Toy Soldiers

[Zakopious]

Here are 41 British toy soldiers in 1/72 scale which I finished painting today.

I use them for playing wargames using the Battleground Rules by Easyeights.

I now have a total of 243 British Soldiers painted and comparable numbers of Russians, Germans, Japanese, Italians, and Americans.


The figures are about one inch tall and mounted on Canadian pennies.
I mounted them on Canadian pennies because some of those pennies were carried in the pockets of British and Canadian veterans of WW II.

[Don Boose]

That's a nice-looking infantry platoon, Ken. I like the idea of mounting them on Canadian pennies.

What was the source of the models that you painted?

Don

[Zakopious]

These were primed just before I got sick two years ago and there is a mix of manufacturers so I may not know the source for all of them.
First row: Boys antitank rifles by Hat in the WW2 British Machine Guns box.
Second row: Airfix Commando Radio Operators and Commando Officers with pistols.
Third row: Some Esci British Army figures and 4 Radio Operators by Hat and 1 by Esci.
Fourth & Fifth rows: Probably all Esci.
These figures were painted to fill out some missing capabilities of my existing British force.
So far as I know, Hat is the only source for Boys ATR's.
I raided a number of different sets for radio operators because I want to game the British raid on Bruneval in 1942.
The British Paratroopers had difficulty contacting the landing craft by radio and were nearly left stranded on the beach.

A good site for figure identification is: Plastic Soldier Review - Periods List

[Don Boose]

Thanks for the very detailed response, Ken. Much appreciated!

Don

[Zakopious]

I painted 49 French Soldiers for 1940 this winter.
They are a mixture of Pegasus and Caesar figures.
I now have a total of 79 French Soldiers for 1940.






Close up of the Hotchkiss heavy machine gun.

[Kevin WS]

Very detailed for 1/72, 1/76.

Are they that soft plastic or hard styrene?

[Zakopious]

Soft Plastic.
See: Plastic Soldier Review - Caesar WWII French Army
And: Plastic Soldier Review - Pegasus WWII French Infantry

How I paint soft plastic:
1. Wash off the waxy mold release agent. I use the top rack of the dishwasher (when SWMBO is not at home).
2. Spray with Rustoleum plastic primer.
3. Paint with acrylic paint. Acrylic paints are flexible. Enamel paints form a hard shell which cracks and flakes if the figure flexes while being handled.
4. Spray with a clear coat to protect the paint. I use Testor's Dullcote.

[Kevin WS]

And you read my mind, because that's what I was going to ask!

My Airfix figures were a disaster!

[Zakopious]

I also painted 40 British soldiers for WWII this winter.



They include 6 Vickers heavy machine guns because I did not have any for my British forces.

[Don Boose]

Glad to see that you are still at work expanding the collection, Ken.

Next time you in Carlisle there is a kindred spirit I want you to meet.

Don