1:35 40’ BEF Infantry On The March No.4

A British infantryman of 1940 in motion, number four, 1:35

The fourth figure of the British marching line from Dynamo-Models, 1:35 scale. The stride is looser and more deliberate than on the previous numbers, so the figure suits the end of a column or a position a little to one side of the main stream.

The weapon and the field load

The standard armament of British infantry of the day was a bolt-action rifle, which a soldier carried on the move either in his hand or over his shoulder. With it went a full marching load: a blanket, a greatcoat, a water bottle and an entrenching tool. The pack changes the silhouette of a figure more than the uniform itself, which is why it pays to paint it as a separate unit. Seat the load on the back before you start painting, then, otherwise the brush will not reach the places under the straps.

The face and the hands

On walking figures the face tends to be seen in profile, so it pays to give the time mainly to the nose, the chin and the ear. Leave the hands darker than the face, because they were outdoors all day. Bring the helmet strap under the chin out with a thin dark line, otherwise it will merge with the neck. Finally unify the whole with matte varnish and leave only the buckles and the barrel with a hint of sheen. At this scale the eyes need only be suggested with a dark patch; an elaborate iris looks unnatural on so small an area.

Suitable use

• Completing a column that lacks a more relaxed figure
• A scene of a halt at the roadside between two stretches of the march
• Practice in painting a face in profile in the usual military scale
• A collection of British figures from the campaign of 1940
• Completing a scene in which the other figures are captured in a brisk stride