Q is for Question Time - W is for Who Knows?

We’ve looked at these before, years ago and garnered no clue, so we'll chuck them up here again in the forlorn hope that someone knows something about them, because, not to put to fine a point on it; they're not terribly rare, and turn up quite often.

The first five images are from Chris Smith and I hope he won't mind me saying they weren't the best, but I've done what I can to embiggen them, and brighten them up a bit . . .

. . . and these are they, you should recognise them if you collect ceremonial, early British plastic, or 54mm. They are similar to both, and almost the cross-pollinated offspring-of; Britains Herald and Gemodels, being (I seem to recall - they're not in front of me) between the two in both size and sculpting and are manufactured in a non-chalky polyethylene.

Moving arms on shoulder-pegs (as opposed to arm-spigots) and their similarity to the slightly smaller Gem's might suggest a second version from Gem, or contracted by Culpitt from Gem (I don't think I've ever seen them with icing-remains?) or someone else?

Now I was going to stick my neck out here, put my neck on the block and get a bit necky, necking-it with the suggestion that the connection with Musgrave at Gem Models might lead us to the door of the Kenway Cycle Shop and Kentoys, but, apart from the fact that there was a flaw in that suspicion, namely; Kentoys already had a Household Cavalryman, with a swappable arm, as we've seen here, previously at Small Scale World, who was handed-on to Cavendish, and produced in both colours (red and blue), There is a third option, as 'obvious' as Gem or Kentoys . . .

. . . Airfix! The only other figures commonly appearing with this dead-centre, front-of-base, mould-release pin mark, are the early Airfix 'eight' later issued by Featherlight in Australia and an unknown New Zealand firm, both of whom issued the figures with the same marks, as it's a 'signature' of the tool (and possibly the tool-manufacturer), not the sculptor, although - a caveat - they may have started 'down' there and come 'up' here, no one's sure?

[I think the one with a dark-green base (asterisked) has been repainted by an owner?]

The arguments for each are good, lots of companies produce two versions of some of their figures, so both Gem/Culpitt and Kentoys/Cavendish could be in the frame, while those base marks are very Airfix (and are now my favored option), however, the bases are painted the same colours as all those minor make offshoots - Speedwell, Trojan, Una and VP we tend to associate with Kentoys - though the khaki infantry.

Seen here previously but I couldn't be arsed to dig them out and re-shoot them!

Also the horse is more of a Britains' piracy (mounted highland officer?), so while it would be nice if they were Gemodels, nicer-still if they were Kentoy and really-nice if they were Airfix, I suspect we have to also look to the four pirates for our answer, and recent developments in Plastic Warrior?

And the obvious one there is Speedwell, as they turned to un-chalked, glossy polyethylene for their later khaki infantry and Cowboys & Indians?

They (the figures) only seem to have had Lifeguard iteration (no blue ones) and may well have been produced for a third-party supplying the tourist-novelty/keepsake market . . . even Cavendish!

The mark is not reproduced on the [what I believe are] Trojan versions of the Airfix paratrooper which now looks to be from the recently discovered (by Colin Penn) BR 'plastic machine' moulds, which would leave Trojan (if they had some or a set of those moulds) as a second front-runner in a five horse race! And; might point to these being from BR tools, but re-fitted for commercial operation in a bigger multi-cycle machine, as they are far more common than most of the stuff it now looks like came from there?

However, there's no sign of a release-pin on those moulds for which the front is shown in PW's 176 (current) and 174 (back-issues and subscriptions available), so they would need to have been Airfix first, to have had the mark reproduced, if they were BR, and if so for these; why not for the paratrooper?

What do you think . . . or know? Have you found dodgy, crumbly or polystyrene versions of these, with odd paint or no paint? Colin? I hate to point the finger, but you've got the BR mould list . . . any Lifeguards or 'Household cavalry' listed?

I favour Airfix, from the commercial aspect and numerousness of them AND the base mark, but they may-well have made them exclusively for a third party contract, and Airfix had had a Household Guardsman of their own in the 'Bergan/Beton' set? Is that plastic the same colour as the late, post-chalk, slightly flashy, HO-OO Guards?

Also Airfix seem to have indulged in a bit of piracy over the years and mightn't have wanted their name associated with these Britains knock-offs? But that only means they must have (or 'probably') had another branding, if only a phantom?

Chris - many-thanks for the images; 'probably maybe might be' Airfix . . . for . . . someone else? And . . . can you set me an easier one next-time!!