1:72 German Field Military Police

German field military police, 1:72

This item represents men of the German field gendarmerie, that is of the corps which directed traffic, checked papers and guarded crossings and bridges both at the front and in the rear. For a diorama it is a rewarding theme, because a patrol gives the scene a clear function and explains why the vehicles are standing still. It is published by White Stork Miniatures within an extensive line of small figures.

The field gendarmerie in the field

Members of the corps were recognizable from a distance by the metal gorget on a chain and by the band on the sleeve. These details are the most important on small figures, because without them a patrol cannot be told from ordinary infantry. Traffic duty was usually accompanied by a motorcycle, a field car or simply a junction with signposts, so the set goes well with hardware you already have in the collection.

Details worth bringing out

Paint the gorget in a metallic shade and let it shine against the dark tunic; it is the only glossy element on the figure and it will draw the eye. Make the band on the sleeve contrasting. In a small scale the uniform manages without complex shading, but it is good to suggest the difference between the cloth and the leather straps by a different sheen, not just by shade.

Who will reach for the set

• Builders of dioramas with a traffic junction or a checkpoint
• Modelers of 1:72 vehicles who need crew for a scene
• Collectors of German figures in a small scale
• Makers of scenes from the rear and from movements

The painting is up to the builder.