Doppel Adler Soldaten (3 Viewers)

[ucla1967]

About 25 years ago, Australian Bob Hume started a toy soldier company called Doppel Adler Soldaten. As the name implies, it was all about Austro-Hungarian toy soldiers, and more specifically, those wearing the 1908 pike grey uniforms. Here in the states, Bill Schommer of the Toy Soldier Shoppe in Wisconsin carried his line and would bring them to the Chicago Show to sell where I saw them for the first time. There was also a dealer in Vienna who carried the line. Unfortunately, Doppel Adler Soldaten is no longer in business, but Bob is still around. If Bob sees this, I hope he will add any comments he feels are appropriate to either flesh out this thread or correct anything I got wrong.

The sets came in handsome yellow boxes with a very Austro-Hungarian looking label. Deutsch infantry sets were numbered 1, Bosnian infantry sets were 2, and Hungarian infantry sets were 3. Sets designated with an A had an officer and five men, B sets had five men, C sets had three men (flag bearer, drummer, and stretcher bearer), D sets were 13-figure bands, while E sets were 21-figure bands. So, set 1A would be Deutsch Infantry with an officer and five men, set 2C would be the Bosnian Infantry three man add-on set, etc. Bob also produced, to a lesser extent, the Austro-Hungarian figures wearing their pre-1908 blue uniforms.

Attached is a copy of an early Doppel Adler Soldaten flyer and two photos of my set 1A Deutsch Infantry.

 

[ucla1967]

This is my Doppel Adler Soldaten 3-man add-on set 1C Deutsch Infantry.

 

[ucla1967]

This is Doppel Adler Soldaten set 1D Deutsch Infantry Band which is non in Bob's collection.

 

[ucla1967]

In the previous post, there was a typo: it should be "now" and not "non." This is Doppel Adler Soldaten set 1D Deutsch Infantry Band wearing their pre-1908 blue uniforms. This set is now also in Bob W's collection.

 

[ucla1967]

These are Doppel Adler Soldaten sets 2A Bosnian Infantry (officer & 5 men) and 2C Bosnian Infantry add-on (flag bearer, medic, & drummer) from my collection.

 

[Al Fisher]

These DAS sets are truly beautiful. Would that we learned of them earlier so that we could be on the lookout for them! Keep hunting . . .

Bosun Al

 

[jazzeum]

I echo Al's comments. I wish I could have had a set or two of these.

 

[ucla1967]

Hi Al and Brad,

They are interesting sets that would make a great addition to a collection. I may have some good news for you in the future. A few more of these sets may become available. I'll pass on the details as to which sets and put you in touch with the source when they do.

Mike

 

[ucla1967]

This is Bob W's Doppel Adler Soldaten set 2D Bosnian Infantry Band wearing their blue uniforms with red fezzes. Note: I took these photos on my fireplace mantel prior to giving them to Bob, so I do not have them in the correct band instrument order. Bob Hume emailed me with the correct way to display them which I will note on this thread on the next post and also pass on to Bob, in case he doesn't already know.

Oops! The first photo is correct while the second and third are obviously not correct. I had cataract surgery yesterday and was too lazy to open the last two photos before attaching them. I outsmarted myself again.

 

[ucla1967]

Here are the two photos I meant to attach on the previous post.

 

[jazzeum]

Thanks Mike. Very different, colorful and unusual. Can't recall where I have seen a Bosnian band or a German band from that era.

Hope the surgery went well.

Brad

P.S. Definitely interested!

 

[ucla1967]

Thanks Mike. Very different, colorful and unusual. Can't recall where I have seen a Bosnian band or a German band from that era.

Hope the surgery went well.

Brad

P.S. Definitely interested!

Hi Brad,

I can't recall ever seeing a 54mm German, Bosnian, or Hungarian band from that era, either. However, I believe that Josef Kober in Vienna has produced smaller scale, semi-round Austro-Hungarian bands from that era.

The surgery went very well, thank you. I was awake during the procedure and my eye only felt a little scratchy and blurry for the first day. The next day was like it had never happened.

If you had your druthers, which band (s) would you be interested in and what would be your uniform color preference?

Mike

 

[ucla1967]

This is Bob W's Doppel Adler Soldaten set 2D Bosnian Infantry Band, this time wearing their post-1908 pike grey uniforms

 

[ucla1967]

The correct band musicians' order, per Bob Hume, should be:

Drum Major

Trumpet-Trumpet-Clarinet-Flute

Bass-Flugelhorn-Tenor-French Horn

Side Drum-Side Drum-Cymbals-Base Drum

 

[jazzeum]

Mike,

If I had my preference, it would be one of the Hungarians but I like the Deutsch in the bluish uniforms as this would probably go with the German figures that Besting Retreat painted for me; he's also painting a few more.

Glad things went ok with the surgery.

Brad

 

[ucla1967]

This is Doppel Adler Soldaten set 3A Hungarian Infantry. Note the Austrian knots on the front of their pants and the black and yellow pants side stripes which helps identify them as Hungarians rather than Deutsch.

 

[ucla1967]

This is Doppel Adler Soldaten set 3D Hungarian Infantry Band wearing their pike grey uniforms from Bob W's collection.

 

[ucla1967]

Also from Bob W's collection, is Doppel Adler Soldaten set 3D Hungarian Infantry Band, this time wearing their blue uniforms.

 

[ucla1967]

This is a Hungarian officer wearing a black version of their headgear instead of the grey in post number 16.

 

[Feldkappe]

Well Folks,
My first post to this forum (16 April, 2015) . Brad is correct in that Kober of Vienna is still producing multiple bands (as of February 2015) of not only Austro-Hungarian troops such as Austrian and Hungarian Infantry and the like. But they are on a somewhat reduced schedule since they moved from their longtime Graben location in Vienna. When I was in Vienna in January and February along with longtime friend Bob Hume we both helped another mutual friend of ours cast from "recently discovered" molds for a Wollner Marine (Naval) band in the only size Kober produces in Wollner II. They are 38mm half round in size. We cast 10 sets that will be available in Kulmbach this August from Peter Ewald Kovar. Peter will sell them I believe in a painted condition. Wollner is the classic Viennese manufacturer of multiple sizes. But Kober only possess the Size II molds. The other size molds are in the possession of two other Viennese gentlemen. The other sizes include 55 mm bands of many nationalities but all long out of production. Sometimes one can find the odd older 60s or 70s production used figures at Kobers but it has been at least 5 years since I have found any in other scales at the store. Wollner had an immense production in multiple sizes and nationalities. I have multiple bands in that size as well as others. But what one needs to do is purchase Robert Lonsing's Wollner Book to have your eyes pop out. Wollner's also appear in Hans Henning Roer's two books as well as anumber of other toy soldier books. You would not believe Robert's collection as much of the book is based on his collection as well a couple of other's collections. Bob and I have known each other since 1997 when he introduced his DAS in Kulmbach. And yes I do have multiple boxes of his fine DAS product in my collection. Well on with the show.
Feldkappe