Diorama "Friendly Boxing Match"

Nice work by PJ but one slight historical gaffe... there were no black US paratroopers outside the Continental United States in WWII. The US Armed Forces were quite segregated during WWII. The only black paratroopers were in the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion which never left the US during the war and actually pioneered "smoke jumping" (parachute deployed firefighters) against forest  fires in the Western US started by Japanese Balloon Bombs

I'm Dutch, so forgive me if my answer sounds strange......

About the U.S forces during WW2, although segregated, they had coloured men in the army which did all sorts of tasks / jobs EXCEPT fighting. ( like cooks, mess attendants, working in storage and such.)

Maybe the "black" guy is a the cook ...     ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGpP3mj6FrU

Yes, for the most part during WWII Blacks served in service type units of the US military with a few notable exceptions. They were segregated into all black units with White officers in command usually. In the Army a Black cook would be in a Black unit. I know the box art for this figure set depicts the boxing scenario between US and British Paras so I was just pointing out the historcal issue here.

Thanks for your compliments and comments! I really appreciate them!

Master Box used to base their figure sets on historical pictures and sometime show them on the box. They might have a picture that shows a scene just like this, I don't know.

Given the historical context of Jim Crow and segregation/racism in the US at the time. the black guy would be well advised to take a dive right quick. The yanks wouldn't let him get too far with beating a white guy. Doing a quick search on Jack Johnson, the boxer, not the singer, will give you some insight inot the state of affairs at the time between the races in America.

As usual, no research and a BS answer that doesn't make sense when he is trying to explain away the inaccuaracies.  The Master Box boxtop clearly shows 2 white soldiers boxing, not a black soldier as you suggest.

I was just looking at the " Friendly Boxing Match"  set I bought a few weeks ago.  While the US boxer's skin tone is white on the cover oddly the Valejo/ Life Color paint chart, on the back calls for brown  skin tone. Then there is the obvious black facial; features.

I suppose the paratroops could have got a black GI from food services or transportation or other all black unit with a known pro boxing background to teach the Brits a lesson.. Joe Lewis often fought exhibition match for US troops but in a regulation ring for hundreds; not six or seven troops on  the edge of a runway.

  More likely who ever designed the figures was unaware  sorry history of segregation   in the US military during World War Two. MB tried to correct the mistake with the cover art.  

Thanks, Gear Head 6! I don't have its box now but you pointed out that the painting guide at the back calls for brown skin tone. "PJ" just followed that. Any historical inaccuracy is not his or my responsiblity.