KING & COUNTRY Dispatches -- April 2019 (2 Viewers)

[King & Country]

“KING & COUNTRY DISPATCHES”
April 2019​

Hi Guys,
They do say as you get older time passes faster so it must be true... Can’t really believe it’s April already!
So without further ado let’s see what K&C has in store for your this particular month...

1. BEING RELEASED THIS MONTH...

A. MEDIEVAL MAYHEM REIGNS!
We are beginning this month’s ‘DISPATCHES’ with some long-awaited and much-requested foot soldiers that fought all across Europe and into the Middle East at the time of the Crusades... Knight Hospitaller Men-At-Arms.

Unlike their occasional rivals The Templars, the Order of St. John of the Hospital of Jerusalem ( or simply the Hospitallers) was not created as a result of the First Crusade in 1099. Instead it was previously established by a consortium of Italian merchants and noblemen from Amalfi in the mid 11th Century. Thanks to the financial support of this group volunteers and mercenaries came from all over Italy and beyond to join the order, which had already received the Papal blessing and set up its headquarters and training facility near Amalfi before leaving for The Holy Land.

As a consequence of the crusading movement ‘Hospitallers’ became recognized as one of the best disciplined and best-led of all the Crusader armies.

On the battlefield their principal colours were ‘black’ and ‘blood red’. This new release shows a range of Hospitaller Men-At-Arms in action wearing a variety of blood-red tunics and even some partially-red steel helmets.



MK179 ‘Hospitaller Sergeant-At-Arms’
Moving into the attack, sword and shield in hand, this soldier fears no man!

MK181 ‘Hospitaller Casualty’

MK182 ‘Wounded Hospitaller’
Clutching his ‘sword arm’ this Man-At-Arms is still prepared to fight.

MK185 ‘Hospitaller Crossbowman Ready’
Virtually all of the ‘Hospitaller Crossbowmen’ were either French or Italian in origin. Both countries specialized in this weapon and favoured it over the more traditional long-bow.

MK186 ‘Hospitaller Crossbowman Firing’
Aim... Fire... Reload! A skilled Crossbowman could load and fire as many as six bolts a minute if required.

MK187 ‘Hospitaller Crossbowman Shouting’
As his crossbow comrades maintain a steady fire on the enemy this senior crossbowman shouts an order over the din of battle.

MK-S02 ‘The Value Added Package’
When a collector (or K&C dealer) buys ALL SIX of these great figures we like to ‘reward’ them with a special price... Grab ‘em while you can!

 

[King & Country]

......

 

[King & Country]

MK184 ‘Sir William Wallace’
Most medieval collectors are more than familiar with the Mel Gibson movie “Braveheart”, the semi fictional exploits of one of Scotland’s greatest heroes.
The real Sir William Wallace was a far cry from the cinematic version... He never painted half his face blue and he never wore a kilt either!
Wallace was a lowlander from a small town called Elderslie, near Glasgow not far from where yours truly was born.
In battle Wallace was garbed in much the same contemporary military fashion as his enemies led by Edward I of England. He was a Scottish knight of Norman background who became one of the main leaders during the First Scottish War of Independence (1296-1328).
His ‘finest hour’ came in September 1297 when he led his vastly outnumbered Scottish Army and defeated a much-larger English force of 3,000 mounted knights and about 10,000 foot soldiers at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.
Our K&C ‘Wallace’ is dressed in chainmail with a surcoat bearing the saltire St. Andrew’s Cross of Scotland. On his shield and horse’s coat is a white lion rampant on a red background... part of his family’s coat-of-arms. In his raised right hand he wields a one-handed ‘Ball & Chain Flail’ ... a wooden shaft connected by a chain to a spiked, metal ball... deadly and dangerous!

MK195 ‘Sir Archibald Douglas’
Sir Archibald (1298-1333) was another Scottish nobleman and military leader during the struggle for Scotland’s independence. A son of the Douglas family and a friend of Robert The Bruce (1274-1329) this brave knight wears the colours and symbols granted to the Douglas clan after they took the dead king’s heart (as he had wished) on a crusade to The Holy Land. Our sword-wielding knight charges into battle ready to strike down the enemy be they English or Saracen!

AVAILABLE: Mid April

 

[King & Country]

B. AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT...



WoD061 ‘Professor James Moriarty’
Professor Moriarty is a fictional character in several of the Sherlock Holmes stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Moriarty is a criminal mastermind of the first order, described by Holmes himself as the ‘Napoleon of crime’. Based on the nefarious activities of an actual, late-Victorian criminal Conan Doyle introduced ‘Moriarty’ initially to ‘kill-off’ his most famous creation.
However, much as he wanted to eliminate Holmes he also discovered that his readership very much appreciated the appearance of this dastardly evil opponent to the world’s most brilliant detective.
Over the years as Sherlock Holmes popularity grew so too did Professor James Moriarty’s appearances multiply in other books, films and television series.
Wherever you find Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson... Professor Moriarty is sure to follow.
Here then is K&C’s interpretation... We see a tall, elegant, saturnine figure, black cane in one hand while his other hand is behind his back... In that hand he holds a deadly revolver.
Well, we told you he was dangerous... and devious!

AVAILABLE: Mid April

 

[King & Country]

C. SPQR
From late-Victorian London to Imperial Rome in one mighty leap...



RnB027 “Shouting Centurion”
This Legion officer is certainly mad at someone... whether it’s an unfortunate Legionnaire or some Barbarian enemy we will leave that decision up to you.

AVAILABLE: Mid April

 

[King & Country]

D. THE AGE OF WELLINGTON
Four ‘Napoleonic’ mounted figures... and none of them French!



NA426 “The Duke of Wellington”
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of the first half of the 19th Century.
His victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 puts him in the first rank of British military heroes. After serving in India he rose to prominence during the Peninsular Campaign of the Napoleonic Wars. Following Bonaparte’s exile to Elba in 1814 he became Britain’s ambassador to France and was granted a ‘Dukedom’.
During the Hundred Days Campaign of 1815 he commanded the Allied Armies which finally defeated the French emperor at Waterloo. Wellington’s battle record is second-to-none... he took part in and often successfully won some 60 military battles during the course of his long military career.
After leaving the army he entered politics and was elected twice as Britain’s Prime Minister.
Our K&C figure portrays him wearing just one of his many ceremonial uniforms from the period 1812-1815.

 

[King & Country]

NA428 “KGL Light Dragoon Charging”
The first of three additional King’s German Legion Light Dragoons to join the first four which we brought out last month.
This particular Light Dragoon is galloping into battle with his sabre held downwards in his right hand.

NA432 “KGL Light Dragoon w/Carbine”
The second Light Dragoon brings his cavalry carbine to the fore as he charges the enemy. All dragoons carried a carbine in addition to their sabre and a brace of pistols.

NA433 “KGL Trumpeter”
An essential member of any troop of cavalry... and always mounted on a white horse so he could be easily visible to his commanding officer in any charge, skirmish or patrol.

AVAILABLE: Mid-Late April

 

[King & Country]

E. “GOOD MORNING VIETNAM!”
Once more K&C returns to the city of HUE during the TET Offensive of February 1968...



VN047 “Sitting & Waiting”
As any combat veteran will tell you battle often means sitting and waiting for something to happen 90% of the time... And then being terrified out of your mind the remaining 10%!
This Marine is taking a break while he can.

VN048 “Don McCullin, Combat Photojournalist”
Briton Don McCullin is widely regarded as one of the greatest photographers of his generation. During the Vietnam War he made multiple visits to that country and took some of the most dramatic and memorable images ever shot of that terrible war.
In February 1968, he found himself embedded with the U.S. Marines in Hue during TET when they were attempting to retake the city from the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces. Many of his photos of that time have inspired more than a few of the figures in our K&C’s ‘Vietnam’ series.
This figure of Don McCullin is based on an actual photo of him taken by fellow photojournalist Nik Wheeler in Hue during the battle.

 

[King & Country]

VN054 “Mother & Child”
In most conflicts it’s the poor bloody civilians who get caught in the middle! Here, a Vietnamese mother carries her child to safety as the bullets and bombs fly all around them.

VN055 “Hearts & Minds” #1
Even in the midst of battle a Marine kneels down to bandage the leg of a young Vietnamese girl after she has been injured by a piece of shrapnel.

AVAILABLE: Mid-Late April

 

[King & Country]

F. A DIFFERENT WAR... A DIFFERENCE PLACE
After K&C released the ‘Mussolini Rescue’ set a few months back quite a few collectors suggested adding some extra ‘Fallschirmjagers’... Here’s two more.



LW067 “Standing Fallschirmjager”
Wearing the tropical FJ uniform and carrying the revolutionary FG42 assault rifle this German paratrooper waits for further orders.

LW068 “Giving The Signal”
A standing Fallschirmjager NCO (non commissioned officer) blows his whistle to bring together all his men now that their mission is complete.

AVAILABLE: Mid-Late April

 

[King & Country]

G. KING & COUNTRY KINGSIZE #1
Welcome to the first of what I hope will be a small, select series of some very large and exciting releases of important military vehicles.









DD318 “The Diamond T Tank Transporter Set”
In August 1940, just a short time after the Fall of France and the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk, a small group of men, the British Purchasing Commission, arrived in America to seek out all kinds of military hardware and transport for the much depleted British forces.

Among their most urgent requirements was the need for ‘Tank Transporters’, those special vehicles urgently needed to move tanks to and from the battlefield and help recover damaged fighting vehicles and return them to their repair depots behind the front lines.

One of the BPC’s first visits was to the Diamond T & Company of Chicago who had been developing a heavy truck / tractor and trailer for the U.S. Army. The British immediately recognized that this could fulfill their tank transporter needs. An order for 200 of these very special combinations was placed immediately and so began... The Diamond T at war!

The M19 Tank Transporter was a heavy tank transporter system used during WW2 and for many years afterwards. It comprised a 12-ton, 6x4 M20 Diamond T Model 980 truck / tractor and a companion 12-wheel M9 trailer.

Almost 6,000 of these combinations were produced between 1941 and 1945 and supplied to all Allied armies fighting in all the main theatres of war.

The British Army alone received over 1,000 of these vehicles and they remained in front-line service until the late 1950’s with the last of the breed being retired to an army museum in 1971!

This King & Country model is the largest, mixed-media (polystone, white metal and resin) model K&C has ever produced. It measures almost 24” (61cm) in length and is in the markings of a typical U.S. Army vehicle from the time of Normandy (June ’44 ) until May 1945. A driver is included.

The model comes in its own specially-designed box and contains a 4 page, full colour leaflet complete with photographs and background information.

If you collect Allied armour then the Diamond T Tank Transporter is destined to become one of the centerpieces of your collection.

Please Note: A ‘Desert’ Diamond T version is already in development.

 

[King & Country]

SPECIAL NOTE: In addition to DD318 set itself K&C are also providing several ‘Value Added Package’ options...

DD318-S01 This great set brings together DD318 Diamond T with DD104 (SL) M26 Recovery Vehicle.

DD318-S02 This set combines DD318 with DD189 The Valentine MKⅢ tank.

DD318-S03 A combination of DD318 and KnC01 The Normandy Sherman.

DD318-S04 A final combo of DD318 plus WS197 Sd. Kfz. 234/1 Schwerer Panzerspahwagen

AVAILABLE: Late April

 

[King & Country]

BEING RETIRED...

AG028 Hoplite Officer w/ Sword
DD249 Drinking B.A.R. Gunner
FoB112 Standing Armoured Car Crewman
LAH183 SA Chief Ernst Rohm
LAH218 Der Fuhrer on inspection
LAH228X “Sturmabteilung Minder” (Liaison Officer)
RTA033A James Butler Bonham, SC (w/1824 Republic Flag)
WS327 The Apple Thief
WS331 The Threat!





And that, my friends, is that for just one more month.
Best wishes and happy collecting!

Andy C. Neilson
Co-founder & Creative Director!
King & Country Ltd.
​

 

[wayne556517]

2 New FJ,s look great.
And if I was a rich man this would be my choice great release



Great pic just needs a monsoonal down pour

 

[villagehorse]

As expected loads of nice stuff across a broad area, brilliant Andy. Robin.

 

[Peiper007]

As expected loads of nice stuff across a broad area, brilliant Andy. Robin.

Agree with you, great mix of releases, the Tank Transporter will get the headlines, but I also think the new Hospitallers look excellent and the KGL mounted will make an excellent dio charging a French line.

 

[TomNT]

2 New FJ,s look great.
And if I was a rich man this would be my choice great release

I agree mate, they look awesome and would be my choice as well but at around $1000 Oz dollars, that combo is way to rich for my blood!

Tom

 

[Horus]

Thought there would be some Aussies this month, still the Marines and Civilians will do for me. Hopefully thee be more civvies coming soon too.

Steve

 

[Obee]

Thought there would be some Aussies this month,

Steve

Maybe the Vietnam M113 APC and riders will be out in May ??

John

 

[Peiper007]

I agree mate, they look awesome and would be my choice as well but at around $1000 Oz dollars, that combo is way to rich for my blood!

Tom

I really like the piece, have the Dragon Wagon already but was thinking I spent roughly that amount at the London show on Saturday [£560, which is roughly €1000 Aussie] and I would not swap what I got, 4 T Gunn Romans, 1 WW2 T Gunn and 4 J Jenkins Aztecs [good deals at the show for multiple purchases and cash], plus 1 of the K & C diorama French shops [Pharmacy] as new for £100 [$175 Aussie]. The market is competitive and collecting multiple eras etc give me choices.

Not saying I will not get it, because I think it will find its way into my collection in the mid to long term, but much more to spend my money on in between, unless there is a deal somewhere.............