KING & COUNTRY DISPATCHES
SEPTEMBER
2009
SEPTEMBER for KING & COUNTRY means…
K&C has been
taking part and going to the “
All in all it’s a
blast and in a couple of weeks we… Helen, Gordon, Patrick and yours truly will
be there along, I hope, with Martin from Kings X in
K&C’s co-founder and the lady who first suggested, “Hey, why don’t we
start up our own toy soldier company!”
And the rest they
say… is history… So, here goes with all the latest “scuttlebutt”…
1. COMING IN SEPTEMBER…
Over the coming
months we will be releasing quite a few new AFRIKA KORPS sets to build
up our Axis forces in
A
brand-new version of a now-retired, early AK release. This model has lots of extra detail, a
great sand-weathered paint finish and comes with a half-body crew figure in the
turret. It is in the marking of 15th Pz. Division.
A neat little set
of a typical German Sentry box and another all-new sculpt… a standing guard
with rifle slung. Perfect to protect lonely desert airfields
and other AK installations.
Available
Now!
When we retired our
veteran LAH Parade figures recently we already had these new versions in the
works…
Six LAH officers
and men, restyled and resculpted, complete with
marching-style back packs to fill out the ranks of any
Plus there is a neat little display set as
well.
In cities like
A
pair of typical “Germanic” eagles in Golden/Brass colour surmount simple but elegant stone columns.
Dimensions: Height:
LAH113 “LAH
LAH114 “LAH Marching w/ Sword”
LAH115 “LAH Presenting Arms”
LAH116 “LAH Marching w/ Rifle”
LAH117 “At Ease”
Special Note: All of these new LAH figures have,
for the first time, the all-white belt, braces, crossbelts
and backpacks.
Available
Now!
From pre-war Nazi
Germany we travel through the
This new series
echoes K&C’s “
For too long toy
soldier and military miniature makers have neglected
The
Italian Dictator in a familiar role as “First Corporal” of the
Special Note: A standing saluting Mussolini is also
in the works for later release.
IF002 “Consul
General of the Chaplain’s Dept.”
The Church played
an ambivalent role in Fascist politics… Some of the hierarchy
were only too happy to join any movement that would combat the Communist
and Socialist opposition. Our figure port
The Fascists
borrowed many design features for their badges, banners and flags from Imperial
This soldier is
wearing “mixed rig”… typical of Italian Forces in both the war in
The Italian sun
helmet was also widely worn by all ranks.
This particular
pose is very Italian… relaxed but ready!
A senior officer
(a Colonel) in all g
Available
Now!
A neat little, self
propelled gun in action somewhere in
AVAILABILITY: Mid September
SPECIAL NOTE: More Italian Forces, including action
pieces, are already in the works for release in 2010.
It’s a gigantic historical leap from
Mussolini’s Fascist Forces back in time to Medieval Knights but we’ll make it
anyway…
Templar Knights belonged to a holy military order that was
founded in 1120 to protect pilgrims making their way to and through The Holy
Land.
Taking lifelong
vows of chastity… poverty and obedience they were famous for their fighting
skills and battlefield prowess. Knights journeyed from all over
An Anglo/ Norman
knight from the mid 12th. Century.
One “Templar”
supports a seriously wounded other…
MK066 “Mounted Templar with Banner”
MK067 “Crusader Archer Set”
Not all Medieval clerics believed in “turning the other cheek!”
A
Scottish soldier on Crusade.
A knight is made
ready for combat assisted by his kneeling squire. On a small nearby table rests
his dagger, helmet, a flagon of ale and his shield.
An
all-new version of a typical medieval tent which K&C produced many years
ago.
Jean
de Falaise… ruthless, clever and a devoted Templar.
Duke Thierry de
MK075 “Crusader Tent #
AVAILABILITY: Mid September
2. COMING IN OCTOBER…
A. October sees
the release of a brand-new series honouring the men
of Britain’s Royal Air Force during the Second World War.
This first release
primarily focuses on “The
Hitler knew that if
he was to successfully invade the little island Kingdom he had to smash the
Hurricanes and Spitfires of the Royal Air Force first. The fate of democracy
and what was left of the Free World hung, for those few short months, in the
balance. All that stood between the Nazis and their all-too-real threat of
world domination was a relative handful of young fighter pilots and just over
50 squadrons of Hawker Hurricanes and Supermarine
Spitfires.
Next year, 2010,
marks the 70th.Anniversary of one of the major turning points of the Second
World War. Journey back with K&C to the dark days of 1940 and this epic
aerial battle that defeated Hitler for the very first time…
Introducing the
first of an ongoing series…
The
head of Fighter Command and the leading architect of the RAF’s victory over the
Luftewaffe. K&C’s figure shows him in a typical pose
paying a visit to one of his front line squadrons during the
RAF002 “Squadron Leader Douglas Bader”
A
flying legend in the RAF.
Bader lost both legs in a pre war flying accident but fought to return
to operational flying at the outbreak of the war.
During the
One of the leading
characters in author
RAF004 “Sgt. Pilot Ginger Lacey”
James “Ginger” Lacey
was one of the NCO pilots who made up a quarter of Fighter Command’s strength
during the
Originally a
civilian navigation instructor and part-time pilot with 602 (City of
Two RAF pilots on
readiness await that jangling phone call that will send them running for their
aircraft. A very typical “
One
of the two most famous British aircraft that won the Battle of Britain. Less famous than the more graceful
Spitfire, the Hurricane carried eight .303 machine guns and could absorb
an amazing amount of punishment.
Twice as many
Hurricanes fought in the
K&C’s model is in the markings of 501 (
Special Note: Only 400 models of this particular Hurricane are planned for
production.
Without the
invaluable help, effort and support of the RAF’s ground crew the
Here, 3 Aircraftmen
make ready to get another Hurricane or Spitfire back into the air. Set includes
a Corporal Armourer and 2 x Leading
aircraftmen.
“Keith Sutton”, a New Zealander, with a “souvenir”
tail piece from a Me. 110 he shot down.
Fighter pilots and
fast sports cars seem to go well together. Here, a young, rakish Flight
Lieutenant sits in his nifty little British racing-green MG Sports Car
enjoying a well-earned break from shooting down all those “nasty huns!”
From the
defensive tactics of Fighter Command in the summer of 1940 we move forward to
1943 and the offensive operations of the RAF’s mighty “Bomber Command”.
Here we
present three of Bomber command’s best known pilots… All of whom flew with 617
Squadron and took part in the famous “DAMBUSTERS” raid on the great dams of
RAF011 “Wing Commander Guy Gibson V.C.”
Accompanied by his
faithful Black Labrador “Nigger”, Gibson led the raid and was one of Bomber
Command’s most experienced pilots at just 24 years old! He was awarded the
Victoria Cross for the exploit. Sadly, he was killed on operations over
One of Gibson’s
best Flight Leaders and a New Zealander who volunteered to fly with the RAF. He
is one of a handful of survivors still living who took part in the epic raid.
A
great Australian bomber pilot and another of Gibson’s key flight leaders. He survived the war and went on to a long
and very successful career in the peactime RAF
eventually becoming an Air Vice Marshal.
SPECIAL NOTE: These are just a few of the great RAF
figures, aircraft and diorama accessories K&C has planned… look out for
more in the coming months!
AVAILABILITY: Early October
ACHTUNG!ACHTUNG!ACHTUNG!
B. From the
skies of wartorn
BBG022 “Sd.Kfz 251/22 “Pakwagen” Ausf. D” (Winter)
Boy what a
mouthful!!!
After we made the
first summer version we thought “this could look equally good as a
Available
Now!
The Jagdpanzer IV was the final development of the tank
destroyer on the chassis of a standard tank. Development of this vehicle was
championed by General Heinz Guderian when he
was Inspector General of Panzer Forces in 1942/43. It was intended to
replace STUG III’s and IV’s
and first appeared in late 1944. It was used extensively during “The
BBG023 “Steyr 1500 FunkKraftwagen”
Another
mouthful… but a great
little vehicle… and useful too! Radio communications were and are vital to any
modern army and in 1944 the German Army was no exception.
This great looking
little truck was built on the well-proved Steyr 1500
chassis. Here in its original Wehrmacht/factory
finish g
And
doing just that are these 3 “Volksgrenadiers”
making an attack on an American position. All are in heavy winter greatcoats with, in two cases, camouflage
smocks on top.
An advancing “Volksgrenadier” shouts a warning as his mate fires a
well-aimed round at some retreating GI’s.
BBG026 “Winter Rifleman”
A great little
single figure character study of a “Volksgrenadier”…
Rifle on one shoulder and Panzerfaust on the other…
this soldier has seen his fill of war…
War has to go on
however and this other single rifleman is moving stealthily forward on an enemy
location…
Lying on the frozen
hard ground of the
AVAILABILITY: Mid October
Well, we weren’t actually but who cares…
With last year’s Christmas set of GI’s feeding two little Belgian orphans we
neglected to add… a Santa Claus.
And now
here he is… or at least a GI who’s made an effort to dress up as Santa using an
old, discarded and beat up greatcoat and… a pot of red paint.
XM009
All the toys
are made… the presents
are packed… the elves have gone to bed and Santa’s sled is loaded. He’s
about to head off on Christmas Eve and, to celebrate, Mr. & Mrs. Claus
enjoy a little jig around the workshop floor.
There’s a long
night ahead but for a brief moment Santa and his Missus can enjoy each other’s
happiness. The two-figure set also includes the tall candle stand.
AVAILABILITY: Late October
Monty Python were maybe onto something because after
visiting Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus up at the North
Pole we’ve landed in Ancient
Here two members of
the Emperor’s Bodyguard Regiment are out hunting in the Palace’s own
Royal Hunting Grounds.
As one guardsman
holds aloft his rabbit victim the mounted guardsman is after bigger game… a
local deer.
All these pieces
make a colourful addition to this popular collection.
AVAILABILITY: Mid October
3. BEING RETIRED THIS MONTH
Can you believe it
guys… just one set is being put out to pasture!
And that is that
for another month. As I said at the beginnings of this
month’s DISPATCHES…
Until then very
best personal wishes to everyone!
Andy C. Neilson
Co-founder & Creative Director
King & Country