King & Country
Captain
- Joined
- May 23, 2005
- Messages
- 5,015
Hi Guys,
With the imminent announcement of King & Country’s most exciting and innovative PzKpfWⅥ yet I thought we might delve into our dim ‘n’ distant past to give you a little extra background about how and why K&C moved into producing certain WW2 vehicles to accompany our Second World War figures.
The story really begins with one of the great tanks of WW2… the M4 Sherman.
I’ve loved Shermans ever since I put together my very first toy soldier collection of Timpo GIs way, way back in the late 1950s.
Back in that far off time my favourite toy soldiers were always WW2 themed and of all that was available, and that I could afford, my ‘fave raves’ were that unique TIMPO range of American GIs in all kinds of ‘action’ poses as well as ‘Yanks at Ease’… Sitting drinking coffee and eating a sandwich as well as washing their clothes or simply using a field telephone.
The originality of the poses certainly fired up my young imagination.
BUT, one thing perplexed and annoyed me! “Why no US Army vehicles, TIMPO … No trucks, no jeeps and certainly no tanks especially… SHERMANS..?
Well jump forward a few decades until K&C came onto the scene and began to design and produce its own figures with a WW2 theme.
How, I thought, can we tell the stories of WW2 without some kind of transport and armour vehicles that played such an enormous part in that conflict…?
Well, as they say, “necessity is the mother of invention” and when you need something or want it badly enough you will always find a way of finding or achieving it.
I wanted a model Sherman… not a 1:35 or even a 1:32 plastic model. I simply wanted something that would look good next to a bunch of wee toy soldiers.
So, that’s my story… and I’m sticking to it! Please feel free to check out our video for a bit more of the story…
And, on that cheerful note… All the best and, as ever, happy collecting!
Andy
Watch Video on YouTube
With the imminent announcement of King & Country’s most exciting and innovative PzKpfWⅥ yet I thought we might delve into our dim ‘n’ distant past to give you a little extra background about how and why K&C moved into producing certain WW2 vehicles to accompany our Second World War figures.
The story really begins with one of the great tanks of WW2… the M4 Sherman.
I’ve loved Shermans ever since I put together my very first toy soldier collection of Timpo GIs way, way back in the late 1950s.
Back in that far off time my favourite toy soldiers were always WW2 themed and of all that was available, and that I could afford, my ‘fave raves’ were that unique TIMPO range of American GIs in all kinds of ‘action’ poses as well as ‘Yanks at Ease’… Sitting drinking coffee and eating a sandwich as well as washing their clothes or simply using a field telephone.
The originality of the poses certainly fired up my young imagination.
BUT, one thing perplexed and annoyed me! “Why no US Army vehicles, TIMPO … No trucks, no jeeps and certainly no tanks especially… SHERMANS..?
Well jump forward a few decades until K&C came onto the scene and began to design and produce its own figures with a WW2 theme.
How, I thought, can we tell the stories of WW2 without some kind of transport and armour vehicles that played such an enormous part in that conflict…?
Well, as they say, “necessity is the mother of invention” and when you need something or want it badly enough you will always find a way of finding or achieving it.
I wanted a model Sherman… not a 1:35 or even a 1:32 plastic model. I simply wanted something that would look good next to a bunch of wee toy soldiers.
So, that’s my story… and I’m sticking to it! Please feel free to check out our video for a bit more of the story…
And, on that cheerful note… All the best and, as ever, happy collecting!
Andy
Watch Video on YouTube
