The 20th Century's industrialised carnage
has left me with a similar number of 'unknowns' as any other era; the democracy
of war-gamers - and there was me thinking there were more Wellingtonian fans
than any other! Or is it that the ratio of makers who don't mark well is the
same; there might be a dissertation in there!
Four singles to start, the German 'Para'
(1C) seems almost hand-made from a soldering-iron? He's definitely been given a
replacement base or mend. The walking chap (1D, Afrika Korps?) has had a weapon
glued across his chest which is missing and is carrying two pieces of scrap
plastic-rod, while I think the Tommy is Rose,
but the marks not clear so confirmation would be kind, and is he designated
late WWI or WWII?
The seated guy could be WWII or Modern Cold
War and has shades of Hasegawa
half-track crew?
These are interesting, they look (and feel
- very tinny) like the Almark
figures, but are not the two listed sets of five, and what's left of the codes
suggests an Machine-gun 'group' (but it could just as easily be 'G for
German'?), could they be a late un-catalogued addition to the Almark range (remember the plastic Brits
had support weapons), or are they another of the very prolific Stadden's many ranges?
Naval Types. That's all I know; no marks,
age is hard to judge and the seated figure is a poor sculpt, seemingly based on
Airfix drivers. Anyone recognise
them?
Late-war Panzergrenadiers with assault rifle
and Panzerfaust, not bad sculpts - a bit chunky maybe and the lack of legs on
the binocular periscope suggests the figure might be designed for a vehicle
(he'd look good in the Esci
command-251), so Skytrex or someone
like that?
S
ome 15mm shite that came in with a mixed
lot! I say shite, but no greater or lesser reason for existing than my prejudice!
And I like Land Rovers whatever the
size (as we will see in a minute) so I'm just inventing blurb - for total
unknowns!
The seats have planking detailed on them to
match the floor, but in reality they had plastic cushions over aluminium
locker-lids with padlock-hasps that could catch your calves if you weren't
careful!
Just the cupola crewman to ID now, a large
beret suggests German early-war armoured car?
These are the biggest embarrassment in all
these posts as I bought them! From the maker! But long before I was ID'ing
metal, so never kept a note of them, or at least if there is a note; it will be
in the files of correspondence, currently in storage.
They were bought for the flak-sledge project which has been on hold for the longest time and will remain on hold
until I can collect on a glasses prescription that has me operating the laptop
at arm's length these days!
Could they be Dixon
Miniatures - I vaguely remember them doing figures in this style? Again,
they could equally be Skytrex as I
know I have their catalogue somewhere? What is certain is that I was bloody
disappointed when they arrived, and I realised I'd purchased 6 identical
horses!
Land Rovers! Micro ones at that; I think
the smaller LWB Ambulance might be Skytrex
as I had their WWII stuff as a kid and that miss-registering of the mould
halves and general blobbyness was a common feature of the range!
Two are ID'd as Heroics & Ross (the best sculpts), while the rear SWB is
smaller and the Wombat (which should be a LWB) is a hideous mess, it really is
just a token or counter! I assume with the DMB that the MB bit is 'Modern
British'?
Elephant/Ferdinand, Not Skytrex (they were single-part blobs
with wire barrels), not marked H&R,
leaves GHQ? Or a minor maker;
two-part molding, glued together, marked 190 on rear and Elephant twice in body-cavity
Don't know at all! Germans or GI's? Chubby
20mm'ish sculpts I think (looking at the photo) they are supposed to be holding
M16's with fritz helmets?
Below them a row of 6mm British Infantry
advancing? I'd love to know in either/both cases?
