Saturday, July 13

Tommy's War looks to the Empire for their latest inspiration...

Tommy’s War has been a light to all the people interested in world war figures in a market that beforehand had pretty much ignored before their arrival. They make some very nice quality figures and their two latest releases are the subject of today’s preview…

 
Tommy’s war new releases for July 2013 now available

The two new figures in the Tommy's War series (TW54015 and TW54016) are now available at  retailers (see the stockists part of this site for details) and feature a Private of the 11th Bn Australian Imperial Force and a Sergeant of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. It has always been my aim to base Tommy's War around the British and Empire armed forces of the Great War and with Indian, Australian and Canadian subjects it's a great start - but I will be releasing New Zealanders, South Africans and other forces in the future.

The release of TW54015 also see's the first figure outside the Western Front, and again it is their aim to cover other theatres such as Gallipoli, Egypt, Palestine, Mesopotamia and East Africa in details.

Sculptor: Nino Pizzichemi
Box art: Gunther Sternberg
Scale: 1/32 scale (54mm)
Material: resin
Price: £14.00 (may differ at international retailers).

This figure is depicted representing one of the first Australian regiments to land at Anzac Cove in 1915, the 11th. Recruited in Western Australia the 11th bn went on to serve with distinction not only through the Gallipoli campaign, but on the Western front.

The figure is shown in slouch hat, although images of the time show the majority of Australians landed in service cap I felt the slouch does signify the Aussie.
The jacket is the 1908 pattern, it would have been green in colour and differed from the British service dress in that it had buttoned sleeves, was a baggier fit and had larger pockets.

The ammunition bandolier is leather, this was common to Australian troops as leather was easier to source than webbing. The leather was often kangaroo skin and can be seen in images of the Somme campaign in 1916.

The figure is holding a Kabalak, a Turkish sun helmet. The context is that he has landed at Anzac Cove, survived the first wave and has moved up the beachhead.
 
This figure represents the first Tommy's War figure outside Europe and will, I hope be the first of many depicting the Gallipoli campaign.

Sculptor: Nino Pizzichemi
Box art: Gunther Sternberg
Scale: 1/32 scale (54mm)
Material: resin
Price: £14.00 (may differ at international retailers).

The second figure in this release is a Canadian Sergeant of the 'Princess Pat's'. At the outbreak of World War One a Regiment was recruited from the large base of former Canadian and British armed forces that were resident in Canada.

The Canadian's were able to draw from a huge well of former Brit's as well as Canadian's that had served in the Boer War and the Regiment was over-subscribed, allowing them to choose the very best recruits. This allowed the Regiment to mobilise quickly and was soon in England for training. Included in a British Brigade the Princess Pat's were inspected by the King who stated that they were the best Regiment he had ever seen.
 
As the first Canadian infantry regiment to see action (the Canadian medical corps had been involved earlier) the Princess Pat's saw action at Ypres in 1915 and then in the famous action at Frezenberg in 1915.


A detailed history of the Regiment can be found in News from the Front, the Tommy's War newsletter free with every order.

The figure is shown in fairly standard British service dress with 1914 pattern webbing. His epaulettes as blue to denote infantry (a Canadian style) and he is wearing red shoulder patches denoting PPCLI (red shoulder titles were usually reserved for Guards regiments, but were allowed in this case).
The Princess Patricia's went on to serve throughout the war on the Western front with great distinction. They served in World War 2, Korea and more recently in Afghanistan.

Both of these figures include a rifle strap, but please note that any basework is NOT included.


Please see the list of stockists for a retailer in your country, or visit www.tommyswar.co.uk to purchase the figures.