French Foreign Legion “Square” in 54mm.

Visits: 172

All right, once the figures out of the Cabinet it is possible to do some kind of manoeuvres, so here it is the French Foreign Legion in Square. Of course it is easier to take pics because those figures are mine!

No much problem to do the pics once paraded.

Enjoy!

Frontal View
Rear View
Lateral view
View from a corner
Quite aerial view…

New additions to my Collection from Dorset! 54MM (Imperial Miniatures nowadays).

Visits: 137

It could have been titled “The Art of Waiting”… but to be fair the deadline of the 30th of June has closely been respected (more or less). Ask for Antony Spencer if you need something… quite helpful and to the point if you know what I mean… a worthy successor of the retired Giles Brown.

What’s Important… really important is the magnificent painting job done on those Toy Soldiers… sometimes they do not like Toy Soldiers at all… as the Duke once said : “By God they frighten me!”

Will post again when received and added to the rest of the Collection.

Enjoy!

The lot.

Turcos detail.
Tirailleurs Senegalais.

Diorama in a small base.

Visits: 47

Not my thing at all (personally) but I know quality when I see it. That bloody part of the late XIXth Century whem the European Powers (all of them) expanded “civilization” and “commerce”… all round the world… globalization at the point of the bayonet!

Masterful Military Modeling if you please!

In this case French troops.

Enjoy!

Very good “composition” if you ask me…

Some of my French Foreign Legion

Visits: 70

A nearly forgotten pastime… (by yours truly)… painting your own figures… meaning buying the casts naked of paint… and DIY job… it was fun (again)… the toy Soldier style is much uncomplicated.

Thanks to Antony Spencer from DORSET SOLDIERS who understood perfectly what I needed and took the trouble to assemble the kits for me.

Curiously enough they mix very well with my old figures (they have decades in real time difference).

Thought you would like to see some of mine for a change!

Enjoy!

54mm DORSET figures (some painted by me)
Kneeling Officers done by me.
Detail before painting bases green (Front row are “new”… back row “old”)
The whole new additions waiting Varnish…(Yes there is Young Winston too! more tomorrow about him)
I gave some medals yesterday… LOL

French Foreign Legion Officers (Playmobil 75mm)

Visits: 61

Maybe you are tired to see those figures?… well… get used to it!… as you know I deal with multiple scales and very different interests!…

The headgear is resin custom painted by me… but all the rest are standard pieces of Playmobil that you need to order from specialized sellers.

You maybe think they are obnoxius… but they are not… not need to paint a lot (I have to admit the fRench kepis on the left has been painted by me using permanent markers and finally gloss varnish… but that is all.

I do usually paint 54mm Toy Soldiers from scratch and it is a much more longer process… as always you need all sorts!

Enjoy!

Just the headgear is “custom”

French Foreign Legion Customs

Visits: 41

I sold half of them to an ex-legionnaire, but the main thing was to experiment with a black&white pic for a change!

Hope nobody comes restless again… I just love the films about it… romantic and post-romantic stuff (see BEAU GESTE all versions and also BEAU IDEAL… BEAU SABREUR -with Gary Cooper_ has been “lost” for decades… UNDER TWO FLAGS… MARCH OR DIE… spectacular “irreal” battle scenes (the “arbis” would have shot them away from a safe distance) in full colour and a great Gene Hackman and a very subdued and nuanced performance by Terence Hill in one of his best roles)

Curiously enough I still have a couple of dozens of Playmobils to play with… habits die hard!

Enjoy!

I thought… why not a bit of black&white?

Dorset/Imperial “new” castings.

Visits: 41

I have a lot of ideas and pics to post this days… but those arrived yesterday and have got priority no matter what… My FFL order to complete an Army is underway and in good hands… simply ask Antony!… he will deliver… this is as silly as commending a good Restaurant… afterwards no way to book a table for you!… but he deserves it in spades… ask Scott Lesch if in doubt!

Hope you enjoy the pics as much as I do.

FFL bugler charging!
Another view of the same figure!
FFL ensign or standard bearer charging!
FFL Officer charging on foot!

More from IMPERIAL/DORSET MINIATURES…

Visits: 35

Since a very young child I was a fan of P.C.Wren, yes I was able to read at a very young age… since then The BEAU GESTE trilogy (in fact five books and some short stories here & there) influenced my taste for toy soldiers and have collected them in all kind of scales (see elswhere in this Blog). In 54mm my DORSET collection precedes the REPLICA BRITISH 2nd AFHGAN WAR at least a couple of decenies… influenced by A GENTLEMAN’S WAR wargame rules (Howard Whitehouse) I am nowadays squaring the collection into 12 minis units to fight each other (for fun and tweaking the rules a bit). Of course the minis are not only used for AGW… a lot of scenarios can be played with each Army alone… more of that one day.

I let you with two recent additions by Antony Spencer head of design at IMPERIAL/DORSET (and ALL THE QUEEN’S MEN too I guess).

Enjoy!

FFL officer with flag.
FFL officer variant.

IMPERIAL/DORSET SOLDIERS Castings

Visits: 64

I was rather laconic yesterday (health issues)… nothing to worry about too much I guess. It is not always fun to be seventy.

Today I will show you what excellent service means… You ask for some French Foreign Legion castings with a detailed note explaining what you want… then Antony from IMPERIAL/DORSET SOLDIERS takes the trouble to send you the pics of them TO BE SURE the match is OK.

You can not ask for more!

I will be back buying from them in a monthly basis… already other orders are on the pipeline. You can not have a better deal!

Enjoy!

First pic
Second pic

Collecting Toy Soldiers (III)

Visits: 267

The last Eleven of the Berkshires at Maiwand 54mm Replicametalsoldiers Andrew.

Updated December 2020.

It required time, but they are in the cabinet at last. I did found Andrew Stevens line of Traditional Toy Soldiers in FaceBook, his trade mark is REPLICAMETALSOLDIERS. They are quite Britain’s style but brand new, meaning no Antiquarian prices (or “oldies” look). I can recommend his products because I am really satisfied. I always wanted a range like that and he really adapts himself to your need (in fact so well that another order is on the way I fear!).

At arrival and unboxing, boxes are a delight on its own.
The whole order sorted out together.
The “hole”. You get a “hole” by cramming up the rest…
Fixing a hole.
Actually I needed two shelves which will be completed with the current order. Finally the RCMP emigrated to the Household Division Cabinet to make place. All Colonials now here.
The Colonel.

It was a long wait but worth the time, as usual I could not stop there and passed another order for some odds and ends and some Corps of Guides units (after a while I added Gurkhas and Highlanders too!). THAT would hopefully stop my collecting in 54mm for a while… if you do not count 5 SPAHIS I am asking for at Dorset Soldiers on the 1st of September.

It must be puzzling for some of the readers that I collect in 54mm and wargame mainly (when I do) in 6mm… but that is that.

After years waiting for them the officer of Spahis will get troops to command!, the parcel with 5 SPAHIS is on the post. I was very late on deciding to add them to my collection (after all at some point of their history they rebelled and killed their French Officer’s… similar to the Indian Mutiny but other times and reasons…)… a colourful outfit no doubt about it… but mainly because Henri de Beaujolais was an officer of Spahis… you must be careful with what you read when very young… Dorset Soldiers under a new management after Giles Brown retired.

Original paint from DORSET.

Well, BTW excellent packaging, boxes, DHL, terms and time elapsed from command until arrival… everything went without a hitch. Customer satisfied. Will buy again from Dorset Soldiers.

Officer Royal Corps of Guides 54mm REPLICA METAL MODEL SOLDIERS
Raj Indian battery.
Simply great!
This one is dedicated to Nigel Price.(Because he is a retired officer of Gurkhas)
Queen’s Own Royal Corps of Guides 54mm.
Last but not least the Gordons in Afghanistan (Kandahar).

The two pics above are from a megaset titled NAVAL BRIGADE, for once it is not mine at all (sadly… lol)… but could not resist posting the pics on the blog. That shows that collecting 54mm toy soldiers is alive and kicking. Andrew REPLICA Metal Model Soldiers. Someone must be very happy with this set!