British 1st Airborne Holland

~Hey Shawker-- I appreciate all your comments man, &  as for regarding the work as a 'masterpiece',( I don't know if it is that), Thanks very much for saying so.  The look of my wrecked panzer was an almalgam of similar scenes with a little x-ra added flare--Though I had a Squadron book of U.S. tank destroyers featuring alot of torched American armor very close by,  and I ended up wanting to turn that all back on the enemy to some degree.          I haven't done one Dio yet that I haven't heard  flak from a couple xxxx's about, and probably never will. It happens when you take chances--Nothing ventured--Nothing gained   Anyways...a real pleasure to read that post from a Veteran, thanks for it, and for your service to our Country !

Wow, I was searching Panzer Wrecks as I wanted to get the missing books for my collection, and what do i see on the fist page of images.  This awesome dio.  I am new to the Fine Scale community as I mostly contribute to another (not lately too much life in the way).  Anyways the only thing I wish to say is this is truly a masterpiece and yes everyone can nit pick certain details of everyone's dioramas if they wish but we are allowed some artistic license, its not like you put them in desert khakis. Who is to say he was transferred to the unit and his other uniform was to damaged to wear effectively and he changed into what he had.

I know when I was shipped to Saudi for Desert Shield/storm I was issued woodland BDU's and didn't get my desert BDU's until after we had won the war and I was with 1/504th P.I.R. 82nd Airborne.  I had to use a set of one of the other guys in the unit as I was a replacement.

Again great job.

VanceCrozier

INDY, if anything featuring a burned-up corpse can be called beautiful, this is it. Love the thought that went into the dio, from the tank crew to the rusting & burnt-up roadwheels. Amazing job all-around.

Thank you for your comments Vance--I know exactly what you mean.

INDY, if anything featuring a burned-up corpse can be called beautiful, this is it. Love the thought that went into the dio, from the tank crew to the rusting & burnt-up roadwheels. Amazing job all-around.

*INDY

 A really interesting chapter in history, certainly worth taking a closer look at.

You said it!  Market-Garden is fascinating and tragic all at the same time.

~Boyyd~  Thanks my friend--I consider this one a huge success but I love to hear "Superb" anytime.

 A really interesting chapter in history, certainly worth taking a closer look at.

*INDY

~Not so--You're forgeting the U.S. 82nd Airborne for one, also dropped into Arnhem. Also the U.S. 101st Parachute Division dropped into nearby Eindhoven, who met up with the British 2nd Army there after thier advance North through Belgium-- one of those 2nd Army lads could also explain my Brengunner's different uniform.

 

Indy

Really nice dio!  Yet another great piece from you!

One historical note, the 82d did not drop at Arnhem.  Their mission was to secure the bridges at Nijmegan and at Grave.  Thus, the 82nd's area of operations was a good 8 - 10 miles south of Arnhem.  It was the British 1st Para and the Poles who dropped at Arnhem (actually well outside the city - only Frost's Second Battalion actually made it to the bridge, if memory serves me correctly).

OK, history lesson aside, that is one SUPERB dio.  Someone mentioned the figure placement with the trooper in front of the tank, but to me it just seems like they are inching forward, trying to figure out just how far they can actually move.

Can't wait to see what is next!

Indy;

The glider pilot's crash helmet included a mic and was of a soft type, not good for combat. As the glider crews were to be part of the unit afterwards, carrying a second combat helmet makes sense. I would assume NCO glider pilots primarily at the time of Market Garden.

The clip was from another forum.

http://airfixtributeforum.myfastforum.org/archive/british-glider-pilots-wwii__o_t__t_3892.html

Mike T.

~Interesting about the two helmets carried--never heard that one.

That's a good clip there Mike-Whats it from?

~As for the patch---inconclusive~ In any case-My  Brenman is not so oddly dressed

Its a good tribute

Actually, the 82nd was dropped close to Njimegan (20 km away) and the Polish 1st Airborne at Driel just under 10km with their ATG battery with the Red Devils at Arnhem across the Rhine.

It would make more sense to call him a glider pilot as they did carry standard infantry helmets and were there. A clip from another source:

Glider Pilot Regiment, and was involved in the Arnhem and Rhine Crossing assaults, flying a Horsa glider. He recently gave a talk to my ROCA branch on his service in the war, and it all sounded very hairy. I asked him about the uniform that they wore, and he confirmed that it was standard British Army with a Para smock over the top, they wore a flying helmet, and carried a normal helmet to wear after they landed, they also wore a red beret. After Arnhem, because the Regiment was so depleated, they took in a large number of RAF pilots, so the pilot of the glider could have worn either Army or RAF uniform, with the smock over the top, also, some of the pilots wore two sets of 'wings', one Army, and one RAF, or even Navy, dependant on who they had done their flying training with.

He just lost his camo smock.

The patch in a picture is more straight and resembles the Airborne one

http://home.tiscali.nl/nijsten/insignia.html

Mike T.

~Otto~~ Thank you man--I'll try to get some more posted before I kick the bucket 

telsono

Great job Indy on the dio.

Thanks Mike greatly for that!

the odd Commando is a little out of place. I don't think any made it there.

 Maybe, maybe not. Being that so many of the actions of the Commando we're taken in secret, it's difficult to say for certain  none were there. Certainly some British soldiers where present in the stardard battledress and not the Denison smock as I have portrayed the Brengunner. Here's an example

The caption of this photo reads " British prisoners are held by the Germans at Arnhem, Holland" from Hal Buell's excellent WWII Album and barrowed for discussion purposes only. You can see all these men wear the Denison, except the chap on the right, in standard battle dress--I can't say definitively that that's a "Commando " patch just under his rank insignia, but it sure looks like it

The only other unit with the British 1st Airborne at Arnhem was the 57mm ATG battery of the Polish 1st Airborne Brigade.

~Not so--You're forgeting the U.S. 82nd Airborne for one, also dropped into Arnhem. Also the U.S. 101st Parachute Division dropped into nearby Eindhoven, who met up with the British 2nd Army there after thier advance North through Belgium-- one of those 2nd Army lads could also explain my Brengunner's different uniform.

still a great show, the tank and its permanent commander are awesome.     

Mike T. 

 

I really appreciate that Mike--always great to hear "awesome"

Most importantly to me this Diorama serves as a tiny tribute to the brave men (be they Yank, Brit., Pole or Frenchman )who fought against fascist aggression for our freedom to debate them decades later(among other things)

Great job Indy on the dio. the odd Commando is a little out of place. I don't think any made it there. The only other unit with the British 1st Airborne at Arnhem was the 57mm ATG battery of the Polish 1st Airborne Brigade. Except for patches,  the only difference in uniform would be the dark gray beret instead of the British Airborne. still a great show, the tank and its permanent commander are awesome.

Mike T. 

wow,this is too good!   I like everything about it. You got more dios Indy? Id like to see them.

Otto

rtfoe

Beautiful build there Adam, Red Devils all the way.

I like the way you composed the Paras with the knocked out Panzer. It shows the odds against them in Arnhem. They managed to knock a few besides this one with Gammon grenades and their anti-tank guns.

The figures are well painted and the shades on the denison smock are better than mine. Wish I had those figures you have around then for Hold until Relieved. Also you have captured the masonry for the church building well. I've seen painting by others done that still look like plastic. Good stuff.

My interest for the british airborne also extends to the aircraft that they rode to battle as well. Take a peek in the aircraft section if you like. I've got a Stirling converted to troop transport or glider tug WIP post which has just completed and another on the Horsa Glider. Both of these were used in the Pegasus operation on D-Day.

If you notice , my avatar is the completed Stirling. I'm a D-Day buff too, so at present I've also got a Dio on the 101st in progress.

Thanks for bringing this post up front Adam. Really enjoyed looking at it. Now I know why you were so interested in Hold until Relieved.

Cheers,

~Richard ~ Thank you so much for that generous appraisal. This was a really enjoyable build--4 months from start to finish. Moving away from the usual dozen or so figures helped with that--I purposely limited myself to the 4 Figures, and yeah, had the benefit of some well sculpted examples.  tried to get the Denison smocksto be accurate enough to be convincing in the scheme of the Dio, but really didn't take the care nessessary to faithfully reproduce it in every detail. Fortunatly, I guess, at the time, I didn't realise the Denison to be some 'Holy Grail' item for figure painters, but true they dont often compare well in model form to the real item.. As for the Church ruins, I started with  a nice hydrocal plaster casting from Verlinden, and went to town destroying it as I built it up(reversed). the plaster is certainly a better medium than any plastic for modelling stone, of course it drinks up paint, and requires thorough priming. You bet I was interested in"Hold", I really enjoy that Dio, and everthing in it looks terrific. You bit off a lot of tuff jobs with the design of it and the epic scale of it, and met all those challenges well. I hope to see more builds from you featuring British forces, some of my greatest heros in those ranks---You can bet you will see more brits from me upcoming including another in the E.T.O. and another in N. Afrika.

~101st~ Thanks my friend, I'm really pleased you enjoyed checking this out, and thanks for the winning endorsement. --I aim to please.

 ~

Wow! nice dio (like all your aothers I might add) I hadn't noticed that the tank commander had been deep fried! The detail on the skele-arm is great.

Beautiful build there Adam, Red Devils all the way.

I like the way you composed the Paras with the knocked out Panzer. It shows the odds against them in Arnhem. They managed to knock a few besides this one with Gammon grenades and their anti-tank guns.

The figures are well painted and the shades on the denison smock are better than mine. Wish I had those figures you have around then for Hold until Relieved. Also you have captured the masonry for the church building well. I've seen painting by others done that still look like plastic. Good stuff.

My interest for the british airborne also extends to the aircraft that they rode to battle as well. Take a peek in the aircraft section if you like. I've got a Stirling converted to troop transport or glider tug WIP post which has just completed and another on the Horsa Glider. Both of these were used in the Pegasus operation on D-Day.

If you notice , my avatar is the completed Stirling. I'm a D-Day buff too, so at present I've also got a Dio on the 101st in progress.

Thanks for bringing this post up front Adam. Really enjoyed looking at it. Now I know why you were so interested in Hold until Relieved.

Cheers,

Richard

Here's one I thought you might approve of (Richard) . My 4th Dio, finished last year, These guys were always huge heros of mine--I know you can relate.

~Gentlemen~ Very much appreciated~ Thanks for those comments~

Story of my life,undercompensated over-achiever......*sigh*           

Well done indeed!   It is truly a "Storyteller".  Great job!

rb

Adam this is wonderful!!!!  The figure, the German Tallow Candle, the building, the figures and the whole composition are top notch and anyone that doesn't not revisit this and leave a POSITIVE comment is crazy.  I am blown away by the fact at the lack of comments on this Diorama.

I thought this forum supported each other and this labor of love deserves more attention!!

captfue wrote:

Indy this is one realy good looking dio. I like your work.

Indy this is one realy good looking dio. I like your work.

L.O.L.  !  God. Hans, what a funny story !  Yeah, stuff like that.  I was thinking before about recounts from some American Vets from The Normandy landings, seeing the relaxed easy-going approach the British assualt troops seemed to have. In the midst of the chaos of hitting the beach, some of them actually stopped to set up to brew a cup'a before carrying out the assault. While some had joked of it,(as in the film'The Longest Day') these guys actually took a tea break! At least according to witnessess......

I've read many stories of our Vets who couldn't believe the confidence(some say foolhardy luck) these troops had in openly confronting the Axis on the battlefield.

One anectdote from the Battle of Arnhem that always stuck in my mind was that of a Brit Para who was confronted by his platoon leader during the house-to-house fighting... I can't remember it verbatum, but it went something like this: A couple of Paras were hunkered down in the ground floor of a house.  When asked by their Lieutenant if they'd been taking fire from anything heavier than small-arms, the Corporal replied, "They've been throwing everything at us but the bloody kitchen stove."  Just after those words left his mouth, there was big BOOM!, debris and dust flew everywhere, and when the dust cleared, there sat a kitchen stove that had dropped from the floor above.  The Corporal, shaking off the debris, remarked to his comrade, "I knew the buggers were close, but I didn't think they could hear us TALKING!"

He's Commando, not infantry. He's an in-the-field replacement to the unit(that's my story)

Anyways seems more interesting to me than having them all identical.

His MK III (Late war Brit Helmet is fitted with a camo cover.(That was an improvisation.)

Buddho wrote:

Indy, congrats on a wonderfully done diorama. The figures, tank and setting are excellent!

Buddho, thank you for the kind & gracious words

modelchasm wrote:

I like this one, and its finished wonderfully ... but my only question about it is the figure set in front of the tank ... If the "squad" is moving forward, out from behind the tank, from the open church door, that figure is stopped and completely exposed there ... Just looks like he's moving forward, ahead of the crew serve, but then stopped. I could picture him there if he still had forward momentum, but as is just looks a little funny, IMO.   Just my 2 cents ..... Again, nice job.

If he had been "totaly exposed' though,this would serve all accounts of the brazen bravery displayed often in many real life accounts of Brits in command. I've read many stories of our Vets who couldn't believe the confidence(some say foolhardy luck) these troops had in openly confronting the Axis on the battlefield. Such is the lagacy of the showy red baret(though partly so they could recognize each-other)which comes straight down from the day of the  big bright Red-Coats(always seem to present a nice target, eh?)

I like this one, and its finished wonderfully ... but my only question about it is the figure set in front of the tank ...

If the "squad" is moving forward, out from behind the tank, from the open church door, that figure is stopped and completely exposed there ... Just looks like he's moving forward, ahead of the crew serve, but then stopped. I could picture him there if he still had forward momentum, but as is just looks a little funny, IMO.  

Just my 2 cents .....

Again, nice job.