DISPATCHES
October 2021
Welcome to this month’s
‘DISPATCHES’ and an interesting little mix of figures and subject matter across
a number of our most popular ranges.
And so, without further ado let’s
get down to business ... Let’s begin with ‘VIETNAM’...
1.
BEING RELEASED THIS MONTH...
A.
‘Special Forces in Vietnam’
The war in Vietnam
was to become the U.S. Special Forces most complex and
controversial mission, beginning as early as 1957 and finally ending in 1973.
During those years
the U.S. Special Forces, mostly ‘Green Berets’, fulfilled a wide
variety of operations and missions covering all of
South Vietnam and also, clandestinely, into neighbouring
countries.
Among their many
duties were setting up and leading camp strike forces... mobile strike
forces... special reconnaissance tasks... training indigenous units and
headquarters support.
The Special Forces
soldiers who carried out these missions and operations were a special breed of
soldier... All of them were Regular Army volunteers with years of experience
and knowledge behind them. They were well-trained in a variety of different
military skills and able to work alone or in small specialist teams to lead and
advise regular and irregular South Vietnamese forces as well as local civilians
and natives in some of the most distant and inhospitable areas of South
Vietnam.
The typical
Special Forces trooper and officer was of higher than average intelligence,
physically fitter than many of his military contemporaries and well able to
think on his feet and be more adaptable to changing situations and variable
conditions.
The ‘Green
Berets’ that most of them proudly wore was earned by plenty of blood, sweat
and tears in training and in the jungles, mountains and paddy fields of South
Vietnam.
VN127 ‘Green
Beret Colonel’
This senior
officer is wearing the classic ‘green beret’ which began to be worn by
some U.S. Special Forces as early as 1954 but was not officially authorized
until 1961.
This first version
of our S.F. colonel is wearing standard issue ‘jungle fatigues’, the
tropical combat uniform worn by all US forces in Vietnam.
The colonel’s name
and ‘U.S. Army’ tapes were sewn atop the breast pockets of this jacket.
On his left shoulder are the ‘airborne’ patch over the Special Forces’ sleeve
shield insignia.
In his left hand
he also carries the standard M16 rifle.
VN139 ‘Green
Beret Colonel in Tiger-Stripes’
A second version
of our officer, this time wearing the ‘Tiger-Stripe’ camouflage uniform.
The origins of this design are unknown but it is
believed to have been developed in an Asian country and was first worn in
Vietnam by the South Vietnamese Marines.
It gained
increasing popularity after it was featured in the John Wayne movie ‘The
Green Berets’ (1968).
Although some
examples of this camo pattern combat uniform were manufactured in South
Vietnam most Special Forces uniforms were purchased in Thailand, Taiwan,
Okinawa and South Korea.
Consequently colours, patterns and fabrics varied greatly.
AVAILABLE: Early
October
B.
“In The Land of the Nile”
From the hot and
humid jungles of South Vietnam to the hot and arid sands of Ancient
Egypt and the lands bordering the great river Nile...
AE079 ‘The
Egyptian Harpist’
A delightful young
maiden together with her hand-carved harp. A worthy addition to our other Ancient
Egyptian singers, dancers and musicians.
AVAILABLE: Early
October
C.
‘VISTULA LEGION REINFORCEMENTS’
One more Lancer of
this famous Polish Cavalry Regiment that serves the Emperor together with one
of the regiment’s Trumpeters.
NA471 ‘Vistula
Lancer Trumpeter’
Mounted on a white
charger and wearing the ‘reverse colours’ of a
Regimental Trumpeter.
NA473 ‘Galloping
Vistula Lancer’
Spurring his horse
into a gallop the Lancer levels his weapon towards the enemy.
AVAILABLE: Mid
October
D.
‘SUPPORT ON THE GROUND’
Approximately
3,000 British, Empire and Foreign pilots flew with the Royal Air
Force’s ‘Fighter Command’ during the Battle of Britain.
Supporting them on the ground
were many more thousands of RAF ‘Ground Crews’ who the pilots
depended on to get them into the air and engage the enemy before returning to
earth to be refueled, rearmed and often repaired for the next ‘scramble’.
These ground crew
airmen took on a multitude of tasks and performed all kinds of mechanical and
technical ‘miracles’ to enable the RAF’s Spitfires and Hurricanes
to stay in the air fighting the enemy and winning the aerial battle. Here
are the latest sets...
RAF090 ‘RAF NCO
Inspectors’
A standing Flight
Sergeant together with an ‘eagle-eyed’ Corporal
inspect an aircraft to ensure all repairs have been successfully completed and
nothing has been left-to-chance or unfinished.
RAF092 ‘RAF Armourers Set’
As
the Corporal Armourer arrives with his tool box the other Armourer
holds a .303 Machine Gun ready to install it in either a Spitfire
or a Hurricane.
AVAILABLE: Mid
October
E.
‘RESISTANCE & REVENGE’
As French towns
and village all across Normandy were liberated by the
Allies local Resistance Groups (Les Maquisards)
together with many local residents began to take their revenge on anyone
thought to have helped or associated with the recent German occupiers.
After four years
of occupation together with hunger, fear and perhaps a little shame it was time
to seek revenge and retribution on those who had profited from the hated ‘Boche’ or had cooperated with the enemy in a more ‘horizontal’
fashion.
Collaborators of
all shapes and sizes and to all degrees were sought out and often subjected to
fierce interrogation and swift, violent punishment.
Women
in particular, who
were denounced or simply suspected of enemy collaboration were among the most
prominent victims.
DD349 ‘Maquisard w/Sten Gun’
This resistance
member is cocking his British-supplied ‘Sten’
sub machine gun Thousands of these simple but sturdy weapons were parachuted
into France and saw extensive service with the ‘Maquis’.
DD350 ‘Victims
of the Purge’ Mother & Child’
Among the most unfortunate
victims of the whole scale retribution after Liberation were women who had
formed relationships with the German occupiers and, in some cases, had
illegitimate children with them.
These women would
be dragged from their homes, paraded through the streets and then taken to a
town centre or village square where the heads would
be shorn of hair in front of all the local people, many of them neighbours, they would be then expelled from their town and
village and forced to find shelter and safety elsewhere.
DD351 ‘The
Barber & His Victim’
A forlorn young women sits alone and fearful as a male member
of the resistance outs off her hair in front of a jeering crowd of onlookers.
Because she has no
child she may suffer further cruelty and
humiliation... Some women collaborators were also ‘tarred and feathered’
before being expelled from their towns and villages.
For many male collaborators punishment was even worse... they would be
physically beaten, then shot or hanged!
DD352 ‘Maquisard w/Bren Gun’
In addition to the
Sten Guns supplied to French Resistance
groups, heavier weapons, such as the Bren Gun’, were also
provided.
Here our
resistance member uses the shoulder strap to support this classic British Light
Machine Gun.
AVAILABLE: Mid
October
F.
ON PARADE WITH THE LIFE GUARDS
It is often said
that no country produces military spectacles as good or as colourful
as Great Britain.
Among the finest
and most spectacular of all the centuries – old regiments that take part in
ceremonial duties in the nation’s capital are the men and horses of the Queen’s
own ‘Household Cavalry’.
The Household
Cavalry is actually made up of two mounted
regiments... ‘The Blues & Royals’ and ‘The Life Guards’.
As part of King
& Country’s Life Guards collection we are
proud to present the first of two magnificent drum
horses...
CE072 ‘The Life Guards Drum Horse HECTOR’
Although the vast majority
of the Life Guards mounts are midnight black in colour the exceptions are the horses of regimental
trumpeters and drum horses.
While Trumpeters
are normally mounted on a white horse, the Drum Horse is the most
powerful horse in the regiment. Each animal carries 300 pounds of equipment in
the form of two steel kettle drums and, of course, the drummer himself.
The Drum Horses
traditionally have been ‘Clydesdale’ crosses and are specially
bred for their ceremonial parades.
Carefully selected
by the Household Cavalry’s own ‘Riding Master’, each chosen Drum Horse
must have a good temperament and stand at least 16.3 hands high, be strong and
obviously fit.
It takes some 18
months to fully train a Drum Horse and there is always another Drum Horse in
training as a potential replacement.
This first Life Guards Drum Horse has been ‘christened’
“HECTOR”.
AVAILABLE: Mid-Late
October
G.
‘ONE FOR ALL & ALL FOR ONE’
Alexander Dumas’ classic
swash-buckling, historical novel ‘The Three Musketeers’ has been
a firm favourite of movie fans ever since it was
first filmed by Douglas Fairbanks in 1921.
Since then many
more movies have told the story of the young swordsman d’Artagnan
and his three friends, Athos, Porthos
and Aramis and their adventures during the reign of French
King LouisⅩⅢ and his
principal minister, the cunning and powerful Cardinal Richelieu.
King & Country
have also told the story of the ‘Three Musketeers’ in miniature... Back
in 2015 we produced our very first set of three Musketeers together with
their young aspirant, d’Artagnan... alongside
their arch enemy, Cardinal Richlieu.
Those particular figures have long been sold-out and no longer in
production however collectors and some dealers have requested replacements... So,
here they are...
PnM078 ‘The
Three Musketeers & d’Artagnan’
These four new figures were
directly inspired by the art of one of my favourite
comic book illustrators, Arturo del Castillo.
Arturo was just
one of a group of superb Spanish and Italian illustrators who
found their fortunes drawing for all kinds of British comic books and
illustrated children’s magazines throughout the 1950’s into the ‘60s and even
the 1970s.
I well remember
their work and collected examples of their excellent artwork even as a young
art student in Glasgow in the 1960s.
This new quartet
of figures shows the three musketeers and their young friend from Gascony
leveling their swords as they swear loyalty to each other... “One for
All... & All for one!”
PnM079 “Cardinal
Richelieu”
To accompany this brand-new
set of 4... a new version of their old adversary, the eminent Cardinal.
AVAILABLE: Mid to Late
October
2.
BEING RETIRED
As expected, as
the ‘new’ prepares to arrive some of our older, existing items are ready
to move out.
Take a closer
look... there are more than a few fine figures among them... make your
selection.
And on that
cheerful note l’ll bid you all a fond farewell for
another month.
FoB095
Table & Chairs
FoB098
The Refugee Horse & Cart
FoB101
One Old Man & His Dog
FoB103
Section Leader
FoB135
The Nun & The Toddler
FoB136
Three City Gents
FoB137
Good Friends
FoB139
The Little Apple Seller
FoB140 A Serf
with a Scythe
FoB141 Three
Russian Children
FoB143 A
Russian Orthodox Priest
FoB156
Little Brother and Big Sister
LAH097
The Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler Regimental Band
LAH153
SA Honour Guard w/ Rifle
LAH171
Reichsfuhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler 1934
LAH175
Goose-stepping SS Man
LAH176
SS Officer Saluting
LAH180
SS Obergruppenfuhrer Von Ribbentrop
LAH181
The Black Heydrich
LAH182
Reichsminister Albert Speer
LAH185
SS NCO
LAH208
Adolf in Lederhosen
LAH213
Oktoberfest Fraulein
LAH214
Oktoberfest Prost!
LAH217
Brownshirt SA Standard Bearer
LAH222
SS Fahnentrager
LAH223
SA MANN Brand
Great Sales!
Andy C. Neilson
Co-founder & Creative Director
King & Country Ltd.