Rebels On Horseback
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Fighting a battle is difficult enough but to fight it from a ‘moving platform’ in the shape of a horse is double the difficulty.
When the American Civil War began the Confederacy was fortunate in being a collection of largely rural and agricultural states.
Many of the men who flocked to join the new cavalry regiments being raised were natural horsemen who often brought their own mounts with them.
In addition, the vast majority enjoyed ‘hunting and shooting’ as pastimes and were expert shots.
The 29th Texas Cavalry were typical of the kind of regiment these men joined. Here we see five of them, including an officer, in ‘skirmishing order’...
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CW108 Confederate Cavalry Officer
- Wearing a ‘Canary Yellow’ kepi and brandishing his ‘Navy Colt’ revolver this
officer is wearing a privately-purchased uniform set of ‘Confederate Grey’ shell
jacket and yellow-striped riding breeches and long, over-the-knee black leather
boots. Many of the officers of the South’s cavalry regiments came from the local
farming gentry and plantation owning community.
- CW109 Confederate Cavalry Sergeant
Firing Carbine - The Confederacy employed a wide range of Cavalry
Carbines. Among the most readily available were the Burnside M1855 carbine...
the Sharps carbine and... the P56 Enfield carbine. Our sergeant is firing his
Sharps model.
- CW1110 Confederate Cavalry Corporal
Holding Carbine - Mounted on a coal-black mare this Corporal moves
himself and his horse into a better firing position.
- CW111 Confederate Cavalry Trooper
Loading Carbine - After firing a round this trooper reaches back into
his pouch for additional ammunition.
- CW112 Confederate Cavalry Trooper
Aiming Carbine - This particular trooper is resting his carbine on
his left arm to ‘steady his aim’.
Confederates by King & Country
RETURN OF THE MOUNTED MAJOR
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NA475 Gordon Highlanders Mounted Major
- This is an alternative version of our first mounted Gordon Highlanders
Officer. Although the officer’s uniform is the same we’ve provided him with a
different coloured horse.
Gordon Highlanders
AT THE AIRFIELD
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As two young fighter pilots enjoy for a few rare moments of relaxation during the Battle of Britain another RAF figure prepares to go on duty protecting the airfield itself.
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RAF084 Playing Drafts / Checkers
- Two RAF fighter pilots, during the ‘Battle of Britain’, sit down to enjoy the
classic board game as their aircraft are rearmed and refueled before going back
into the air to help defeat the might of Goering’s Luftwaffe.
- RAF086 RAF Police Dog Handler Set
- It was during WW2 that Dogs and their Handlers were first introduced into the
security details guarding all Royal Air Force airfields and other secure
installations. Ever since RAF Police Dog Handlers and their animals have
provided high levels of security in the UK and across the world for all RAF
airfields.
Royal Airforce
TIME FOR TEA
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Tea and China seem to go well together and this colourful little set proves it...
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HK295M Chinese Ladies' Tea Set (Matt)
- Three well-dressed, upper-crust Hong Kong ladies enjoy a cup of ‘Yam Cha’
(tea) as they pass the time of day gossiping about their friends, husbands
and... the local stock market!
- HK295G Chinese Ladies' Tea Set (Gloss)
Orient
THE RETURN OF THE EMPIRE
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During the time when ‘the sun never set’ on the British Empire few of the world’s armies could have equalled the sight and splendor of Queen Victoria’s ‘Indian Army’.
And in that army the Cavalry were the most splendid and colourful of all... especially in their dress uniforms.
Possible the most colourful and certainly one of the most famous mounted regiments was ‘Skinner’s Horse’ (The 1st Duke of York’s Own Cavalry).
The regiment was founded by James Skinner, the son of a Scotsman and the daughter of a Rajput landowner who after many adventures formed a new regiment called ‘Capt. Skinner’s Corps of Irregular Horse’ which eventually was abbreviated to simply ‘Skinner’s Horse’.
Today ‘Skinner’s Horse’ is the premier cavalry regiment in the modern Indian Army and follows the proud traditions of the same regiment that served the British before independence.
Even its modern full dress uniforms are an accurate representation of the original ‘parade’ uniform worn during the time of British rule.
The ‘yellow’ colour of the long ‘kurta’ – style jacket was and is worn with the striped turban and dark blue cummerbund by all ranks.
When K&C first introduced our ‘Sons of the Empire’ series in 2009 it was always our intention to add some more dismounted figure to the ‘Skinner’s Horse’ collection and here they finally are...
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SOE032 Skinner's Horse Havildar
- In the British Indian Army a ‘Havildar’ was and still is the equivalent of a
senior non commissioned officer, usually a sergeant of many years experience.
- SOE033 Skinner's Horse Sowar (Lancer)
- This rank came into use with the British Indian Army during the early 19th
Century and refers to a ‘horse-soldier’ belonging to the cavalry in this
particular case a ‘Lancer’.
- SOE034 Skinner's Horse British Officer
- British officers serving in ‘Skinner’s Horse’ had a choice of TWO dress
uniforms. They could wear the Indian-style, complete with turban and other
Indian dress accoutrements or they could opt for the more traditional
European-style ‘Lancer’ dress uniform in the regimental colours. This officer
has decided on the ‘European’ option. Some wealthy officers however had both.
Sons of the Empire
THE BEST 4 BY 4 BY FAR!
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At long last, here is the first of our two Australian Army, Series II, Land Rovers in service in South Vietnam during the war... The Military Police version.
Alongside and accompanying this great looking military vehicle model are a selection of really useful Australian, American and South Vietnamese soldiers that work well with the Land Rover and any roadside scenario..
Today’s Royal Australian Corps of Military Police is a corps within the regular Australian Army.
Originally known as the Australian Army Provost Corps it began in WW1 and was then (and today) responsible for traffic control, security duties, prisoner handling, investigation of service offences, maintenance of discipline and running military prisons.
It was granted the ‘Royal’ prefix in 1948 and adopted its current name in 1974.
During the Vietnam War it was an integral part of the Australian deployment with the first Aussie MP’s arriving in Saigon in mid 1965.
Eventually they operated in and around three separate ares, Vung Tau... Nui Dat... and Saigon of course.
Among their many duties were:
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Armed Convoy Escort
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Collection and Guarding Enemy Prisoners
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Mobile Patrols and Road Surveillance
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VIP Escorts
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TAOR (Tactical Area of Responsibility) patrols checking base perimeter defences and strong points
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Manning and Operating Road Check Points
Our two ‘Digger MP’s’ are doing just that... As the senior NCO stops traffic, his #2 covers him and the approaches to the check point with his M16.
The little ‘Check Point’ sign is also included.
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VN097 Military Police Land Rover - This outstanding short wheel base, series II Land Rover is typical of the many
Land Rovers that saw service in Vietnam. Designed in the aftermath of World War
Two the British-designed, four-wheel drive, 1/4 ton Land Rover incorporates many
of the Australian-made improvements to their vehicles including an additional
fuel tank and the reinforced front metal guard. This K&C model also comes with a
seated Military Police driver and a fully-fitted, canvas cover.
- VN098 ARVN Military Policeman - The ‘Quan Canh’ (military police) guarded army headquarters, government buildings and prisoner-of-war camps, escorted convoys and performed other typical military police duties... similar to their Autralian and U.S. counterparts.
He is shown with his steel helmet painted gloss black with red and white stripes and ‘QC’ on the front.
A black armband with the same letters and a white braided whistle-cord round his right shoulder can also be seen.
His pistol belt supports a black holster containing the ‘M1911’ .45 cal. pistol and a pair of handcuffs.
He wears standard US Army, but locally-made OD fatigues and black-shined boots.
QC’s would often accompany U.S. and Australian Military Police to act as interpreters with the local people.
- VN100 US Marine Road-Sweeper Set - During the Vietnam War not all transport between different bases was provided by helicopters, it was essential to use roads and tracks between locations and keep them securely open for all kinds of vehicles (military and civilian) and people.
That meant keeping hundreds of teams of soldiers out on the roads checking them regularly for mines and booby-traps set by both the local Viet Cong and their North Vietnamese comrades.
Here two U.S. Marines are carefully checking a suspicious patch of ground which the U.S. Army P-158 Mine Detector has alerted them to.
As the kneeling ‘Grunt’ gently prods the ground with his M16 bayonet his buddy carrying both of their M16’s looks on.
- VN101 Aussie Mine Clearing Set - It wasn’t only the Americans who were on the lookout for mines, unexploded ordnance or I.E.D’s (Improvised Explosive Devices)... The Australians were also conducting Mine-Sweeping operations.
As one Australian operates his U.S. made P-158 Mine Detector his ‘body-guard’ follows on carrying an M16.
Vietnam - Tet'68
MARCHING INTO TROUBLE
The Sturmabteilung (SA for short) was the Nazi Party’s original ‘stormtroopers’ and played a significant part in Hitler’s rise to power in the 1920’s and early 1930’s.
Among their many purposes were providing protection for Nazi leaders and their party rallies and assemblies.
In addition they also disrupted the meetings of their political opponents and this often led to violent confrontations on the street and other public places.
Another of their main functions was to intimidate and influence the German public at large by holding mass marches and parades in virtually every city, town and village throughout Germany. Wherever you lived or visited during those tumultuous years of the Nazis dramatic growth and development it was impossible to ignore alongwith the constant SA presence and threat.
In the forefront of any parade or demonstration were the Sturmabteilung’s own corps of musicians... Sometimes a full military-style band, more often a smaller self-contained group of drummers, trumpeters and usually led by a drum major who would announce the presence of the SA detachment.
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LAH-S04 SA Drum & Trumpet Section
- This compact 7 x figure set contains three side drummers and three trumpeters
led by a bellowing SA Drum Major. All together in their specially – designed
box.
Streets of Berlin!
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