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| Scruby 40mm from Historifigs. Primed with Burnt Sienna mixed with a bit of matte varnish. I find this works well under red. |
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| The original Airfix box art. A bottle of my mother's nail polish supplied the red trousers for my first box. |
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
New Recruits Begin Training
The hoped for box (car) of recruits for the Foreign Legion arrived today and went straight into training.
Now if these were Model Soldiers, for France 1914 I'd have to consider whether or not the pants should be white and if the havelock was appropriate but since they are toy soldiers I can just go to the ultimate authority on what the Foreign Legion should look like.
Six days and a wake up left.
Born and raised in the suburbs of Montreal 7 decades ago. Began playing with toy soldiers at 5 years. Started painting & converting at about 12 yrs and wargaming about 15 yrs. Never really stopped.
5 years in the Black Watch of Canada Cadets, 5 years at the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean followed by 4 in the navy. 25 years with CPC in IT simultaneous with 23 years running a boarding kennel. Inherited my love of toy soldiers from my mother's father. Married with a pack of litle Italian Greyhounds and a cat. Prematurely retired and enjoying leisure to game, maintaining our 170 yr old farmhouse and just living.
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I well remember those Airfix Foreign Legion. Their Arab opponents were drafted in to provide cavalry support to the opponents of my Airfix Romans. I think many of the Foreign Legion figures became Zouaves in my early American Civil War armies
ReplyDeleteThe replacements might have been more "sophisticated" but I never liked them 1/2 as well.
DeleteWow! that picture's a blast from the past.
ReplyDeleteFavourite Airfix set, ever!
DeleteHappy memories of those early Airfix boxes. I am glad to see the recruits getting ready for the forthcoming game.They will look splendid I’m sure.
ReplyDeleteA lot of Airfix boxes have passed through my hands over the years. Happy days.
ReplyDeleteI once tried to save 1 of each but I'm just not a Collector.
DeleteSplendid figures Ross. The Airfix FFL were lovely - the little fort was nice too and I do wish I still had mine.
ReplyDeleteI had a wooden FFL fort that my brother built for me.
DeleteSplendid, they look the sort of chaps to keep the enemy at bay. Red nail varnish ..... great resourcefulness.
ReplyDeleteI started improvising young.
DeleteI wish I still had the desert fort that Airfix did .
ReplyDeleteI had a great little wooden one.
DeleteAh...pure nostalgia!
ReplyDeleteand inspiration.
DeleteRoss Mac,
ReplyDeleteThe new figures look great ... and the nostalgic sight of the old Airfix box brought a smile to my lips.
All the best,
Bob
Packaging on modern toy soldiers just isn't they same
DeleteWhat better uniform source! Do you have a figure to represent the officer for the group? How many Legionnaires will you do?
ReplyDeleteI converted one a homecast Zinnbrigade Prussian officer. Top (viewer) left on the stick. For now 12 is it.
DeleteI agree Ross - Airfix boxes and catalogues, Ladybird History Books and Military Uniforms of the World in Colour by Preben Kannik - these to me are what uniforms and History should look like. Shame my Airfix 1st generation Foreign legion are getting so brittle, far nicer than the second version ....
ReplyDeleteI'm hard put to explain it but despite being simpler the poses seemed more natural and balanced.
Delete