King and Country: July Dispatches

"Per Mare...Per Terram"

That's the motto of Her Majesty's Royal Marines and it means "By sea...By Land" and it could equally apply to the officers and men of the Royal Navy. During the 18th and 19th Centuries Royal Navy officers and seamen often joined Marines in forming "landing parties" and "raiding forces" to harass and fight their enemies on land. Britain's greatest naval hero Horatio Nelson himself often took part in such expeditions and with these 3 x new additions we show him and two of his officers ashore accompanying a group of Marines...in Napoleon's Egypt.

• NE045 -- Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson - At the time of the Egyptian Campaign Nelson was still just a Rear Admiral. Here he is dressed in typical day uniform of his rank. He is not as flamboyantly dressed or decorated as he was at Trafalgar...or as much of a target. His green eye patch is neatly folded up on his hat exposing his blind right eye. His empty right sleeve pinned on to his jacket front.
• NE046 -- R.N. First Lieutenant - This officer is accompanying the fleet admiral and acts as both his Aide de Camp as well as nearest bodyguard with sword drawn...note the "Hussar-style" riding boots.
• NE047 -- R.N. Midshipman with Union Jack - A young naval officer trainee (probably 15 or 16 years of age) carries the Union flag (or jack) in one hand, navy cutlass in the other.

Napoleon In Egypt

"THE GOOD GERMAN"

Over the years K&C has produced a veritable "Rogue's Gallery" of the Nazi hierarchy and their henchmen. Maybe it's time we thought to honour a Nazi (or at least a member of the Nazi Party) who actually showed more than a measure of his humanity and compassion for his fellow human beings - Oskar Schindler!

• FOB089 -- Oskar Schindler & Itzhak Stern - During WW2 there were Germans who performed many acts of kindness and bravery protecting, helping and sometimes hiding Jews and others from Nazi persecution...maybe not many - but a precious few. One of the most notable and famous was Oskar Schindler whose story has been well told in Thomas Keneally's book "Schindler's List" as well as Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's Ark" movie. Here we see Oskar together with Itzhak Stern, the jewish accountant who helped run his firm and helped compile the famous "list" of men, women and children who were saved from almost certain death.
• FOB099 -- Refugee Mother & Son - A mother tenderly holds onto her young son...Are they British, German, French, Russian or Polish? Who knows? They are just the innocents caught up in a war.

Fields of Battle

"THE BLITZ!"

Between September 1940 and May 1941 there were major German bombing raids on 16 British cities, including London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Glasgow. Hundreds of thousands of homes, factories, schools and hospitals were destroyed and damaged the length and breadth of Britain with over 40,000 civilians killed and many more wounded.

Helping protect Britain's cities and people were many organizations but few were more important or necessary as...The National Fire Service.

Created by combining the professional, full-time fire brigades and the auxiliary, part-time volunteers this new organization of fire-fighters fought the flames and the Germans at the same time.

K&C's new "Fields of Battle" release portrays a group of NFS firemen performing a rescue and tackling the aftermath of yet another Luftwaffe "raid".

• FOB103 -- Section Leader - Shouting instructions this fireman oversees his mates. Note the red band of a "Section Leader" on his helmet.
• FOB104 -- Fighting The Blaze - A 2-man team complete with their fire hose.
• FOB105 -- The Rescue - A fireman tenderly lifts a young girl to safety from the ruins of her home.
• FOB106 -- Fireman with Hose - Another fireman carries a rolled-up length of firehose on his shoulder.
• FOB107 -- Bedford 1939 Fire Engine - The NFS used a variety of many different vehicles and appliances - this 1939 vintage, Bedford Fire Truck was one of them...Please note the fireman's hose of FOB104 can fit neatly onto a pump nozzle on the left rear side of the engine.

Fields of Battle

 Desert Village

Many "Desert Village" collectors have bombarded us with requests for additional "wall-sections" for their Middle Eastern buildings and street scenes...Here they are...

• SP061 -- Desert Village/Compound Set - Five individual lengths of desert-coloured walls and corner pieces that can be used to extend and connect any of our DV structures. Very flexible...and useful!

Desert Village

"AT THE LITTLE BIG HORN"

Four more colourful and dynamic additions to this dramatic series.

• TRW054 -- Captain Tom Custer - The Colonel's younger brother and Aide de Camp at the battle and on campaign. He too suffered the same fate as his elder brother. Here, the buckskin-clad Tom, a two-time Medal of Honor winner, looks desperately to his right...pistol in hard, ready for the worst!
• TRW055(P) -- Running Bull - A relative of the great Sioux leader "Sitting Bull" carries his "coup stick" as he prepares to "count coup" on his bluecoat enemies.
• TRW056(P) -- Hawk Man (casualty) - This Hunkpapa Sioux warrior is shot off his horse by...
• TRW060 -- The Pistoleer - A mounted cavalry trooper, his Army Colt levelled to the front, shoots down "Hawk Man".

Battle of Little Big Horn June 25/26, 1876.

"UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT"

As we all know the Wehrmacht made the maximum use of any and all captured vehicles that came their way...and could also prove useful. Here's one of the more unusual ones...

• WS281 -- The Renault U.E. Armoured Carrier - This lightly armoured "tankette" was able to tow small artillery pieces and mortars. When used by the Germans they were used for a variety of purposes including patrolling, pulling anti-tank guns and even hauling small supply trailers.

Normandy '44 - Waffen-SS & Wehrmacht

 Austraian LightHorse

• AL062 -- Trooper with Rifle Up - A Light Horseman of the 3rd wave on a trotting horse with his Lee Enfield resting on his thigh. *SPECIAL NOTE: All three of these figures are separate from their individual horse. This allows collectors to "mix 'n' match" and provides the possibility of nine variations of both horse and rider.
• AL063 -- Trooper with Rifle to the Right - Another trooper on a walking horse with his .303 slung across his shoulders and pointed to the right. *SPECIAL NOTE: All three of these figures are separate from their individual horse. This allows collectors to "mix 'n' match" and provides the possibility of nine variations of both horse and rider.
• AL064 -- Trooper with Rifle to the Left - This third mounted trooper carries his rifle across his back pointed left. *SPECIAL NOTE: All three of these figures are separate from their individual horse. This allows collectors to "mix 'n' match" and provides the possibility of nine variations of both horse and rider.
• AL065 -- Corporal with Guidon - This NCO carries the guidon of "A" squadron of the 4th Light Horse Regiment.
• AL066 -- Fighting with Bayonet - A bayonet wielding trooper in full fighting mode.
• AL067 -- Wounded Johnny Turk - A Turkish infantryman staggers back...Has he been shot or cut down by the trooper?
• AL068 -- Lying Prone Turkish Machine Gunner - Complete with Maxim '08 Machine Gun.
• AL069 -- Lying Prone NCO with Binos 
• AL070 -- Lying Prone Turkish Rifleman 

Australian Light Horse

 

King & Country - Being Retired

BEING RETIRED THIS MONTH A very small batch this month... Please note we only Hyperlink the categories in case an individual piece has already sold out! Battle of the Bulge BBG054 Sd.Kfz.222 Armoured Car (Winter camouflage) Battle of the Bulge Desert Village SP035 The Village House Desert Village Berlin'38 Leibstandarte LAH122 Josef "SEPP" Dietrich LAH123 Hitler's Secretary Traudl Junge LAH124 Der Fuhrer Adolf Hitler LAH125 Reichsmarschal Hermann Goering Berlin'38 Leibstandarte Retirements Happy Hunting!