1:35 British Commonwealth Troops (NW Europe 1944)

British Commonwealth Troops — North-West Europe 1944 (1:35 scale)

This set of figures in 1:35 scale shows soldiers of the British Commonwealth in the campaign in North-West Europe in 1944. It is not a model of a vehicle — figures complete a diorama, give a built vehicle a sense of scale and bring action into the display case. The 1:35 scale is the most widespread one for ground subjects, so the set goes with the usual models of armored and wheeled vehicles in the same scale.

The real subject

Under the banner of the British Commonwealth, Canadian and other formations fought in North-West Europe in 1944 alongside British ones, advancing from the Normandy beaches through Caen and Falaise on into Belgium and the Netherlands. The appearance of the soldier is very similar across these units — they differ mainly in patches, badges and headgear. The basis was the woolen battledress: a short blouse and trousers with a large map pocket on the left thigh; in 1944 older and more economical wartime cuts were worn side by side. With it went a steel helmet with netting, 1937 pattern webbing, canvas pouches and a haversack, and a rifle or a submachine gun. The fighting in the hedgerows of the Normandy bocage and the long marches on foot gave the soldiers a typically dusty and worn look.

Tips for painting figures

Build the flesh tones up in layers: a mid tone on the face and hands, a darker glaze into the eye sockets, under the nose and chin and into the palms, then a lighter tone on the raised areas. Keep the uniform in a muted khaki brown-green — tired military cloth suits a shade rather more faded than you expect. The strongest tool is a wash: a dark glaze run into the folds of the blouse, under the straps and around the pockets creates depth at once. Then brighten the edges of the folds, the shoulders and the knees with a light dry brush. Distinguish the leather of the straps, the canvas of the haversack and the wood of the rifle stock by color so that the uniform does not merge into one flat area. Finish with a matte coat and fine dust on the boots and the trouser hems.

Who the figures are for

• modelers building dioramas of Normandy and the Allied advance of 1944
• collectors of British and Canadian Second World War subjects
• modelers who want to give a finished vehicle scale and a story
• figure painters practicing flesh tones, cloth folds and fine details of equipment

The figures are supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.