October 2010 Dispatches (1 Viewer)

[Peter Reuss]

DISPATCHES
OCTOBER 2010
I’m writing these particular DISPATCHES on Thursday 16 September… Reason being brother Gordon and yours truly are flying off to the States tomorrow. As I wrote last month the brother and myself will be at SIERRA TOY SOLDIERS in Los Gatos, California for a couple of days “meeting ‘n’ greeting” before moving on to Chicago for the big show.
Of course by the time this particular set of DISPATCHES will be seen by you guys the OTSN Show will already be history.
However some of the info in here will be fresh so let’s, as they say, get on with the show…
1. APPEARING THIS OCTOBER!
A. Life of Jesus “JESUS & THE ELDERS”
The second release of some very special figures… The new release shows a young Jesus sitting with the Elders at the Temple in Jerusalem…
“Jesus along with his family had journeyed to the city for the Feast of the Passover. Unknown to his parents the young Christ remained behind to talk and listen to the teachers and scholars at the temple”…

LoJ006 “In the Temple”
A young Jesus, about 12 years old, sits talking with an elderly Rabbi. This set includes the two seated figures, a bench and an altar.

LoJ007 “Standing Elders”
Standing nearby are two elderly scholars amazed at the knowledge and understanding of the young boy.

LoJ008 “Jesus’ Parents”
A concerned Mary and Joseph watch over the young boy during his discussion.

In addition to these three sets K&C has also added two other small civilian sets of figures and animals suitable to accompany any of the larger displays of the Holy Land at the time of Christ… or indeed any desert diorama.

LoJ009 “The Goat Herder”
A goatherd along with some of his flock.

LoJ010 “The Lost Lamb”
A shepherd has been searching and found a lost and injured sheep and carries it on his shoulders.

AVAILABILITY: NOW!

B. “The Perfect Backdrop”
SP043 “The Desert Village TEMPLE/MOSQUE”
A really unique building and a great addition to the village… This exciting new “ecumenical” structure boasts a Jewish Temple entrance on one side and an Islamic Mosque entrance on the opposite.

AVAILABILITY: Mid October

C. “Another Little Tilly”
DD146 “Austin Light Utility” (Normandy ’44)
This is the third and final version of our first “SERIES 250” set of 3 vehicles. This particular British Army “Tilly” is in typical 2-colour “Mickey Mouse” camouflage pattern and with a female ATS (Auxiliary Transport Services) driver.
Just 250 have been produced and they were a familiar “behind-the-frontlines” vehicles usually employed by Army headquarters units.

AVAILABILITY: NOW!

D. “VIVE LA FRANCE”
A small but essential addition to our marching-off-to war First World War French “Poilus”.

FW084 “French Flagbearer”
The perfect accompaniment for our Poilus marching off to Berlin! An officer with the Tricolor.

AVAILABILITY: NOW!

E. “BATTLE OF THE BULGE”
As every K&C collector knows every winter K&C prepares to refight this epic battle… Here come the Yanks!

BBA037 “Dodge WC54 U.S. Army Ambulance” (Summer Version)
Many years ago one of the first polystone vehicles K&C ever produced was this U.S. Army Ambulance.
Long-since retired, it has been much sought-after on the “retired” market and quite expensive too…
So, we thought it’s time to do a new one… and a better one too! And here it is… Perfect for Normandy or North Africa.

BBA037-01 “Dodge WC54 U.S. Army Ambulance” (Winter Version)
K&C realize that lots of Battle of the Bulge enthusiasts also need some medical assistance. This snow and frost encrusted vehicle fits the bill.
Both vehicles comes with a driver…

Special Production Note: Just 250 of this special Winter version have been produced.

BBA038 “WC 63 1 1/2 ton Truck”
Another classic U.S. Army truck of WW2. Our model comes with driver and fully detachable “canvas” roof. Seated figures or supplies can be fitted into the rear of the truck.

Please note: The front windscreen is now “fixed” in the “up” position.

BBA039 “Stretcher Party”
An army Medic and two GI’s carry a wounded buddy on a stretcher back to the nearest aid station.

BBA040 “Truck Winter Passengers” (Set one)
Three cold GI’s huddle together for warmth.

BBA041 “Fire Team”
A kneeling firing B.A.R. gunner is joined by a kneeling firing rifleman.

BBA042 “Kneeling Officer w/Binos”

BBA043 “Teenage Prisoner”
A young, frightened conscript is only too happy to surrender to this rifle-toting US Military Policeman.

BBA044 “Kneeling NCO w/ Tommy Gun”

AVAILABILITY: Mid October

 

[Peter Reuss]

F. “Christmas Comes But Once A Year”
And it’s time for K&C’s special winter Festive Season Sets…

XM010-01 “No Kristmas for the Kaiser!”
Just 400 sets of this 3-man group will be available… Santa has fallen foul of the German authorities… Somewhere over the Western Front his sleigh and reindeer have been captured and he’s been carted off along with his bag of goodies to the nearest headquarters!!!

XM010-02 “Anything For Me, Santa?”
A happy, smiling Santa is about to cheer up this cold and lonely GI… Somewhere in Belgium, Christmas Eve, 1944.
(Just 600 sets available)

AVAILABILITY: Late October

G. “THE ROGUE’S GALLERY”
Our latest releases in the LAH series covers a span of years from 1938-late 1944.

LAH119 “LAH Drum Horse… Walking”
One of K&C’s most collected mounted figures was the standing LAH Drumhorse “Sigrune”… Long since retired there have been many, many requests to produce another.
So here it is… this time, walking on parade.

LAH120 “Mounted SS Trooper”
On parade “Sigrune” was usually accompanied by a mounted SS cavalry detachment in black parade uniforms.

LAH121 “Mounted SS Guidon Bearer”

AVAILABILITY: Late October

From the so-called “Glory days of the Third Reich” (before the outbreak of war) to the grim, dark days leading up to the final defeat of the “Thousand Year Reich”…

LAH122 “Josef “Sepp” Dietrich”
Dietrich has proved to be one of the most collected German figures K&C has produced. His uniforms were many and varied. Here he is dressed in standard gray green tunic and field gray trousers of the Waffen SS… in a typical pose.

LAH123 “Hitler’s Secretary Traudl Junge”
One of a small select group of personal secretaries who followed the Fuhrer everywhere. Traudl Junge married one of Hitler’s SS adjutants. She is also featured in the award-winning movie “DOWNFALL” about the last days of Hitler in the bunker in Berlin in 1945.

LAH124 “Der Fuhrer Adolf Hitler”
This is the Hitler after the failed bombplot of July 1944…

LAH125 “Reichsmarschal Hermann Goering”
Chief of the Luftwaffe and once the Fuhrer’s closest confidante… By late 1944 his reputation and standing in the Third Reich was much diminished. Here he is, in yet another of his self-designed uniforms.

AVAILABILITY: Late October

2. COMING IN NOVEMBER!
Well in October we had the “Battle of the Bulge” GI’s… So, it’s only fair if this month we have the opposition…

A. “BATTLE OF THE BULGE”
BBG032 “Prize of Arms”
A single Waffen SS Panzer Grenadier walks off with a box of “liberated” U.S. Army field rations.

BBG033 “Cold Feet… Warm Boots”
One of the indelible images of the early days of the German offensive in the Ardennes was the photo of some dead GI’s lying in a road… without their boots. Some German soldiers standing nearby are swapping their own poor quality “ersatz” issue footwear for the much superior and much warmer American boots.

BBG034 “Over There!”
A pointing Waffen SS trooper indicates something to a Luftwaffe Field Division rifleman.

BBG037 “Walking Forward”
Again, another figure based on a well-known photo of an SS NCO walking past a row of burning, abandoned American vehicles.

BBG039 “Otto Skorzeny’s Command Car”
Famed (or infamous if you prefer) SS Obersturmfuhrer Otto Skorzeny was in charge of the operation to launch English-speaking German soldiers dressed as GI’s behind U.S. lines to spread confusion and cause havoc. Skorzeny himself, although in charge of the operation always wore regular Waffen SS combat uniform. He also made use of a converted Sd.Kfz.247 six wheeled command car.
This set includes Skorzeny, his personal driver and radio operator.

SPECIAL NOTE: Just 500 of this vehicle have been produced.

AVAILABILITY: Early to Mid November

B. “STREETS OF OLD HONG KONG”
HK188 “Lamppost”
HK195 “Street Sign Lamppost "Lan Kwai Fong"”
HK196 “Street Sign Lamppost " Wellington Street””
HK197 “Street Sign Lamppost "Nathan Road"”
HK198 “Street Sign Lamppost “Stanley Main Street"”
HK199 “Street Sign Lamppost "Queen’s Road Central"”

AVAILABILITY: Early to Mid November

C. “FIGHTING SCOTS”
Since the retirement of our Napoleonic era Black Watch we’ve had many requests from both collectors and dealers for another Scottish Regiment and here it is… The 92nd. Highlanders better known as The Gordon Highlanders.
After fighting bravely at Quatre Bras the Regiment took part in one of the most famous incidents of the Battle of Waterloo… the charge of the 92nd.alongside the horsemen of the Scots Greys (The North British Dragoons). Together these two Scottish regiments (about 1200 strong) repulsed and then routed an advancing entire French infantry column of almost 4,000 men!
K&C is releasing no less than ten individual Gordon Highlanders as well as a dramatic 2-figure vignette of a charging Scots Grey trooper and a running 92nd. Highlander.

NA202 “GH Kneeling to Repel”

NA203 “GH Kneeling Firing”

NA204 “GH Kneeling Loading”

NA205 “GH Standing Firing”

NA206 “GH Standing to Repel”

NA207 “GH Charging”

NA208 “GH Mounted Major”

NA209 “GH Drummer”

NA210 “Gordon Highlander Advancing”

NA211 “Gordons & Greys to the Front!”
One of the aforesaid troopers and one highlander attacking and routing the French infantry.

NA227 “Officer with King’s Color”

AVAILABILITY: Mid to Late November

D. “TEMPLE MOSQUE MINARET ADDITION”
In October we presented our “Desert Village Temple/Mosque”… now we’re releasing the first of our add-on pieces for this unique ecumenical diorama piece… the 2-piece “Temple/Mosque Minaret”.
As many of you know Minarets are a major feature of Middle Eastern architecture. This extremely useful add-on can be utilized as a tall Minaret for a mosque or using one of the two pieces (the lower one) can be seen as a tower on a Jewish Temple. How’s that for versatility!!!

SP044 “Temple/Mosque Minaret”
In two pieces.

AVAILABILITY: Late November

E. LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST…
The Panzerkampfwagen VI, better known as “The Tiger” has played a very big role in the K&C story… Back in 2005 it was the very first “Strictly Limited” fighting Tiger K&C ever produced. That first “SL” Tiger was a snow-camouflaged version of our earlier WS070 “Winter Tiger Strictly Limited” and was a huge success with 999 produced and sold!
A few years later we revisited the Tiger to do another “SL”. This time an early AFRIKA KORPS version… again another popular success.
Now in 2010, we’re producing a third Tiger “SL” and, without a doubt, the finest one yet!

WS177(SL) “Snow Tiger”
This is not simply a repaint of an earlier model this new “Snow Tiger” is an all-new sculpt with a radically different winter camouflage scheme to the 2005 version.
A close inspection of the photos provided will easily demonstrate the differences and improvements on K&C’s previous Tigers.
Each “Snow Tiger” comes with two crew figures… a specially-designed presentation box and a large 4 page full-colour brochure and numbered certificate.
Just 999 are being produced… Order now to avoid disappointment!

AVAILABILITY: Mid-Late November

3. BEING RETIRED
Not so many this month… but a nice little selection anyway…

a) “Eighth Army”
EA023 “LRDG 30cwt. Chevrolet Uncamouflaged”
b) “Imperial Collection”
IC029 “Chinese Horse & Carriage”
c) “Napoleonics”
NA136 “CG Wounded Guardsman”
NA159 “Dutch Lancer on Walking Horse A”
NA160 “Dutch Lancer on Walking Horse B”
d) “Diorama”
SP023 “French Walls and Gate”


And that my friends is that… for another month at least! Many thanks for your continued business and support… we very much appreciate it. Best wishes to one and all!
Andy C. Neilson
Co-founder & Creative Director
King & Country