-fed, while Atlantic's is closer to 60mm; he clearly had a lot of 'muck in his boots' as a child! His equipment is roughly the same size as the other two's however, and that only heightens his lofty dimensions.

I have a set of nice copies from the colony at Haitch Kay in the same tub; only the eight poses, and quite reduced in size, they'd probably go better with Tamiya's 1:35th universe. I think we have seen others here at Small Scale World already, possibly from Brian B, but I may be confusing with the Highland 8th Army (which I know we've seen several versions of now), however we will look at all the copies one day, once they are all in the same tub, and if they have appeared here they will be under the Matchbox tag.