Hi Guys,
Welcome to this month’s ‘DISPATCHES’ and a pretty diverse and colourful group of new releases that you would be hard-pressed to find anywhere else! And so without further ado let’s get down to business…
Back in July of this year K&C announced the launch of our dramatic new ‘Black Hawk Down’ series of figures and fighting vehicles depicting the horrendous events that took place in the war-torn Somali capital city of Mogadishu in early October 1993.
As most of you know an elite force of U.S. Army
Rangers backed up by a few U.S. Special Forces were
tasked with a mission to capture a Somali warlord’s top lieutenants in the
centre of the Somalian Capital city of Mogadishu.
After being helicoptered into the middle of the city almost everything that could go wrong did go wrong… Two Blackhawk helicopters were shot down by rocket-propelled grenades, leaving surviving aircrew at great risk on both crash sites.
As some of the U.S. Rangers fought through
to the first crash location they came under heavy enemy ground fire and were
pinned down.
Meanwhile, two U.S. Special Forces soldiers
landed near the second downed Blackhawk and courageously fought off hundreds of
Somali militiamen for a short time before they too were killed. The lone
survivor of this downed Blackhawk was the wounded pilot who was soon captured.
As the battle raged a ground force of Rangers,
under the command of Colonel Danny McKnight in their ‘HUMVEE’ armored
carriers were also battling through the city trying to reach their fellow
Rangers.
This second release of 10 additional U.S. Army Rangers depicts these American fighting men fighting for their lives as they attempt to rescue wounded comrades and fight their way through this ‘hornets nest’ of Somali Militiamen in the middle of Mogadishu.
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BHD001 ‘Ranger Radio Team’ |
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BHD006 ‘Ranger w/M249 SAW’ |
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BHD007 ‘Ranger Advance To
Contact’ |
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BHD008 ‘No Man Left Behind’ |
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BHD010 ‘No Man Left Behind’ |
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BHD012 ‘Ranger Covering The
Rear’ |
AVAILABLE: Mid September
Special Preview Note: K&C’s ‘HUMVEES’ will
be released this coming October… Look out for them!
It’s a long, long way from the rubble-strewn streets of
war-torn Mogadishu to the tree-lined boulevards of London.
It’s also a world away from elite fighting soldiers in dust-covered camouflage
uniforms to other elite soldiers in their smart dress uniforms but we’ll make
the jump anyway with our two latest recruits to K&C’s ‘CEREMONIAL’ series
of Parade Figures’.
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CE117 ‘The Irish Guards Mascot ‘Seamus’ and Handler’
The Irish Guards is one of the 5 Foot Guards regiments of the British Army and is part of the Guards Division. The regiment was formed in April 1900 by order of Queen Victoria to commemorate all the Irishmen who fought in the Second Boer War on behalf of Queen and Country. Since 1902, an Irish Wolfhound has been presented as a ‘mascot’ to the regiment by the Irish Wolfhound Club, who originally hoped the publicity would increase the popularity of the breed with the general public. The first mascot was called ‘Brian Boru’, named after an ancient Irish King. Traditionally, the mascot is looked after and taken on parade by one of the Regiment’s own drummers as is shown in K&C’s 2-figure set. The current regimental mascot’s name is ‘Seamus’ and he joined the Irish Guards in 2020. In 2023 ‘Seamus’ and his Handler led the Irish Guards Massed Pipes & Drums to Buckingham Palace for King Charles Ⅲ’s Coronation Military Procession. |
AVAILABLE: Early September
One of the most important battles of The Second World War was
the battle that was fought in the sky over Southern Britain in the summer of
1940.
For almost four months between 10 July and 31
October, 1940, the fighter pilots of the Royal Air Force defended
the U.K. against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany’s Luftwaffe in
the first major military campaign fought entirely by air forces.
Had the Germans won this aerial struggle a seaborne and
airborne invasion would surely have followed and the outcome of WW2 would
have been very different.
Thanks to the skill and bravery of the many young pilots of RAF
Fighter Command and the thousands of dedicated, hard-working Ground
Crew mechanics and airmen rearming, refueling and repairing the Spitfires
and Hurricanes the Nazis suffered their first major
defeat.
But that’s not the whole story…
Behind the frontline fighter aircraft and airfields was a
reporting chain that would gather and move relevant information from various
observation posts all over the British coast and countryside as well as from
the network of radar stations located along the southern coast of Britain.
All of this vital information on the strength and direction
of various Luftwaffe attacks would then be passed onto the
different Fighter Group Operations Room responsible for that target
area.
In these ‘Ops Rooms’ usually located
underground a number of WAAFs (Womens Auxilian Air Force) can be
seen working around a large table on which is printed a huge map with parts of
Great Britain showing the boundaries and locations of various Fighter Command
Groups and their airfields.
As reports of enemy attacks came in each Operations Room could also see on an illuminated electronic wall display which squadrons were available to take off while others might be refueling, rearming or already in action.
Senior Officers on duty in the Ops Room would then make vital
decisions as to which squadrons would take to the air and, importantly, which
sectors they would fly to in order to intercept and destroy the enemy
intruders.
The vital, almost invisible, role these Royal Air Force ‘Operations
Rooms’ played in helping to win The Battle of Britain can
never be forgotten and here is our own small replica in miniature…
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RAF080 ‘Air Chief Marshal Sir
Hugh Dowding & The WAAF Section Officer’ |
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RAF081 ‘Battle of Britain
Operations Room’ Set |
AVAILABLE: Early September
So began the first track on the first side of what is considered by many to be the best pop music album of the 1960s and possible the most original rock album of all time
Everything about this album or L.P. (Long Playing Record) as
we called them in the U.K. at that time was revolutionary and innovative.From
its record sleeve design and packaging to the songs themselves each of which
was original and bridged the cultural divide between popular music and high art
while reflecting the interests of contemporary youth and the counterculture.
When it was released in May 1967 the effect was one of the
defining moments in pop culture heralding in the ‘Album Era’ and the
1967 ‘Summer of Love’.
And what amazed everyone, including myself who was there at
the time, was just how far the four young musicians behind the album had
travelled in less than five years from their home city on the banks of the River
Mersey…
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RnR001 ‘Four Lads From Liverpool’ |
AVAILABLE: Mid September
About a hundred years before John, Paul George or
Ringo were born another child was delivered who, in later life, would be
crowned King of the United Kingdom and its British
Dominions and Emperor of India.
The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince
Albert, Edward, nicknamed “Bertie” was
related to virtually every Royal Family in Europe.He was Prince of
Wales and heir apparent to the British throne for almost 60 years.
During his mother’s long reign he was largely excluded from
political influence and came to personify the fashionable, Leisured elite more
suited to the race track, the theatre and the company of ladies of dubious
virtue.
His reputation as a ‘playboy prince’ inevitably
soured his relationship with his disapproving mother.
Finally in 1901, upon his mother’s death, Edward inherited
the throne and began to take a more serious interest in both his duties and
responsibilities.
During his relatively short reign he played a role in the
modernization of the Royal Navy as well as the reorganization of
the British Army after the Second Boer War of 1899-1902.
In foreign relations he fostered good relations with other
European countries, especially France with which Britain forged the ‘Entente
Cordiale’ a mutual pact to support each other in the event of an
attack by any third party.
The one country and one ruler Edward Ⅶ came to dislike was Germany
and its ruler, his nephew Kaiser Wilhelm Ⅱ.
In Edward’s eyes this was the one nation that he felt was intent
on
causing friction on the European Continent while at the same time attempting to
build a navy to threaten the global supremacy of Britain’s own mighty fleet.
As a King, Edward Ⅶ proved a more popular success than anyone had expected. He also ensured that his own son and heir, George Ⅴ was better prepared to take the throne upon his death on May 6, 1910.
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TR017 “King Edward
Ⅶ” |
AVAILABLE: Mid September
Now, how many times were those the fatal last
words of an unfortunate U.S. Cavalry trooper or perhaps an unlucky
settler who ventured into Apache territory…?
Here are a very useful and dangerous pair of Apache warriors who are on the lookout for any unwary ‘white eyes’ or poor hapless Mexican that comes their way…
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TRW192 ‘Black Knife’ Crouching
Apache Warrior |
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TRW193 ‘White Cloud’ Advancing
Apache Archer |
AVAILABLE: Early September
Not a lot this month BUT King & Country is
retiring the individual figures and items belonging to our King
Arthur & His Knights of The Round Table.
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MK137 King Arthur |
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MK138 Sir Galahad |
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MK139 Mordred |
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MK140 Sir Lancelot |
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MK143 The Round Table & The King's Chair |
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MK146 Sir Gawain |
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MK147 Sir Geraint |
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MK148 Sir Bedivere |
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MK149 Sir Tristram |
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MK150 Sir Peleas |
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MK151 Sir Caradoc |
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MK152 Sir Lucan |
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MK155 Sir Lamorak |
So if you have been collecting this subject piece-by-piece you better grab the missing pieces NOW to complete this colourful depiction of the ‘Arthurian Legend’.
PLEASE NOTE:
The Complete Table, Chairs and all of the above figures will
in future ONLY be sold as a SPECIAL BOXED SET.
Also:
The Wizard Merlin and Queen Guinevere will continue to be sold as
individual figures.
And that my friends is that for one more month ... I hope there’s at least a few things for you in there.
GREAT SALES!
Andy
C. Neilson
Co-founder & Creative Director
King & Country