British Navy and Battle of Singapore (1 Viewer)

[PolarBear]

Can any of the FOB British Naval figures be used to represent the British Navy during the Battle of Singapore in early 1942 or would they have been dressed in tropical uniforms? Thanks for any information on this subject.
Randy

 

[King & Country]

Hi Guys,

Re Randy’s request for info on our recent FoB release of Royal Naval figures and their uniform suitability for Battle of Singapore (February 1942).

Sorry to say that our officers and matelots are dressed for Northern Europe service not tropical.

If they were serving in the Far East or the Mediterranean they would be in “tropical whites”.

Having said all that… if you are adept with a paint brush you could try “converting” them. All other items of dress… webbing, weapons and hats are the same. Actually the sailor’s hats would have a white cover.

See photos attached.

Best wishes and… good luck!

Andy C.

 

[PolarBear]

Thanks Andy

That's what I suspected. I was hoping to be able to use them with your new USN figures in a Chinese diorama. I know that one of the SOHK figures is wearing blues. See below:

That said I hope you will add some of those Royal Navy sailors in tropical dress to your offerings!

Randy

 

[theBaron]

...If they were serving in the Far East or the Mediterranean they would be in “tropical whites”.

Having said all that… if you are adept with a paint brush you could try “converting” them. All other items of dress… webbing, weapons and hats are the same. Actually the sailor’s hats would have a white cover...

A question about converting them, though. Would they wear trousers, or shorts? The figures are cast with trousers, so we could paint them white, but were there long trousers in the tropical kit?

Prost!
Brad

 

[PolarBear]

For a great site with photos on Royal Navy gunboats and their crews in China and the Far East from 1903-1939 check this out:

http://www.hmsfalcon.com/

The purpose of this site is to present information about the Royal Navy river gunboats that patrolled China from the end of the 19th century through World War II. The site is split into two areas: 1.) Information about the gunboats that served in China (seen further below), and; 2.) Photograph galleries submitted by those who actually served on the ships. I originally created this site to display the photographs of my Grandfather, John Leslie Addiscott, who served on HMS Falcon from 1933 to 1935. The site has now grown to document the history of all of the gunboats serving in China.
There are currently eight photograph galleries available, consisting of more than 400 photographs and documents from the periods mentioned:

Photo of crew of H.M.S. Falcon circa 1937-39
Note Chinese crew members in front row and blue uniforms as in SOHK figure of British Sailor

 

[PolarBear]

A question about converting them, though. Would they wear trousers, or shorts? The figures are cast with trousers, so we could paint them white, but were there long trousers in the tropical kit?

Prost!
Brad

Brad--one of Andy's illustrations shows long bell bottom trousers in white.

 

[PolarBear]

I guess blues would work for China/HK but not the more tropical Singapore?

Randy

 

[PolarBear]

The web site I previously cited has links to US gunboats in China, including this one from the 1920s.
http://www.hmsfalcon.com/foreign/foreign.htm#us

 

[PolarBear]

UNITED STATES NAVY
YANGTZE PATROL &
SOUTH CHINA PATROL
web site


http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/5047/yangpatships.html#USS Luzon

Good for background on the gunboats of the new K&C USN series

 

[PolarBear]

A website with 1/1250 scale models of China Gunboats

http://www.steelnavy.com/1250ChinaStation.htm