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In-Box Review
135
Wounded Soldiers
Two Wounded Soldiers Lying
  • 001271

by: Alan McNeilly [ ALANL ]

Introduction
These 2 figures have been available for sometime and this set depicts 2 wounded Commonwealth soldiers in the lying position. There are only a few examples of wounded Commonwealth soldiers available, mores the pity, but this set goes someway to address this gap for Commonwealth and Axis builders.

Wounded or dead infantry/civilians tend to cause some debate. It is the darker reality of the result of war, so whilst not a subject everyone may wish to model it is nevertheless a very important element that should not be ignored. The lack of British/Commonwealth wounded troops/medics is a constant thorn in the side of Commonwealth dio builders and figure makers.
The Set
The set comes in the standard zip bag with a good colour picture insert to aid painting. Each figure is contained in its own zip bag. The figures are cast in a light grey resin with excellent detail. The down side is that these were made at a time when perhaps casting wasn’t so advanced and both figures therefore have a fairly large base plug that will need removed. A sharp knife and razor saw are therefore essential tools.

Figure 1:
This depicts a wounded Commonwealth soldier in the lying position. The figures is cast as one piece with only the right arm a separate part. The soldier is shown in open necked battle dress with his left arm resting on his stomach and his right arm raised in the act of smoking a cigarette.

His right trouser leg is ripped open from the knee, exposing his wound on the lower leg which has been dress in a bandage. His right boot is undone showing his sock top exposed. His left leg is raised slightly at the knee and is complete with anklet and boot.The soles of the boots are smooth so you may wish to add some studs and paint in the steel toe cap and heel.

His head is resting on a rolled up blanket and shows the face of a fairly young man. He has a certain look of relief on his face as one might expect, possibly counting his luck whilst he relives the stress with a smoke. The facial details are well defined and he has a nice crop of hair parted to the left hand side.

From the look of the uniform he is wearing the economy issue 1940 pattern battledress. The detail on the uniform is excellent with the left hand shoulder strap being shown undone and the battle dress open to about mid chest. Underneath the DB he is wearing a flannel shirt which appears to be of the first pattern type without the collar. His cigarette packet is clearly visible in his top right BD pocket.

Figure 2:
The second figure in the set depicts a wounded Commonwealth soldier, again in the prone position but this time covered to chest height with a blanket, his boots protruding from underneath the cloth. His left arm is across his stomach and enclosed in a sling and his right arm is straight down by his side.

His head also rests on a folded blanket and this time supports a bandage around his forehead. By his left ear and under the bandage is a field dressing pad covering his head wound. His head is tilted slightly to the right and in the picture he is clearly eyeing the cigarette his comrade is smoking lol, lol. Facial details are well defined showing that of a youngish man, and the expression one of controlled resignation to his wounds. A good crop of hair sits above and hangs slightly over his head bandage.

Again he appears to be wearing the later 1940 pattern battledress suitably opened to allow the application of the sling and then placed back around his left shoulder and hanging loose at his left side.

The blanket covering the lower portion of his legs is very well depicted, sagging appropriately between his legs and sitting naturally at each side. The upper half of the blanket is folded appropriately as is the lower fold over and around his boots. The boots again lack a little detail on the soles.
Conclusion
On inspection these are two cracking figures, containing 1st class detail and sharpness of casting. Both figures would be appropriate for almost any battle scene and could be used by Allied and Axis modellers alike.

I believe these may have been modelled to fit in with Resicast’s 53.1148 Airborne RAMC jeep conversion set, but they would work equally well as standard wounded infantry.
The down side is the clean up of the pour bases but once removed you should have two very user friendly wounded troops to add to vehicles or battlefield scenes.

No webbing is present on either figure which is fine, but you may wish to add a little personal kit beside each depending on usage.

These 2 figures tie in nicely with to other British Paratrooper figures, 35.543 paratrooper with stretcher and 35.513 a set of 4 paratroopers carrying a wounded casualty (who may be the chap under the blanket).

Medical staff and wounded soldiers are not that plentiful and I would love to see a couple more figures to join this set, either sitting or standing and at this level of detail. Similarly whilst both of the above British Paratrooper sets look great similar in standard DB would add a lot of scope for Commonwealth modellers/
Normal precautions should be taken when working with resin.
SUMMARY
Highs: Two outstandingly detailed figures that will be useable across a wide theatre of operations, these should add both interest and realism to any British/Commonwealth project you may be planning, or an Axis one for that matter.
Lows: Removal of the casting stubs.
Verdict: Highly recommended.
Percentage Rating
88%
  Scale: 1:35
  Mfg. ID: 35.526
  Suggested Retail: 11 euro
  PUBLISHED: Dec 27, 2008
  NATIONALITY: United Kingdom
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 88.73%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 90.29%

About Alan McNeilly (AlanL)
FROM: ENGLAND - EAST ANGLIA, UNITED KINGDOM

Greying slightly, but young at heart. I've been teaching adults off and on for most of my life. Left the services in 85 and first started modelling in about 87 for a few years. Then I had a long spell when I didn't build anything (too busy) and really just got started again during the summer of ...

Copyright ©2021 text by Alan McNeilly [ ALANL ]. All rights reserved.



Comments

Hey Al, I thought I recognized the photo of the medic bandaging the kid's foot: http://www.junobeach.org/e/4/can-tac-med-org-e.htm#null It's too bad that we can't see the cap badge on the kid's Glengarry, it would help identify which Highland unit the medic belonged to, perhaps even my Dad's regiment that was involved in the battle around Caen. Cheers jjumbo
DEC 31, 2008 - 10:09 AM
Hi Alan that last picture you posted just cries out to be made into a beautiful little scene in 3D. When I look at the young lance corporal medic tending the boy he looks about 15 years of age but obviously is older but not much. Hope they all made it through safely to the eventual peaceful end. Looking at all in the scene, the state of their clothes etc. it just echoes how lucky we should feel today the freedom we have and we don't have to go through the same situation ever again. Well hopefully not, if we have any sense as human beings. A Happy and hopefully Peaceful New Year one and all. Alan
DEC 31, 2008 - 10:16 AM
Alan can you put up a picture of the figure without the blanket side on, I ask as I want to see where the figure joins the stretcher. I was surprised when this figure was moulded in situe, perhaps you could comment on how the figure looks side on.
DEC 31, 2008 - 12:16 PM
Hi John and Alan, Yes, the last pic is particularly moving. Its a good example of the youth of the troops and one I bookmarked sometime ago for my Nan Red project which is where eventually the 2 wounded figures will end up. As I said it surprised me that there are so few wounded soldiers, either Axis or Allied although there are some good German ones. Medics and woulded soldiers can be used by both genres effectively and certainly add interest to any scene, Portrayed as captured soldiers they would be equally useful and I did get the German MB set with that in mind too Darren, I'll get you a pic later this morning when the light comes up. Thanks for the thoughs guys. I hope you all had a good Nwe Year. Al
DEC 31, 2008 - 07:26 PM
Hi Darren, Just re-read this, much too early before and hadn't had my 2nd cup of tea of the day. What you see around the figure is the pour plug/base. As I mentioned in the Review this would need removed. Compare the picture above with the kit picture and you will see what I mean. These chaps have been around for a fairly long time so would have been moulded when techniques were not so advanced. If you didn't want to cut the base off and tidy up the fig you might get away with using the base plug as a board or part door but it is not a stretcher as far as I am aware but again you might try make it into one if you had a mind to. Without out seeing the stretcher party and jeep kit I can't tell you if the plug has any other use in those sets or not but for stand alone as these are I'd remove it. There is no detail on the reverse of the figures, that's how things were made then I assume, but it doesn't detract from the quality of detail on the front or side, just means extra work in cleaning off the plug. There would be no real issue with making the plug a board, when evacuating a casuality you use whatever is available, plank, old door, ground sheet etc, just depends on the scene you have in mind. As both my chaps will be on a beach, I'll take the time and remove the plugs from arounf them. Hope that makes sense, I'll do a picture later as I say when the light is good. Al
DEC 31, 2008 - 08:33 PM
Hi Darren, Some pics as promised: Side view: and here they are after some cutting and scraping: Took me about an hour to clean them up. Al
JAN 01, 2009 - 12:58 AM
Thanks Alan I was concerned about the undercut between figure and stretcher but it looks good.
JAN 01, 2009 - 03:27 AM
Hi Darren, These chaps are about 5' 2" and 5' 4". I have the Accurante Armour Stretchers that are 6' so that should be fine, not everyone is a 6 footer lol, lol. Note there are no stretchers with this set. Al
JAN 01, 2009 - 04:39 AM
Hi Darren, figure painter I'll never be but here's these 2 chaps with some paint on. Al
JAN 03, 2009 - 12:53 AM
   
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