Wednesday 11 July 2018

Currently reading and need your help...

I got this mixed bag online this week for a very reasonable sum-

Can anyone identify the figures? Thanks in advance.

These are the books that I am currently reading. I would recommend them unreservedly to you. The novel is beautifully written and engrossing whilst the non fiction one is a mine of fascinating facts and shines new light on the subject.
Finally good luck England for the game tonight, l haven’t been as caught as l am for ages.

14 comments:

  1. Nice haul. As best I can tell from picture: Using Norman Joplins Great Book of Hollow Cast Figures
    Top row first three Crescent 1950s? Not sure re officer or lying machine gunner three running Britain's French matelot with bayonet, soviet Russian infantry, Taylor and Barrett 1930s infantry with steel helmet, another Britain's running -will check
    Second row Timpo British army 1950 (scarce?) next threemore Crescent 1950s , three Charbens GI mine detectors (like Timpo but with bases).
    third row down Crescent 1950s green, not sure of number two, three slim peaked cap Britain's infantry firing, Johillco drummer
    Row four blue troops no idea yet!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for info. I can't quite work out the head gear for the top row first three- pith helmets?

      Delete
    2. I have a few of these top row Crescent figures and I think they are intended to be but quite oddly modelled steel helmets. They are almost stetsons, doughboy or cowboy hats which would increase the range of possibilities into Imaginations troops. They don't have to stay Khaki.
      Have fun!

      Delete
    3. Looking through various toy soldier books it looks like these Crescent figures were reissued in the 1950s sand as well as Khaki which might explain the pith helmet look. I found mine again and they really are bizarre helmets. Figures dated by various authors as 1930s - 1939, postwar and 1950s.

      Delete
    4. I think l will go exotic/ pith helmet and see how they look...

      Delete
  2. Further to Mot answer above, top line officer looks like Crescent to go with the first three figures, laying machine gunner in steel helmet is Britains (mg is broken off). Standing firing in flat cap next to bugler is Johillco. Row four blue troops are Charbens GIs really badly painted, candidates for stripping in a bath of Detol if ever there was one!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for extra info. Is Detol the best thing to use? I tried brush cleaner last year to no avail. They certainly need worked on and then hopefully detail will emerge.

      Delete
    2. Fill a glass jar with Detol, soak figures overnight, fish them out and clean the gunk off with neat detergent and a toothbrush. Leaves you with a pristine casting (smells of pine though).

      Delete
  3. The Britain's firing figures should be easy enough to repair the rifles. I find that filing back the rifle to the hand means you have enough metal to drill into using pin vice / hand drill with drill heads about 1mm or whatever to match the fine wire / snipped paper clips etc you have available and then fixed with superglue. A wrap of masking tape (and wipe of glue to secure the tape ends) quickly thickens up barrels. Paint once (super)glue is dry.
    The Crescent Broken rifles maybe more tricky.

    ReplyDelete
  4. What they said.

    I repaired the rifles on some of my Crescent Indians with similar technique but using wire and epoxy putty. (I might try the masking tape though)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I think the top right running figure, mustard jacket blue trousers, is a Britains Serbian infantryman and the crawling figure is a Britains British Army "Soldier in Khaki with Steel Helmet"

    ReplyDelete