Guadalcanal; stepping stone to Tokyo (1 Viewer)

[Warrior]

US Marines of the 1st Marine Division begin the process of retaking the island from the Japanese in August of 1942............

 

[Warrior]

The Japanese proved to be a difficult opponent for the Marines, who had supplies and rations for about 60 days of fighting.......

 

[Njja]

Excellent:

I don't know where you find the time!


Njja

 

[Warrior]

After six long months of bloody fighting, the island was secured; the first stepping stone on the road to Tokyo had been taken..........

 

[Warrior]

Thanks John; pretty easy actually, I answered calls and emails today from 9 till noon, did this set up, processed a bunch of credit card orders and packed up all the orders for UPS delivery from about 2 till 5 and then took a bunch of pictures and took the display down, all in a days work............lol.

 

[Njja]

Yes a busy day! Looks like you had fun, I certainly enjoyed the photos.

Njja

 

[Warrior]

Happy to report that I am busy these days and thanks for taking the time to have a look at my latest creation..........

 

[Wraith]

Top stuff!
When I grow up, I want to have toys just like yours

I know 1/72 / 20mm stuff is your bag George, but I'd love for you to set up a 1/32 / 1/30 layout on that area of yours. With the buildings and dio pieces at your disposal, it would look awesome.

Cheers
Simon

 

[binder001]

Very nice again!

One quibble - I think I see some Shermans helping out the Marines, but NO Shermans were in combat on Guadalcanal. The Marines had M2A4 and M3 Stuarts plus the halftrack 75's.

Gary B.

 

[Warrior]

Gary,
Tried to sneak a fastball by you, no chance on that! I was going to do this for Leyte, but changed it to Guadalcanal, my bad.

Thanks Simon; if you want to see a huge 1/30th scale layout, hop aboard a plane and come to OTSN, I will have the biggest one you've ever seen on display there this year................thanks again for your offer on the little situation I had with the Uk vendor we spoke of, all is right with the world, the items showed up safe and sound and will be part of a large Normandy display shortly............you are a top shelf guy as we say in the states Simon.

 

[sceic2]

So George, exactly how big is your collection? Your 1:72 stuff is great. Someday if I win the lottery or find a big bag of money on the street.... yea right, like that will happen.

 

[Wraith]

Gary,
Tried to sneak a fastball by you, no chance on that! I was going to do this for Leyte, but changed it to Guadalcanal, my bad.

Thanks Simon; if you want to see a huge 1/30th scale layout, hop aboard a plane and come to OTSN, I will have the biggest one you've ever seen on display there this year................thanks again for your offer on the little situation I had with the Uk vendor we spoke of, all is right with the world, the items showed up safe and sound and will be part of a large Normandy display shortly............you are a top shelf guy as we say in the states Simon.

Glad it came good in the end George, look forward to seeing the items put to good use.
I'd love to do a 'McKenna' and hop over to OTSN, but I need to save up for the divorce fees first
I hope to get there one day, but for the time being I'll have to settle for the usual excellent photos and reports of the show.

 

[desk11desk12]

US Marines of the 1st Marine Division begin the process of retaking the island from the Japanese in August of 1942............

Great Diorama,

Wish there was more commercial interest in the Pacific. It's a hell of story.

Carlos

 

[Warrior]

Thanks Carlos and Michael; regarding my collection, it's tough to say as it grows all the time, which is a good thing for me. The rice paddie fields are new, so I came up with a diorama to feature them. Just like my last one, which featured the new glider, hedges, pond and field.

I keep adding to it all the time, it never gets stale.........

 

[Njja]

QUOTE=sceic2;127244]So George, exactly how big is your collection? Your 1:72 stuff is great. Someday if I win the lottery or find a big bag of money on the street.... yea right, like that will happen.[/QUOTE]

You mean like that fellow that found the bag of money that fell off the
armoured truck........and returned it?

I think they gave him $2K which was immediately followed by a call from the
IRS.

Remember the steps:

1. Find the money

2. Visit your favorite dealer.....lots of goodies

3. Put change left over in envelope (postage due) and mail back......tell
them no reward is necessary, you used what You thought was fair!


Njja

 

[Louis Badolato]

In the immortal words of Peter Griffin (the Family Guy), Freakin' Sweet!!

 

[Warrior]

Thanks everyone; Louis, thanks for the Family Guy reference, he's the best, a laugh out loud character...........

 

[UKReb]

But but but,,,,,,George that's the tenth WWII dio you've posted and still no sign of the Stars and Bars

Seriously George great stuff and believe it or not this old Reb is well versed in the Pacific War and as someone else posted here there's just not enough exposure of this conflict in our hobby.

Without dragging the thread down thought I might just tell you I've actually visited Guadalcanal-twice. My job took me to Northen Australia back in the early 90's and I got in with a couple of emigree Brits who were big WWII buffs and they flew me out to the Solomons chain when they realised I also had a keen interest.

It's an amazing place and imagine the kick I got landing at Henderson Field now called Honiara Airport. Way back from the strip standing in the field is the old 1943 metal tower still there as is some of the shingle strip laid down by the Sea-Bees. Everywhere we went was like a relic museum unfortunately not particularly well looked after by any authority, laying everywhere were rusting wrecks of Betty bombers; P38's, Shermans, Japanese 75mm artillery pieces, barbed wire et al.
There is a place called the Vilu War Museum but it's just a field with a few of these relics strewn around but slowly being stolen by a vast amount of Bougainville refugees for shanty's. Same with the American Memorial Pillar down on either Kokumbona or Danu beach cant quite remember, but the bronze plaque has long been stolen. It was here that marked the machine-gun position where Marine Al Schidmt won his Navy Cross. On the Matanikan River sandbar you can see the turret of a Japanese tank exactly in it's position where it's tracks were blasted of by the Marines-but believe me you wouldn't want to wade through thick sewage to take a closer look at it.

There is also a local market at Honiara full of US & Japanese equipment and artefacts being sold by the natives who go into the jungle and just pick it up apparently it's lying everywhere if you can put up with the mosquito infestation. I bought a couple of Garand clips/USM helmet/Japanese water bottle with what looks like a bullet hole through it and a couple of Coke bottles dated 1942. The lot cost me the equivilant of 10 bucks US.
Sorry to hog your thread George but it was a hell of a place and one of the few battlefields that I have visited that hasn't been sanitised-quite literally

Reb

 

[debrito]

Reb where is the pictures.......? Geroge, again great set up. I will contact you very soon, maybe next week.

Cheers

 

[UKReb]

Reb where is the pictures.......? Geroge, again great set up. I will contact you very soon, maybe next week.

Cheers

Rod

I'll try and dig-em out but I wasn't digitalised then- but they may scan well enough.

Reb