HIRIART French Foreign Legion & Colonial Africa Sets (1 Viewer)

[ucla1967]

Hiriart has ten French Foreign Legion sets in its' catalog ranging from the classic Beau Gest era to modern times.

1142 French Foreign Legion, Beau Geste, 1900

1108 French Foreign Legion, 2nd Regt, Saida

1060 French Foreign Legion Band

1153 French Foreign Legion Meharistes Camel Corps

 

[mikemiller1955]

Mike...I always loved the Foreign Legion figures...

too much "Beau Geste" and "March Or Die" as a kid...^&grin

 

[ucla1967]

Mike...I always loved the Foreign Legion figures...

too much "Beau Geste" and "March Or Die" as a kid...^&grin

Mike,

Me too! What a great movie "Beau Geste" with Gary Cooper was and still is. I don't know how many tines I have watched from childhood to now. For about a minute, I considered joining the FFL when I was 19-years old. But issues around citizenship and the French language caused me to quickly reconsider.

 

[ucla1967]

Here are three more FFL sets this time from the period between the World Wars. You don't see this uniform too often.

1167 Legion Etrangere, 1923

1180 Cavalerie de la Legion, 1923

1185 Timbalier de la Legion, 1923

Set 1185 could easlier be made into a non-catalog nine figure mounted band with drum horse.

 

[ucla1967]

Here are three catalog Colonial African sets plus a special, non-catalog set with a half band. I also ordered that set as a full 20 figure band with a French officer, but I don't have a photo of it.

1127 Zouaves de Constantine

1128 Zouaves d'Oran

1131 Tirailleurs Algerien Turcos

1131 Tirailleurs Algerien Turcos Half Band

 

[jazzeum]

Very nice sets Mike, particularly the half band.

 

[ucla1967]

Thank you, Brad. I had six half band sets at one time, but have sold them all. However, the full band set is very impressive and I prefer it.

 

[ucla1967]

Here are two more FFL sets from Hiriart. The first is catalog set 1221 representing the 13th Demi-Brigade in the Free French uniforms they wore in Syria during World War II where they fought other legionaires loyal to the Vichy French government. Note the Free French Cross of Lorraine on their flag. The second is a non-catalog set of the 13th Demi-Brigade in Indo-China.

 

[johnnybach]

Thanks Mike - for all of those beautiful pics of the Hiriart range of FFL. Simply wonderful. Not sure if these are available as castings or not - hope they are - but your pics are a wonderful resource that I may be able to use to try and replicate some of the models shown if they aren't - as painting guides for some of my favourite TS's

Just lovely...........johnnybach^&grin

 

[ucla1967]

Thanks Mike - for all of those beautiful pics of the Hiriart range of FFL. Simply wonderful. Not sure if these are available as castings or not - hope they are - but your pics are a wonderful resource that I may be able to use to try and replicate some of the models shown if they aren't - as painting guides for some of my favourite TS's

Just lovely...........johnnybach^&grin

Thanks, it is my pleasure. Unfortunately, Hiriart does not sell castings, so I can't help you there.

 

[johnnybach]

Cheers Mike for the info - thought that they might not do them as castings.

The beauty of having illustrations like these though, is that there are a few castings providors around that I know of, who do many of the French uniforms of the periods depicted here. With a bit of juggling of seperate heads, arms, weapons etcetera - it is often possible to get pretty close to what the FFL actually looked like at any given period. So that's why I just love pics like yours.

As an example - see my attempt at the FFL band - which doesn't look a lot different to the one you showed earlier. This one came from Dorset Soldiers - and was based on a pic of the Hiriart one. I did add neck veils to them (made from the thin lead sheeting from the top of a wine bottle, with a small amount of milliput added beneath), as I fancied them to be in a North African location.

So, I have saved all of your pics to a file - and will have a darned good look at how I might be able to make some more of a favourite subject of mine, by altering some more castings at some point in the future.

Thanks again, johnnybach

 

[ucla1967]

Cheers Mike for the info - thought that they might not do them as castings.

The beauty of having illustrations like these though, is that there are a few castings providors around that I know of, who do many of the French uniforms of the periods depicted here. With a bit of juggling of seperate heads, arms, weapons etcetera - it is often possible to get pretty close to what the FFL actually looked like at any given period. So that's why I just love pics like yours.

As an example - see my attempt at the FFL band - which doesn't look a lot different to the one you showed earlier. This one came from Dorset Soldiers - and was based on a pic of the Hiriart one. I did add neck veils to them (made from the thin lead sheeting from the top of a wine bottle, with a small amount of milliput added beneath), as I fancied them to be in a North African location.

So, I have saved all of your pics to a file - and will have a darned good look at how I might be able to make some more of a favourite subject of mine, by altering some more castings at some point in the future.

Thanks again, johnnybach

Very nice indeed. I am impressed by your ability to work with castings to make the sets you want. I am not talented in that area at all and would not attempt it. However, I am fortunate in that Hiriart has made dozens of non-catalog sets for me, so that I can acquire unique sets without having to go through all that work. They have made Imperial German Garde Husaren and Totenkopf Husaren mounted bands for me; also, bands of the West Indies Regiment, Tirailleurs Algerien, French Pompon Rouge Sailors, French Chasseurs Alpins, to name but a few.

 

[johnnybach]

Thanks for your comments Mike - but it's not really work for me - that's the fun bit as far as I'm concerned. My hobby is painting - and I like to have something to paint that I enjoy. So --- I find something I like - buy it as a casting - or where I can't - try to get it some other way ( like making it up from other things).

Then - voila! - I paint it. So - as I said before - thanks for the pics..............johnnybach^&grin

 

[ucla1967]

Here is an unusual catalog set (1272) French Officers in Africa.

 

[johnnybach]

Right Click - Saved - Cheers Mike - another one for the Album......johnnybach^&grin

These ARE very nice Glossies - and right up my street. Thanks for showing them - and especially the bands.

 

[ucla1967]

Two modern era French Foreign Legion sets are---

1170 Legion Etrangere Francaise, 1990

1222 Regiment Etrangere Parachutiste, 1990

They are armed with the FAMAS assault rifle. I have set 1170 on order with an expected delivery in December, but I have not yet ordered set 1222.

 

[ucla1967]

Here are two more French Colonial Africa sets:

1137 WWI TIRAILLEURS SENEGALAIS FRANCAISE

1315 SPAHIS SENEGALAIS FRANCAISE

I have also included two photos of set 1137 Tirailleurs with backdrops which were sent to me by Randy (polarbear).

 

[ucla1967]

Here is a set based on a French movie, which I have not seen, called Fort Saganne.

1202 FORT SAGANNE (Saharian Troops)

In the past, several collectors and I have ordered a special add-on version of this set with just the marching Arab troops.

 

[ucla1967]

Hiriart has also made a special, non-catalog set of FRENCH COLONIAL ARTILLERY.

 

[ucla1967]

Here is a set that I added to my collection this past summer: 1172 FRENCH SPAHIS de VALENCE, 1990.