V is for Empire Forces . . . or . . .

. . . is Empire Forces for V (is for Victory)? We just don't know, and if Adrian Little hadn't recued them for some mixed auction lot, we'd know even less! New to hobby, new to Blog and probably new to Internet, I don't think they are mentioned in the works of Garratt, Harris, Joplin or Opie, but we can at least look at them here, now;

The full-colour box-art holds some clues to dating the set with uniforms more colonial than modern-war, a tank from the 1920/30's and a paratrooper who looks more Soviet or German than British, both those nations (along with Italy) having done the early-work on parachute troops?

One of the figures seems to be a French colonial, but may be intended to represent our Indian forces in their 'best kit' . . . Delhi Durbar? The feeling is it's a war-time set, produced after the material rationing had been introduced, but before the Army had modernised to D-Day fitness, like most of these pumice sets?

Two sets have turned-up; No 125 Machine-Gunner Set and an unknown-numbered 'Paratrooper'. The inset holding-card is the same for both sets as are the contents save for either four prone Vickers' gunners or four parachutists in the same cavities.

Again, the paratroopers look more Soviet than anything else, even to the sub-machine-gun, while the tank is trying to be a mid-war, lend-lease Grant; sans hull-gun in sponson, while they all have the look of US dime-store figures.

If I had to choose a date I'd say 1942? Thanks to Adrian at Mercator Trading for letting me shoot these; the lighting was poor, so they've been worked a bit in Picasa to get the colours back.