1:35 40’ BEF Infantry On The March No.2

A marching British infantryman 1:35, number two

The second of the marching figures of British infantry of 1940 from Dynamo-Models in 1:35 scale. The stride here is shorter and the torso leans slightly forward, which when placed beside number one of the same line gives a column a natural rhythm. Together with the other numbers of the line a column arises that does not look like a repeated copy of one figure.

The equipment the figure carries

The British infantryman of 1940 had 1937 Pattern webbing: a belt, shoulder braces, ammunition pouches at the front, a water bottle and a haversack at the sides. On his head a helmet with a flat brim, on his body a serge blouse and trousers with a bulky thigh pocket. It is exactly the webbing that makes the silhouette of a British soldier unmistakable. The blouse was worn buttoned up to the neck and the trousers were gathered at the ankle into short gaiters above the boots.

Painting webbing and serge

Webbing was maintained during the war with a coating, so it tended to be lighter and more matte than the uniform. Set it apart with a greenish beige tone and let a dark shade run into the seams. The serge, by contrast, keeps to a muted khaki with a brown undertone. Dust the knees, the cuffs of the trousers and the boots at the end, so the figure really looks as if it has been walking all day. Leave the helmet one shade darker than the uniform, otherwise it will optically detach from the rest of the figure.

Where the figure will come into its own

• In a marching line that lacks a figure with a shorter stride
• For modelers of British hardware from the campaign in France
• For figure painters who want to practice painting webbing and buckles
• For collectors of Dynamo-Models figures in 1:35 scale
• For modelers putting a column together who need to break up its regularity