KING & COUNTRY “DISPATCHES” JUNE 2012 As JUNE APPROACHES I’m getting ready to leave for San Antonio and the “Texas 2012 Toy Soldier Show”… By the time you read these notes the show will be over and I’ll be on my way back home to Hong Kong… Such is life! Anyway here goes with the latest… 1. FOR RELEASE IN JUNE… A .“Lawrence of Arabia” One of my personal all-time favourite movies is David Lean’s epic “Lawrence of Arabia” starring Peter O’Toole, Omar Sharif, Alec Guinness and Jack Hawkins. Since I first saw it almost 50 years ago I’ve been fascinated and enthralled by the colour and spectacle of the movie and the tale it told. A couple of years ago, not long after K&C started work on our Australian Light Horse range, I decided that we should try and extend our interest in the First World War in the Middle East to include “Lawrence” and the Arab Revolt. Well, here are the first two pieces… LOA001 “Lieut. T.E. Lawrence” In the movie, when Lawrence journeys into the desert for the first time he is still dressed in regular British Army tropical uniform. He has however exchanged his service cap for the much more sensible Arab headdress. Here he is mounted on a superbly detailed and colourful camel. LOA002 “Sherif Ali” Played in the film by Omar Sharif Lawrence encounters the dramatic black-clad figure of Sherif Ali ibn el Kharish, one of Prince Feisal’s most trusted lieutenants. Sherif Ali sits atop his equally detailed camel, a Lee Enfield rifle resting across his lap. Special Note: These are just the first two great “Lawrence” figures … look out for more later! AVAILABLE: NOW! B .“TOMMIES AT WAR” Back in May we had our first release (in quite some time) of British infantry and armour suitable for the battles in Normandy and Holland during the last year of the Second World War. Then we told you of the additions already in the production pipeline… Here they are… DD170 “Officer w/Map Case” This standing officer is consulting his map and just checking to see if him and his men are exactly where they are meant to be!!! DD171 “Radio Operator” Where the officer goes… his radio goes too… DD172 “Taking a Pee!” This “Tommy” has decided to let der Fuhrer know exactly what he thinks of him… and the master-race. DD173 “Standing Guard” Just as the officer needs his radio it’s also good to have another “Tommy” guarding his back. DD174 “Humber Heavy Utility” This vehicle was a familiar sight wherever British and Commonwealth troops were in action… The sturdy Humber Heavy Utility was actually the forerunner of the post war Landrover series of vehicles. This “Normandy” version is the first of 3… the upcoming ones being an “RAF” version plus an 8th. Army “Desert” one. AVAILABLE: Early June C. "TAKING TO THE SKIES" At last ... our three colourful Fokker DVII's arrive ready for combat... together with some ground crew… and a leading German ‘ace’. FW111 "Fokker DVII of Leut August Reben Jasta 18" AVAILABLE: Early June D .“CARRY ON UP THE KHYBER” From Normandy and Holland in the final year of the Second World War to the North West Frontier of Imperial India in the late 19th. Century… Here are the latest four additions for our “Sons of the Empire” Ludhiana Sikhs Regiment… SOE015 / SOE015(G) “Drum Major” SOE016 / SOE016(G) “Ludhianna Marching Rifleman” SOE017 / SOE017(G) “Big Drummer” SOE018 / SOE018(G) “Ludhianna Sikhs’ Bagpiper” AVAILABLE: NOW! E .“IN HONGKONG HARBOUR” Every year, for over a century now, special boat races have been held in and around Hong Kong and other ports in South China… Each Long sleek watercraft is propelled by a team of young men guided by a cox’n and a drummer to set the pace. Now, there are two K&C sets to replicate the men of the “Dragon Boats”… HK200 (G/M) “The Victors’ Dragon Boat” Available in either gloss or matt paint finish each boat carries 6 men with paddles… I cox’n… and just 1 drummer. HK209 (G/M) “The Champions’ Dragon Boat” An alternative team to compete with the above set. AVAILABLE: NOW! F .“TWO GREAT NEW STRUCTURES” These two new buildings make a perfect display background for both figures and vehicles… SP049 “The Roman Gateway/ Watch Tower” These tower/ gateways could be found all over the Roman Empire … even today examples can still be seen- mostly in and around the Middle East. Our model can be used in all kinds of historical periods with all kinds of soldiers. Moving gates, a ladder and signal beacon are included. SP051 “Normandy Garage” Adapted, developed and improved from an older design this new, full colour garage is typical of a rural French Garage of the 1930’s and 1940’s Posters and advertising signs give it a realistic “period” flavour. Alongwith some serious battle damage! AVAILABLE: Roman Gateway: Mid to late June French Garage: Early to Mid June G .“BERLIN ‘38” LAH155 “1938 Hitler Saluting” Wearing his simple brown uniform the Fuhrer delivers a typical casual salute. LAH157 “General Gerd von Runstedt” One of the Fuhrer’s most trusted military advisers and a leading German General. AVAILABLE: Mid to late June H .“LUFTWAFFE EAGLES” By 1944 Hitler’s Luftwaffe was very much on the defensive… In the skies over the Third Reich British and American bombers ranged far and wide “blitzing” all major towns and cities. From the East the Soviet Air Force was also beginning to fly deep into Germany in support of its advancing armies. To combat these assaults Germany’s aircraft builders continued to develop a number of highly – advanced fighter aircraft… Among the best was the Focke-Wulf FW190 “D”. LW049 “FOCKE-WULF FW190 ‘DORA’ ” K&C’s latest warbird is a development of the earlier highly successful FW190 “A”… the famous “Butcher Bird”. This “stretched” FW190 had many improved performance features as well as a higher top speed. In the hands of top fighter pilot it was a lethal weapon and shot down many allied aircraft during the final months of the war in Europe. Our model is in the markings of Jagdgeschwader 301 and carries the distinctive red and yellow “Defence of the Reich” bands on its fuselage. Just 300 are being produced LW050 “Exiting Pilot” To accompany this great model we’ve designed a Luftwaffe pilot that can be positioned in the open cockpit area… He looks happy so it must have been a successful sortie! LW051 “Feldwebel Willi Reschke” Another of JG 301’s “Dora” pilots shouts encouragement to his squadron mate… Reschke survived the war with a total of 27 “victories” and was awarded the “Knight’s Cross”. LW052 “Oberfeldwebel Walter Loos” Giving the “thumbs-up” this well-respected ace shot down 38 enemy aircraft including 22 four engine American “heavies” and 8 Soviet aircraft. LW053 “Fiat Mod. 500A ”Topolino” (Luftwaffe version) By the latter stages of the war the Germans were using whatever transport vehicles they could lay their hands on … Here, a Luftwaffe officer has commandeered this brightly coloured little Italian “runaround” for official use. Only 250 are available. AVAILABLE: LW049-LW052: Late June LW053: Early June 2. COMING IN JULY… July is a great month for maximum variety to suit all kinds of tastes… and budgets! A .“Somewhere in the sands of Egypt” AE047 “The Mummy’s Statue” A great little display item with lots of detail that can be used primarily in an “Ancient Egypt” scenario… or just as well with “Napoleon in Egypt” figures or even WW2’s Afrika Korps or 8th Army. AVAILABLE: Late June to Early July B .“Back to Beersheba” Still in the Middle East but we’ve moved across the Sinai Desert and are now in Palestine during the First World War… AL032 “Machine Gun Set” Two Lighthorse troopers man a Vickers Heavy Machine Gun in support of their charging comrades. AL033 “Up and Over!” This jumping Lighthorseman has leapt his mount over part of a Turkish sandbag defenseworks. AL034 “Turkish Soldier Thrusting Bayonet” This “Johnny Turk” is doing his best to fend off the mounted Australian. AL035 “Turkish Soldier Running” Crouched over this Turkish soldier tries to avoid the hoofs of the leaping horse. Special Note: Due to popular demand there will now be two releases of Australian and Turkish Soldiers throughout the year. AVAILABLE: Late June/ Early July C. “… And Back to Ancient China” K&C are issuing no less than three famous Chinese Generals from the Three Kingdoms period… IC043 “Cao Cao” Cao Cao was a well-known military strategist in the “Three Kingdoms” period and also an outstanding poet. IC044 “Liu Bei” Well known as a benevolent and humane ruler. IC045 “Lord Guan Yu” A General of Liu Bei. He can be easily recognized by his red face and long lush beard. Temples and shrines dedicated exclusively to Guan Yu can still be found in China today. AVAILABLE: Early July D. “Napoleon in Egypt” Four colorfully dramatic additions to this very collectable series… NE019 “Standing General w/Map” A beautifully detailed senior officer consults his map. NE020 “Guide w/ Musket” NE021 “Inspecting the Mummy ” A French soldier and a local Nubian guide take a closer look at a mummified casket they have unearthed. NE026 “Smoke Break” Another of Napoleon’s men pauses to light his pipe. AVAILABLE: Early July E. “A Place Called YALTA” In early 1945 American President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill journeyed to the Crimean resort of Yalta to meet Soviet Russia’s Joseph Stalin.