Please help me idenity these Heyde toy soldiers? (1 Viewer)

[MikeNick]

Hi.
I originally bought these figures when they were advertised as Greek Infantry. Now I have more doubts.
Can anyone give a definitive answer as to what nationality these figures represent?
Thanks,
MikeNick

 

[johnnybach]

Hi.
I originally bought these figures when they were advertised as Greek Infantry. Now I have more doubts.
Can anyone give a definitive answer as to what nationality these figures represent?
Thanks,
MikeNickView attachment 141117View attachment 141118View attachment 141119View attachment 141120

They look very much like Heyde figures - so at a guess, I would think they probably represent French Infantry. jb

 

[theBaron]

The only photo references I have for Heyde are in the chapter in O'Brien's book, and unfortunately, these particular figures are not shown in any of the photos. However, that's a relatively limited selection of images.

I went to my uniform references. In "Military Uniforms of the World in Color", by Preben Kannik, image 391 depicts a Greek infantry private circa 1913 (during the Balkan Wars) and these figures look more or less like that figure. Remember that the French style had been copied by many other nations, prior to the disaster in 1870, and also remember that the Austrians used kepis, of a slightly different shape, and they were a model for some of the smaller states in the Balkans. I think these figures do represent Greek line infantry from the first decade of the 20th century.

Prost!
Brad

 

[DMNamiot]

Hi Brad,

Initially my thoughts were they were Danish. The Danes used a uniform very close to this as well. But they could also be as described and be Greek Infantry. Don't have a lot of references on CBG so I cant be sure.

Dave

 

[theBaron]

Hi Brad,

Initially my thoughts were they were Danish. The Danes used a uniform very close to this as well. But they could also be as described and be Greek Infantry. Don't have a lot of references on CBG so I cant be sure.

Dave

You could be right, too, Dave. That's the problem with identifying Heyde figures, or even other makers' figures, from the same period, without boxes. So many of the European armies had similar uniform details, and when they're translated into the soft lead that Heyde used, it can be hard to tell one from the other.

Prost!
Brad