DECEMBER 2014
One of the questions I get
asked most often by K&C collectors (as well as a few of our competitors) is
“How do you guys manage to come up with so many new items every single month
– month after month?
The answer is deceptively simple...”Because
we work so bloody hard!” However that’s only part of the reason, the
main part is that King & Country is a large team
of almost 2 dozen people who work both here in Hong Kong and in China. These
folks are extremely talented, skillful and have a great work ethic that makes
coming into work every day a pleasure and a delight.
Although I may be one of the
more visible faces of King & Country I never
forget that it is a full team effort to produce the quality and variety of what
we make on a regular monthly basis. And so, as the year draws to a close I want
to extend my grateful thanks on behalf of myself (and I am sure many of you)
to the K&C team, led by Helen, who do their best to keep me on the “straight
and narrow” and to keep you guys supplied...and I hope satisfied all-round
the year!
Now, that’s the compliments
over...What’s in store for you this month...?
1.
APPEARING IN DECEMBER...and I hope just in time for Christmas!
A.
“The World of Dickens”
Eight brand-new, add-ons to what I believe
will be a very collectible series for the ladies, families or indeed anyone
with an interest in the novels of Charles Dickens and life in mid-Victorian
London...
WoD005
“Bob Cratchit & Tiny Tim”
Mr.
Scrooge’s humble clerk from “A Christmas Carol” together with his
crippled young son, “Tiny Tim”...Poor but happy.
WoD007
“Miss Lucy”
A fashionable young lady and popular with the gentlemen.
WoD008
“Mrs. Brown”
With her fur-lined coat and muff this married lady can well withstand a cold
English midwinter.
WoD009
“Miss Greene”
Another of the capitol’s beauties and, like her name, likes to wear the
appropriate colour.
WoD012
“George The Grocer”
Before supermarkets and convenience stores there was the local grocer who would
not only sell you fine produce...he would even personally deliver it!
WoD013
“Mr. Chuckster”
Another memorable Dickens’ character from “The Old
Curiosity Shop”.
WoD014
“Dick Swiveller”
One more genial personage from “The Old Curiosity Shop” and fond of the
ladies...
WoD018
“The Christmas Corner Fountain”
A reinvisioning of an old favorite complete with a
light frosting of snow and...three little “Robin
Redbreasts” resting on the lip of the fountain.
AVAILABLE:
Early December
B.
“Back to the Trenches!”
From the colour and jollity of mid Victorian London to
the mud and blood of the Western Front in 1916...
FW171
“Crouching Wounded”
A kneeling British corporal,
his arm wound already “dressed” waits for transport out of the line.
FW172
“A Nice Cup of Tea, Mate!”
Another British casualty lies
on his stretcher for transport back to a base hospital...In the meantime a Medical
Orderly offers him a drink of tea.
FW174
“The Royal Hospital Visit”
The bearded King George V,
in the uniform of a Field Marshal, pays a visit to one of the Military Hospital
in Flanders. He is greeted by one of the Ward Sisters.
FW179
“Lieut. General Sir William Birdwood”
Birdwood commanded the 1st. Anzac
Corps made up of both Australian and New Zealand troops in France
during this time. A highly experienced professional soldier he was well-liked
by his Aussie and Kiwi soldiers, both officers and rank & file. After being
presented with an Australian slouch hat he continued to wear it through the war
as a mark of respect and affection for his men.
FW180-V
“Australian at Attention” (Victoria)
This smart-looking Aussie at
attention (and in the “shoulder arms” position) has the red and white
patch of the 8th. Infantry Btn. from the State of Victoria.
FW180-Q
“Australian at Attention (Queensland)
As above but
with the black and blue patch of the 9th. Infantry Btn. from the State of
Queensland.
FW180-NSW “Australian
at Attention (New
South Wales)
Like the previous two but with
the black and green patch of the 1st.Infantry Btn.
from New South Wales...mostly Sydney.
FW181-V
“Australian Marching”(Victoria)
Stepping out smartly with rifle on shoulder. This soldier
belongs to the Victorian 8th. Infantry Btn.
FW181-Q
“Australian Marching”(Queensland)
As above but with the Queensland 9th.Infantry
shoulder patch.
FW181-NSW
“Australian Marching”(New South Wales)
Like previous two...only from New South Wales and the 1st.Infantry
Btn.
FW182
“New Zealander Stand-at-Ease”
Lee Enfield rifle by his side and wearing the famous “Kiwi” lemon-squeezer
shaped hat this soldier is immediately recognizable as a proud New Zealander.
FW183
“New Zealander Presenting Arms”
Not all Kiwis wore the “lemon-squeezer” hat...Some units were issued
with the Aussie-style “slouch-hat”. However their coloured
striped hat head bands (“puggrees”) easily
identified them as “Kiwis”.
FW184-V
“Hitching A Ride”
(Victoria)
An Aussie medic helps a wounded “Tommy” get back to the casualty clearing
station. His shoulder patch identifies him as a Victorian from the 8th.Infantry
Btn.
FW184-Q
“Hitching A Ride” (Queensland)
The 9th.Infantry Btn.
version.
FW184-NSW
“Hitching A Ride” (New
South Wales)
The 1st.Infantry Btn.medic
from New South Wales.
AVAILABLE:
Mid-December
C.
“For King & Country”
Still in Europe but we’ve
moved off the continent and into the England of the 17th. Century
and...The English Civil War...
Our first “Pike &
Musket” release featured Parliament’s soldiers under the command of
Oliver Cromwell.
Now it’s time to produce at
least the first of their opponents...from the Royalist Army of King
Charles I.
PnM002B
“Crouching Pikeman” (Royalist)
This Pikeman
wears the typical blue coat of his Royalist Regiment and a different style of
steel helmet from his Parliamentary opposite number.
PnM003B
“Present Pikeman” (Royalist)
Holding his long wooden pike horizontally,
this blue-coated warrior awaits battle.
PnM004B
“Vertical Pikeman” (Royalist)
PnM005B
“Advancing Pikeman” (Royalist)
Self-explanatory.
PnM006B
“Standing Pikeman” (Royalist)
PnM-S05
“Crouching and Presenting Pikemen” (Royalist)
A terrific value, 2 x figure set.
PnM-S06
“Vertical and Advancing Pikemen” (Royalist)
Another great value, 2 x figure set.
PnM-S07
“Two Standing Pikemen” (Royalist)
Another great value 2 x figure set.
PnM014
“English Civil War Cannon”
Artillery really began to
make its presence felt on the battlefield at this time...and this is one of the
heavier pieces.
This particular gun can be used by either Parliamentary or Royalist forces.
PnM015
“Parliamentary Gunners” Set A
2 x Artillery men to “man” your gun.
PnM016
“Parliamentary Gunners” Set B
Another 2 x Gunners at work.
PnM017
“Parliamentary Gun Commander”
Sword in hand and bellowing out orders!
PnM018
“Parliamentary Artillery Officer”
A fine figure of a trained Artillery Officer observing through his telescope ”The fall of shot”.
PnM019
“Standing Musketeer”
One more red-coated Parliamentary Musketeer.
PnM020
“King Charles I”
The King himself...a brave man but unduly influenced by his Queen...He set
himself on a collision course with Parliament...He was to lose his crown, his
country and eventually...his head.
SPECIAL NOTE:
Royalist Cannon and Gunners will be available later
in an upcoming release.
AVAILABLE:
Mid-December
D.
“TORA! TORA! TORA!
From England’s green and pleasant
land and bubbling bucolic streams and rivers to...The pure blue skies and
waters of the Pacific...and the Hawaiian Islands on the morning of December
7, 1941!
JN001
“The A6M Mitsubishi ZERO (1JNS “Akagi” version)
K&C’s first major release
of a Japanese fighter aircraft and an iconic one at that!
At the time of the attack on
Pearl Harbor the Japanese Navy “ZERO” was, without doubt, the finest
carrier-borne aircraft in the world. Fast, light and packing a punch from 2
x machine guns plus 2 x cannon it literally flew rings around its
opponents.
Our first “ZERO” is in
the markings of Lt.Saburo Shindo flying off the Imperial Japanese Navy carrier “Akagi”...It was him who announced “Tora! Tora! Tora!”
over Pearl Harbor to signal the surprise attack.
This K&C aircraft includes
a figure of Shindo in the cockpit of his
aircraft “saluting” as he prepares to fly off the carrier on his historic
mission.
JN002
“Flight Deck Crew Set”
Two kneeling crewmen with aircraft “chocks” ready to
pull them away before the aircraft takes off.
JN003
“Imperial Japanese Navy Bugler”
JN004
“Flight Deck Flag Man”
Japanese flight deck crews used small coloured flags
to indicate positioning of aircraft on the deck and “readiness to start
engines and take off”.
JN005
“Imperial Naval Pilot w/Parachute”
JN006
“Imperial Naval Pilot w/Headband”
JN007
“Banzai!”
Japanese sailor shouting “Banzai”...Long Live The
Emperor!
JN008
“Admiral Yamamoto”
A standing, saluting version of the “architect” of the
Pearl Harbor attack. Here, he wears the “winter” version of the
senior Naval officers’ uniform.
JN009
“The A6M Mitsubishi ZERO” (1JNS “Hiryu” version)
This second “Pearl Harbor” ZERO was piloted by a Petty Officer
from the IJN carrier “Hiryu” and bears
the blue stripes on the tail and fuselage. This model has NO pilot in the
cockpit allowing collectors to select either JN005 or JN006
to accompany the aircraft.
AVAILABLE:
Mid-December
E.
“Down on the Farm...”
For our final release this
month we’ve got a really useful diorama piece that can look great in the English
Countryside in the 17th. Century or on a Napoleonic
battlefield in the 19th or even somewhere in Normandy in 1944!
SP064
“The New European Farm house”
A larger, more detailed and
better proportioned update of an old favorite...Walls and a Courtyard
Gate will be added later – a really useful piece!
AVAILABLE:
Mid-December
2.
BEING
RETIRED
Just a few pieces but great value!
NE019
Standing General w/Map
NE020
Guide w/ Musket
NE021
Inspecting The Mummy
NE026
Smoke Break
RAF031 Rocket
Primers
RAF032 The Rocket Handler
RAF033
Sitting Airman
RAF034 Airman
Radio Operator
And that, my friends, is that... at least until January 2015! In the meantime... Have yourselves a merry little
Christmas, as the old song goes...and a peaceful one too!
All the very best to you and yours,
Andy C. Neilson
Co-founder & Creative Director
King &
Country