At a point in the resurrected series (March 2014), it seems to the
author that King and Country's founder and owner Andy Neilson was approaching a
dry well with regard to new figures and ideas. There was a seeming last hurrah
in a group of sets that can be divided in two themes, which this author has chosen to call "Defiance at
Arnhem" and "Defeat at Arnhem". Usually on the anniversary of
the battle (17 - 25 September) he had introduced new figures. It would appear, however popular, that because of the introduction of new themes, and the
absence of any new Market Garden figures as of the immediate passing of that
date (September 2017), that the series has ended in defeat, just as the real battle did 73 years ago this month.
It was this author's personal choice to only collect those
additional sets that depicted defiance rather than defeat. This decision was not only aversion to the tenor of a valiant force defeated, but based upon several other factors, including a substantial price increase on already
very expensive figures, a noticeable decline in the accuracy of painting (particularly
the Denison smocks), and the glaring inaccuracy (due to extremely sloppy and erroneous research and/or cost cutting) of the alleged "Airborne 6 pounder Anti-Tank
Gun" which accompanied the figure of LSgt John D. Baskeyfield VC, in what
could have been a magnificent set. A truly pathetic shame, and even more unfortunate, the second major debacle occurring with the very same gun that had been issued earlier in the series.
For the sake of a complete historical record, all of the remaining sets will be depicted herein using the sequence of ascending catalog numbers, with the exception of two sets, namely LSgt John D. Baskeyfield VC, and the dead and wounded British paratroops.
For the sake of a complete historical record, all of the remaining sets will be depicted herein using the sequence of ascending catalog numbers, with the exception of two sets, namely LSgt John D. Baskeyfield VC, and the dead and wounded British paratroops.
The following sets are considered by the author to depict "Arnhem Defiant".
 |
|
MG074(P)
LSGT
JOHN D BASKEYFIELD VC
2ND BN S. STAFFS (AIRLANDING) 1ST AIRBORNE DIVISION, ARNHEM, 1944 |
The following image is of a correct Ordnance, Q.F. 6 Pdr Anti-Tank Gun Mk IV on Carriage Mk III (Airborne), albeit in 1:35 scale. Compare the significantly narrowed width of wheel base to provide physical accessibility into a Horsa glider (the guns would not have been at Arnhem, or in much lesser numbers, without this modification), the removal of all vestiges of the lower front splinter shield, the hinged trail legs on the carriage, inclusion of front towing eye, and the correct absence of the non-existent dolly wheel on the right trail (This came from a completely erroneous misinterpretation of a positioning hawser (rope) in an iconic contemporary photograph).
For those readers who may be interested in more details please see; http://arnhemjim.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-6-pounder-anti-tank-guns-at_10.html .
For those readers who may be interested in more details please see; http://arnhemjim.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-6-pounder-anti-tank-guns-at_10.html .
 |
|
MG075(P)
DEAD
AND WOUNDED PARAS
1ST
AIRBORNE DIVISION, ARNHEM, !944 |
The remaining sets, with the exception of the little road sign, are personally considered by the author to depict "Arnhem Defeated". The "toy soldiers" reflecting the reality of history.
 |
|
MG067
ARNHEM
ROAD SIGN |
 |
|
MG0068
UNDER
NEW OWNERSHIP |
 |
|
MG070
WALKING WOUNDED |
 |
|
MG071
SURRENDER
AND SEARCH |
 |
|
MG072
MARCHING
INTO CAPTIVITY |
 |
|
MG073
COMPARING
NOTES |
