In the pecking order of nationality popularity when it comes to kit subjects it seems to go German, American, British, Everyone Else. So finding good sets of British figures that aren’t 8th army used to be quite difficult. Of late Dragon and Tamiya have given us a few new sets and not so long ago we got this one from Masterbox which depicts a group of British Infantry meeting up with a British Commando post Normandy landings and having a ciggy break.
Coming in the usual Masterbox end-opening box is this single dark yellow sprue containing the four figures. The mouldings are sharp and the faces have good clear detail, though a couple of the legs seem to lack enough detail in the folds and creases to my eye. There is a small ammount of flash and some minor mould seams to clean up. Fit is good with a little filling and sanding required to completely remove all join lines.
The four figures consist of three British Infantrymen ( an officer and two enlisted men ) and a single British Commando. Each figure is the usual six pieces ( head, torso, two arms, two legs ) and comes with a weapon and personal equipment.
The officer wears a beret and comes with a holstered sidearm and binoculas. His collar is moulded as a separate piece so that it can be modelled turned up and he holds a cigarette in his hands.
The Commando comes with a Sten, backpack, coiled rope, small pouch and ammo pouches and wears a soft knit cap. In his left hand he holds what is meant to be a cigarette lighter with which to light one of the other’s cigarette.
One infantryman wears a beret and comes with a Bren gun, ammo pouches, backpack, coiled rope, small satchel, and ammo pouches. He is posed holding a cigarette up to his lips.
The other infantryman wears the traditional British tin hat and comes with a SMLE rifle, backpack, bedroll, ammo pouches and canteen. Oddly he is the only one of the four with a canteen.
There is also a pick axe and a shovel which can be included in the load of either infantryman or the commando figure.
The kit also includes a sheet of decals with British/Commonwealth uniform ranks and insignias which is a handy little set to have around as it includes multiple options so nowhere near all of them will be used on these figures.
Assembly and painting instructions are provided on the reverse of the box giving the paint numbers for Vallejo, Tamiya, Lifecolour, Humbrol and Agama paints.
This kit is nicely detailed despite the need to tidy ip the mouldings a little, and as with many kits of this ilk it could do with minor details added such as weapons slings, lanyards and bag straps but neither of those points should detract from what makes up into a nice little vignette that would look good in any post Normandy setting.
Click thumbnails to enlarge image.
