B is for Britains - Seen Elsewhere, Eye Candy and Odds & Sods

Although, some of this might hurt your eyes, but even the mighty falter and in the end, everything dies.

 

Toward the end, Britains tried to get away from 'war' war, and the whole WWII, 'Boys Own', ♪♪♫Two World Wars and . . . ♪♫, "I mentioned it once . . but I think I got away with it / You started it!" type toy theme which had served British kid's so well since 1945, by adopting first this generic UN theme, then some of the silliness below! Standard farm version of the Short Wheelbase (SWB) Land Rover, given a United Nations makeover. Here missing its 'hard-top'.

 

Using the late version US Infantry (solid sculpts, no moving, plug-in arms), accompanying UN troops (Task Force Action Figures) were provided, along with several other paint schemes as 'enemy' or just other units, only available for a couple of years in the mid-1990's, they should be rare, but many retailers were left with unsold stock, and a few years ago most dealers had mint sets on their tables!

Arctic warriors?!

 

Sold with a desert version of the Land Rover as 'Desert Storm'!

 

75p was still a fair-bit of money for a kid in 1996, and that's for one figure!

 

 The final indignity - Task Force Special Units

 

I showed a few of the other-coloured ones on the Airfix Blog;

http://airfixfigs.blogspot.com/2020/02/1983-cold-warmodern-sas-special-air.html

with more shots on the Modern British Infantry post. 

 

Slightly safer ground with these, the two standard packagings for the earlier WWII-themed support weapons 'Combat Weapons', here the British Mortar (also given to the Germans) and the US Recoilless Rifle (also given to the Japanese!). There was a longer card, which was the display one, designed to sit across the top of the counter-top box, and sold last, after the box was empty.

 

 

There was an attempt to relaunch the range in the mid-2000's by First Gear, who had bought the intellectual property rights and a few of the moulds (most are with DSG in Argentina), and a couple of 'realistic' paint issues were forthcoming, I think these are the second tranche, the first having matt-green bases and better paint?

L is for Lost Patrol!

When I covered my Brother's Detail from the attic back in December (D is for Detail) I was bemoaning the fact that I didn't have all the poses and that the Japanese I thought I'd obtained for my own collection weren't there...well it turns out that I do have some US Detail figures in the large scale 'US Infantry and Marines' box! So here they are...

At the top we see a comparison between the older and newer standing firing pose, the older one is so much better for a number of reasons...better paint in better colours, sensible sized bayonet, no over-blousing of the trousers and a very realistic M1 Garrand rifle (which I've used), unlike his replacement in the later sets who seems to have equipped himself with an 1880's Winchester, all right - after zeroing - for a target competition, but I suspect not much use on the 'Sands of Iwo Jima' (shouldn't that be 'Pumice of Iwo Jima' ?!).

In the middle are a couple of the missing poses and another kneeling firer and the lower shot has two new (left) and two old (one incomplete; right) advancing figures, showing various shades of green plastic, early and late bases etc...

At the end Britains were struggling, and painting them up as first UN infantry (upper shot) and then 'Attack Force' or something wasn't going to help. The colour scheme of the lower lot was also applied to the British Infantry from the Detail range and they looked even worse in it than the Americans...they look like they're dressed in pyjamas and wearing chocolate buttons on their heads!

The Bazooka I thought was a new pose is among these late ones and the advancing pose appears again, what with my Brothers figures in the attic we've got that pose well and truly covered!