‘DISPATCHES’
September 2015
SEPTEMBER
ALWAYS MEANS CHICAGO!
As regular readers of ‘DISPATCHES” well know this particular
month is when K&C focuses on their annual visit to the “Windy City”
and The Chicago Toy Soldier Show.
Well this year is no exception...Myself
and the rest of the K&C Team will be arriving in Chicago on Tuesday, 22
September and setting up in the K&C room (4301) at the Hyatt
Regency Woodfield in Schaumburg and showing off some of our recent
releases and quite a few of our upcoming ones. We are usually the first
company to “open-up” our room for viewing to collectors and dealers
alike who begin to arrive from Wednesday, 23 September onwards
right up to Sunday 27th when the show moves from the
room floors down to the hotel’s ballroom, adjoining annexes and the hallways
connecting them. There, in “Manufacturer’s Row”, you will
find King & Country and some other
leading toy soldier companies. But that’s not myself
or K&C’s only public appearance in the States this September...
SIERRA/KING & COUNTRY DAY
Saturday, 19 September 2015
For several years now, on the
weekend before Chicago, I get to visit Los Gatos, California, the home
of SIERRA TOY SOLDIERS, one of America’s, and I believe the world’s, very best Toy Soldier Stores!
On Saturday 19
September K&C will be in the Sierra Store all day
meeting and talking with K&C collectors, other toy soldier enthusiasts and
folks that just come in off the street about all things “toy soldiers”
and K&C related.
After the store closes for
the day we’ll be having another “Meet ‘n’ Greet” beginning at
6:00pm with more collectors and talking about upcoming K&C plans as well as
fielding all kinds of questions, suggestions and ideas from the collectors.
Mike & Myzska Hall of SIERRA are our gracious and welcoming
hosts and always lay on complimentary sandwiches, snacks and drinks for
all concerned and it’s always a great finale to a great day.
INTROUDCING A FIRST
K&C/SIERRA EXCLUSIVE
In addition this year we will
be previewing the “Master-Paint Figure” of a special figure set exclusively
designed and produced by K&C for SIERRA...
“WOJTEK & HIS HANDLER”
During WW2 a Syrian Brown
Bear Cub was found in the Middle East by Free Polish soldiers serving with
the British Army. He was made a “Corporal” and followed the troops
all the way to Italy where, at the Battle of Monte Cassino
he even helped transport ammunition!!!
After the war “Wojtek” moved to Scotland with the Free Polish
Army units who did not want to return to a by-now Communist-led country and
was officially “demobilized” in 1947. He spent his final years at Edinburgh
Zoo where he was often visited by his former army comrades by now also
civilians living and working in Britain.
The SIERRA/K&C Exclusive
Shows “Vojtek”
and his Polish Army handler as they might have appeared in Italy in 1943 during
the Battle of Monte Cassino.
If you live and work anywhere near Los
Gatos come along to SIERRA on Saturday 19 September and meet yours truly...and “VOJTEK” in person!
So, after all of that...Here’s all of this...Read on!!!
1.
WHAT’S
NEW IN SEPTEMBER..?
A.
“Garrison Past Times”
As everyone knows the life of
a soldier is not all battles and bloodshed...Most soldiers spend most of their
time before or after a conflict relaxing and enjoying each other’s
companionship. Here are some examples...
NA306
“Rest & Recuperation”
As one 7th
Hussar relates how he was wounded his fellow Hussar quietly enjoys his
pipe.
NA313
“Rest & Refreshment”
Seated at a table with a plate
of cheese before them this pair of 7th Hussars slake
their thirst with some local wine.
NA315
“Mounted Hussar”
Turning in the saddle this 7th Hussar is about to go on
picket duty.
NA348
“The Maid”
This comely wench is checking to see whether the two gentlemen from NA315
need their wine “topped-up”.
AVAILABLE:
Early September
B.
“From War...To Peace”
We move from the “Age of
Napoleon” to the “World of Dickens”...in one fell swoop!
A small additional selection
of figures to fill out your Dickens Street scene...
WOD026
“The Old Organ Grinder & His Monkey”.
A familiar sight on any
Victorian Street was the itinerant “Organ Grinder” usually
accompanied by an animal of one kind or another...In this case a small
monkey.
Our “Organ Grinder”
is obviously an “Old Soldier” probably from the “Wars of Napoleon”
and still wears the remains of his old uniform and even a campaign medal or
two.
WOD027
“Isambard Kingdom Brunel”
One of the great civil and mechanical engineering geniuses of the Victorian
age...He designed Steam Ships...Suspension Bridges...Railways...Tunnels
and much more.
His designs transformed Britain and revolutionized public transport and modern
engineering. Here he stands proud and confident...A great Victorian.
WOD028
“Mother & Child”
A loving mother and her babe-in-arms.
WOD029
“Mr. Phineas Wagstaff”
A gentleman
of some wealth and position enjoying his morning stroll.
WOD032
“Please sir, can I have more..?”
A plaintiff (and hungry)
young Oliver Twist holds his bowl before him and requests a little extra
sustenance. One of Dickens’ most famous characters.
AVAILABLE:
Early September
C.
“Man’s Best Friend”
Travel forward almost 90 years to the grim
days of WW2...
FOB101 “One Old
Man & His Dog”
It wasn’t only people that lose their homes in wartime...
Here, this old civilian has only the clothes he stands up in and...his little dog which he is carrying in a cardboard box...At
least the dog has some shelter. Another poignant
little addition to our series of civilian refugees of war.
AVAILABLE: Early September
D.
“Red Army Resurgent”
Following the success of our
flag-raising over Berlin we thought we would add a few more Soviet soldiers to
the collection...
RA071
“The Souvenir Collector”
All armies, given the
opportunity, will loot when and where possible. Here, a Russian officer
holds his machine pistol in one hand and carries off a bust of the Führer
as a small momento of the battle.
RA072
“Kneeling Reloading”
A kneeling Red Army private reaches into his pouch for a fresh magazine
for his Ppsh 41 machine gun.
RA073
“Attack!”
As one Russian soldier urges his Comrades forward into the assault his comrade
provides covering fire.
RA074
“Female Fighter”
One of the Red Army’s women fighters replenishes her magazine.
AVAILABLE:
Mid-September
E.
“The Imperial Collection”
IC071
“The Mighty Zhang Fei”
Another great Chinese War
Leader from the “Three Kingdoms” Big...Mean...and Magnificent!
AVAILABLE:
Mid- September
F.
“Streets of Old Hong Kong”
HK241
“New Village Gateway”
One of the most popular “tinplate”
items K&C has ever produced was this traditional wall and Chinese
Gateway...Some years ago we made some and they kept selling out...So
here’s a few more. Looks great with any of our
Chinese figures and settings.
AVAILABLE:
Mid-Late September
G.
“Operation Market Garden”
17 September 1944, somewhere
on the outskirts of a little Dutch town called...ARNHEM.
MG059(P) “Lt.
“Jimmy” Cleminson”
Lt. Cleminson was in charge of No.5 Platoon of “B”
Company, 3 Para during the Arnhem operation. As he led his platoon
forward a German Citroen Staff Car suddenly appeared at a road junction.
He and his men opened fire
riddling the vehicle and killing all its occupants including a German
General...Only later did he discover that the senior officer was none other
than the German commander of the Arnhem area...General Friedrich Kussin! * See later notes...
MG061(P) “Sergeant
Jim Sharrock” Glider Pilot Regiment
Sergeant Sharrock flew to Arnhem piloting a Hamilcar glider
carrying a 17 pounder gun of the 1st Air landing Auti Tank Battery...He was killed in action on 22
September and, alas, has no known grave.
Our figure depicts him just
after he landed still wearing his flying helmet and carrying a map and his
Browning automatic.
MG062(P) “The
Ambushers”
Two of General Kussin’s opponents from No.5
Platoon have a “smoke-break” after their successful ambush.
MG065X
“The Welbike Set”
A K&C Xclusive
Several thousand of these miniature air-portable motorcycles were manufactured
during the war and some were parachuted into Arnhem. Here our Para has
halted his bike and unslung his Sten Gun...ready for action.
Please Note: This particular set is ONLY available
DIRECT FROM K&C.
AVAILABLE:
Mid-September
*ARNHEM AMBUSH PREVIEW
Although not available until October here is
a “Sneak Peak” at “General Kussin’s
Ambushed Citroen”
WH044
The set includes the bullet riddled Citroen Staff Car with the
dead body of the German General lying half-in...half-out
of the vehicle. Sitting slumped in the driver’s seat is his
unfortunate driver.
WH045
“Dead German General’s ADC”
To accompany the above set is a separate dead German Staff Officer who
managed to escape from the ambushed vehicle...but did not get very far
before being cut down.
AVAILABLE:
October
H.
“The Battle of Britain”
Four years before “Operation
Market Garden” Britain was fighting for its life...Fortunately it was saved
by 2 great aircraft...The Spitfire and The
Hurricane...And a handful of very brave men.
RAF071
“The Aston Martin “Ulster”
By their
very own description fighter pilots love all kinds of speed...And
many of them even had their own sports cars.
A favorite of some of the
wealthier ones was the Aston Martin “Ulster” which
had taken part in the famous Le Mans races in the years before the war.
This particular “fire
engine red” racer has its proud pilot/owner behind the wheel.
RAF072
“Air Vice Marshal Sir Keith Park”
This tall New Zealander was
a WW1 Flying Ace who remained in the Royal Air Force after 1918.
At the time of the Battle of
Britain, in the summer of 1940, he was in command of No.11 Group RAF
tasked with the fighter defence of London and South
East England.
A firm supporter of Air
Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, he won a
reputation as a shrewd tactician and a popular “hands-on” leader who
often flew his own personal Hurricane around his widely dispersed airfields to
talk with and listen to his squadron commanders and pilots.
Our figure shows him in flying
gear about to take off on one of his regular tours of his fighter airfields.
RAF073
“Squadron Leader Bob Stanford-Tuck”
Stanford-Tuck joined the RAF in 1935. He first saw
combat during the Fall of France over Dunkirk and went on to become an “ace”
several times over during the Battle of Britain.
He was shot down over France
in January 1942 when his tally of “kills” numbered 27 and 2 shared.
He survived imprisonment in
the infamous Colditz and the war and enjoyed a
successful career postwar during which he even became a friend of his old opponent,
Adolf Galland.
RAF074
“The Aston Martin
“Ulster”
A second version of RAF071...This one in “Sky Blue”.
AVAILABLE:
Mid-Late September
I.
“Retreat to Dunkirk”
While Stanford-Tuck
was flying over the beaches of Dunkirk other blokes were trying their damndest to reach those beaches...with the Germans close
on their heels!
FOB118
“Morris CS9 Armoured Car”
A “classic”
early war British armoured car utilizing the chassis
of the Morris Commercial C9 truck. On this chassis was mounted a riveted hull and an open-topped
turret. Armament consisted on a “Boys” anti-tank rifle and a
Bren Gun.
Our model is in the markings
of the 12th Royal Lancers during the Battle of
France in 1940 and comes with a vehicle commander figure.
FOB119
“Walking Wounded”
A British “Tommy” helps his wounded mate along the road towards the
beaches of Dunkirk...and hopefully home to dear old “Blighty”.
FOB123
“Rear guard Trio”
While some blokes get the opportunity to retreat others have to stay back and
hold up the advancing Germans.
These three “Tommies” prepare for battle.
FOB124
“Truck Passengers”
Two other “Toms” take the weight off their feet and have a moment’s
rest. They’re been on the road for days now and deserve a break!
Both figures and the separate boxes they sit on fit perfectly into
K&C’s own Morris CS8 truck (FOB091) or, as you see
here, can sit next to a road or a building.
FOB125
“Knackered!”
The urban definition of that particularly English word “Knackered”
means “completely worn-out” or “physically exhausted”.
It is in most common usage in Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and
New Founland.
Our British “Tommy” here is sitting down by the roadway or perhaps in the
back of the truck...but the description is still appropriate.
AVAILABLE:
Late September/Early October
J.
“Pike & Musket”
From 20th
Century Warfare all the way back to mid-17th Century warfare .
PnM009B
“The Musketeer Set”.
A set of 3 x
“Royalist” Musketeers in different attitudes preparing to fire their
weapons.
PnM019B
“Standing Musketeer”
An additional “Royalist”
musketeer with “stand” in one hand...musket over the shoulder.
AVAILABLE:
Late September/Early October
2.
BEING RETIRED
Quite a batch of
retirements...some from “Beersheba”...some “Battle of the Bulge”...”First
World War”...Just one “Napoleonic” and one little Panzer!
|
AL025 |
General
Kemal Ataturk |
|
AL029 |
Sir
Harry Chauvel |
|
AL058 |
Camel
Field Ambulance |
|
BBA046 |
Winter
March |
|
BBG047 |
Machine
Gunner |
|
BBG052 |
Suspicious
Trooper |
|
BBG073 |
Standing
Tank Rider |
|
BBG075 |
Crouching
Tank Rider w/Rifle |
|
FOB067 |
Mother
& Daughter |
|
FOB070 |
Newspaper
Seller #1 |
|
FW126 |
Kaiser
Wilhelm II |
|
FW127 |
Generaloberst Helmuth von Moltke |
|
FW128 |
Mounted
Infantry Officer w/Binos |
|
FW129 |
Standing
Firing |
|
FW130 |
Kneeling
Firing |
|
FW131 |
Rifle
at the Trail |
|
FW132 |
Lying
Firing |
|
FW133 |
Kneeling
Ready |
|
FW134 |
Bugler |
|
FW135 |
Advancing
w/ Rifle |
|
FW136 |
Charging
w/ Rifle |
|
FW137 |
Present
Arms w/ Bayonet |
|
FW138 |
Machine
Gunner |
|
NA242 |
92nd
Bagpiper marching |
|
WS259 |
The
Panzer 35(T) |
And that, my friends is that, until one more month.
I’m
looking forward to seeing more than a few of you either at Los Gatos or
in Chicago.
In
the meantime...best personal wishes...happy collecting!
Co-founder & Creative Director
King
& Country