"28mm hay bales" Topic

I found them in o scale at a train store, but my question is this:

Were there hay bales in Europe in WW2 ?

If they are rectangular yes (at least for the UK) but not normally seen in fields. In fields hay stacks would be more normal. If they are the modern cylindrical bales no not yet having the machinery to do it.

x42

Here's a set from OG25s, if opt to buy:

link

P.

Not in WW2 according to my dad who grew up during the war and was a farmer. Hay was collected off the field and put into hayricks. Straw was baled by large stationary bailers after threshing. You can see the whole process in one of the Dad's Army episodes. So no bales in fields. It wasn't until late war 44-45 that a few mobile bailers were imported from the U.S, where the bailer is towed behind a tractor and picks up the hay and bales it. Even then the hay isn't left out as the rectangular bales are not waterproof and the hay would rot if it got wet, so bales were picked up and stacked in a barn on the day they were baled or the next day. So even post war you don't see bales in fields until the round balers came in.

See the second picture for what a hayrick looks like. Of course not every rick had a Bofors fun to defend it!
link

And this is the set up for threshing with a stationary bailer. The wheat stocks are cut and dumped into the thresher. The wheat comes out and is bagged up and the straw comes out the back straight onto the bailer. From the bailer it is stacked in a barn.
link

Oh well doesn't sound good for Bolt Action scenery

We sell standard haystacks if these will work. I will be happy to sculpt something else if needed.
Dan