The Great War (2 Viewers)

[chalklands]

Have gotten the JJD Poilu sets in, all but the truck, which will have to wait a while longer. All displayed together with my aged Britains destroyed village from years back. All looks pretty impressive when together. As I have mentioned before, I have 6 figures and a Renault 17 tank from ONWTC, which actually display well with the JJD French figures and St. Chamond tank. The ONWTC figures are a tick smaller but not off-puttingly so, and the tanks look perfect together. The 2 TGM Poilu fit in well with both of the other makers, so my figure total has reached 18. I expect the new JJD Poilu and the new TGM poilus will soon be joining my platoon, as well. The French will soon have enough superiority in numbers for their assault on the Hindenburg Line. -- Al

Hi Al,
I would love to see a picture of your display......

Pete

 

[lancer]

Hi Al,
I would love to see a picture of your display......

Pete

Pete, maybe one of these days I will get a camera or one of them new-modern type phonie thingies and actually take some pictures. Then someone will have to download the pictures for me. I really need to get pictures if for no other reason than insurance. I don't have a single picture of any of my collection. Of course, I have been saying this for years and still have not done it.:redface2: -- Al

 

[chalklands]

OK Al, one day maybe!!

I received the Poilu tank riders and marching Poilu's today (super fast delivery, as always, from JJDUK).....they are just stupendous. I think if the vehicles were just 'stand alone' I wouldn't collect them, but the figures just set them off beautifully......IMO.

Pete

 

[lancer]

OK Al, one day maybe!!

I received the Poilu tank riders and marching Poilu's today (super fast delivery, as always, from JJDUK).....they are just stupendous. I think if the vehicles were just 'stand alone' I wouldn't collect them, but the figures just set them off beautifully......IMO.

Pete

They are really fine figures and the tank riders are especially versatile. They can be used in any number of ways in a 'downtime' scenario or occupying a trench/dugout/etc. Just great figures. -- Al

 

[chalklands]

They are really fine figures and the tank riders are especially versatile. They can be used in any number of ways in a 'downtime' scenario or occupying a trench/dugout/etc. Just great figures. -- Al

I'm thinking the Britain's set 23072 will shoehorn nicely with GWB-20, although I'd like to see the Britain's set first.

Pete

 

[lancer]

I'm thinking the Britain's set 23072 will shoehorn nicely with GWB-20, although I'd like to see the Britain's set first.

Pete

It will probably work very well. Throw in the GWF-12, sitting on some of those supply boxes, and you have joint Allied ops, perhaps with a tank or two rolling by. LOTS of possibilities opening up with all the wonderful things coming our way. -- Al

 

[chalklands]

OK, I have a question. Why do some WW1 British helmets have a 'dimple' on the crown of the helmet, whilst other's don't?

Pete

 

[lancer]

OK, I have a question. Why do some WW1 British helmets have a 'dimple' on the crown of the helmet, whilst other's don't?

Pete

Pete, I don't know the history of the British helmet construction but there were different models of the classic bowl helmet. I believe the dimple on the top is actually a nut that would have something to do with securing the inner liner on certain later models. Earlier models had a different liner that required no nut through the helmet top. At least that's what I remember reading somewhere. -- Al

 

[chalklands]

Pete, I don't know the history of the British helmet construction but there were different models of the classic bowl helmet. I believe the dimple on the top is actually a nut that would have something to do with securing the inner liner on certain later models. Earlier models had a different liner that required no nut through the helmet top. At least that's what I remember reading somewhere. -- Al

Thanks for the info Al!

Pete

 

[mestell]

I have been following this thread and other related JJD WWI threads for sometime now and an finding it hard to resist collecting this range (my main collection interests is WB ACW and WWI). I find the "Great War" fascinating, especially since I have a large collection of my Grandfather's WWI memorabelia (He seved in France in Company F, 17th RR Engineers, American Expeditionary Forces, enlisted 28 June 1917, Discharged 25 Mar 1919). I have spent a part of this afternoon looking at the JJD WWI offerings and am very tempted to make my first acquisition, the GWB011 Thornycroft Truck, followed by GWB020-023, the 58th 2/1st London Division sets. Quite often, I find myself admiring the non-combat sets the most, which I feel show the tedium and the "hurry up and wait" aspects of conflict. After all, there's a lot more "marching than fighting" during any war. I just wanted to let you gentlemen know that you are making it very hard for me to resist this range . . . .
:smile2: Mike

 

[jazzeum]

That makes two of us. I have finally broken down and ordered one of the Poliu sets and the French truck.

Brad

 

[mestell]

Well I "pulled the pin". Yesterday afternoon I ordered the Thornycroft Truck and all four 58th 2/1st London Division sets. Looking forward to receiving them . . . . .
:smile2: Mike

 

[6th Wisconsin]

Mike, you can't go wrong with JJD's WWI pieces. I have a lot of the planes and a few accompanying figures. That French truck has been calling my name for months, and I still need a hangar. There are just too many great choices in the toy soldier market now! I just got a new job, and that helps, but no lottery win yet.

 

[mestell]

Mike, you can't go wrong with JJD's WWI pieces. I have a lot of the planes and a few accompanying figures. That French truck has been calling my name for months, and I still need a hangar. There are just too many great choices in the toy soldier market now! I just got a new job, and that helps, but no lottery win yet.

I know exactly what you mean Dan, about the many great choices avaiable on the TS market today. For a long time now the JJD WWI/Great War/Knights of the Sky range have been very tempting to me. I haven't bought too much of late and I just sold a good portion of my FL Rev War collection, so I have some $$$ to play with so I decided to proceed with the JJD range. I also have noticed that the JJD WWI range sets seem to go pretty fast and are soon retired. Soooooooooooo, I decided not to hesitate any more in getting started. Today I ordered the Mark V female tank, ACE-21 Steinhauser's Fokker, ACE-14 Barker's Sopwith Camel, a small and medium stand, and the German and British pilot sets. These should be here Monday. All of this pretty much shot a hole in my saved up $$$ so I will have to wait until next month to order anything else. The French truck is on my list of wants also, along with the French infantry. The photo reports from the London show indicate that some really nice looking British infantry are on their way also.
:smile2: Mike

 

[lancer]

Have gotten the JJD Poilu sets in, all but the truck, which will have to wait a while longer. All displayed together with my aged Britains destroyed village from years back. All looks pretty impressive when together. As I have mentioned before, I have 6 figures and a Renault 17 tank from ONWTC, which actually display well with the JJD French figures and St. Chamond tank. The ONWTC figures are a tick smaller but not off-puttingly so, and the tanks look perfect together. The 2 TGM Poilu fit in well with both of the other makers, so my figure total has reached 18. I expect the new JJD Poilu and the new TGM poilus will soon be joining my platoon, as well. The French will soon have enough superiority in numbers for their assault on the Hindenburg Line. -- Al

The new JJD NCO and the new TGM Poilu showed up today, all excellent figures. My Horizon Blue tide has now reached 21 and is aching to be given the 'Go' signal. I think they are waiting on the French artillery to deliver the pre-assault bombardment. We have tanks, infantry, and air support. Time for the famous French 75 to make it's appearance.^&grin -- Al

 

[chalklands]

The new JJD NCO and the new TGM Poilu showed up today, all excellent figures. My Horizon Blue tide has now reached 21 and is aching to be given the 'Go' signal. I think they are waiting on the French artillery to deliver the pre-assault bombardment. We have tanks, infantry, and air support. Time for the famous French 75 to make it's appearance.^&grin -- Al

The JJD Poilu's are fantastic!

Pete

 

[marco55]

There was a thread a while back about why Frenchmen can't fight,Well maybe not but they sure are popular in the toy soldier world.They are very popular in Jenkins FIW line,FL's Agincourt,even The Crusaders which I believe were a very high percentage of Frenchmen.We surely can't forget the Napoleonic wars.Alot of people want The Franco-Prussian War and of course the French Foreign Legion,one of the most popular ranges in a while,expanding to Mexico now.Some will say the FFL was not really French but they fought under the banner of France,their officers were French and had a large portion of "Walloons":wink2: in it's ranks.
Mark

 

[lancer]

There was a thread a while back about why Frenchmen can't fight,Well maybe not but they sure are popular in the toy soldier world.They are very popular in Jenkins FIW line,FL's Agincourt,even The Crusaders which I believe were a very high percentage of Frenchmen.We surely can't forget the Napoleonic wars.Alot of people want The Franco-Prussian War and of course the French Foreign Legion,one of the most popular ranges in a while,expanding to Mexico now.Some will say the FFL was not really French but they fought under the banner of France,their officers were French and had a large portion of "Walloons":wink2: in it's ranks.
Mark

I'm pretty sure that whatever that thread was about in terms of French fighting ability, it wasn't about pre-WW2 France, at least not if the posters knew their history. If the French couldn't fight, and fight extremely well, the continent of Europe would have been speaking German by late 1914. -- Al

 

[marco55]

I think it's a modern perception as we saw France bleed in WWI,Collapse in WWII,and their modern colonial conflicts indochina,Algeria and other areas.
Mark

 

[jazzeum]

If you want to say WW II, fine. However, they were not alone in losing their empires that they acquired prior to WW I, not to mention our own experience in Indochina.