"Fresh recruits for the jungle" Topic

I received a gift from a good friend a while back, it took longer then I would of liked to get them finished but I got there. 10 new recruits ready to go.

I'm not sure who makes them but they appear to have turned out not to bad, so thanks for looking more content on my blogg cheers Russ

accidentalpainter.blogspot.com

When I said I needed to see more, I didn't think it would be this quick. As always, great job Russ. What nationality are they? To me, they strike me as Aussie versus American. I don't know why. They look really good. TIG

Nice work.

Oversized bush hats so must be US figures rather than Aussies.

Figures have every mix under the sun from basic webbing to bags, bandoleers and belts. Couple that with the dynamic poses and I suspect Westwind Nam range.

Could be your friend picked out this bunch to keep a more uniform look from the infantry platoon pack or maybe from the US special forces in boonie hat pack???

Either way nice job again.
I am getting so jealous. It seems all I have been doing is gathering my hordes and converting like a fiend. One day I'll get to paint.

Isn't that the old German Admiralty saying, talking about "Der Tag"? That day when everything happens???

Yes the look like Westwind.

they strike me as Aussie versus American.

Definitely not Australian. Besides the hat (which Troopwo pointed out), the shirts and trousers are wrong (neither '59 pattern or "pixie" style), there's no L1A1 SLR's, too many M16 and (except for SF and tunnel rats- engineers) Aussies didn't carry shotguns. Plus the issue sniper rifle used until the late '70's was the No.4 SMLE- though "unofficial acquisitions" from the US did sometimes occur…..

Thanks Tig, I managed a little bit of time over Christmas and New Year so to I've just posted the next lot of recruits. It's a shame Christmas and New Year flew by, it's always the same when your having fun. They are US troops between the weapons and equipment, unless who ever sculpted them didn't do a great deal of research.

79thPA, thank you it's much appreciated.

troopwo thank you, they do have a style of their own. If I'm honest the pile of shame still outweighs the done pile.

Striker Westwind sprung to mind but the pictures weren't the best to compare to.

Dal Gavan it's certainly got a conversation started. I will be honest sometimes the details don't get noticed, I just enjoy painting 😉

Thanks guys I'm having a lot of fun painting at the moment so I'm guessing my Collection will continue to grow,
Keep looking and I will keep posting

If you ever decide to do an Aussie platoon, mate, you'll find plenty of reference photos. link is an example for the photos on the Australian War Memorial site (which has an over-complicated search engine, unfortunately). Search terms such as "8RAR", "1RAR", "102 Battery" should get you plenty of references.

I haven't looked at the period (too close to home- I signed up in '75 and all my NCO were ex VN veterans), so I don't know what figures are out there.

Dal Gavan
Empress miniatures do Aussies figures, once I get my ARVN finished I will be adding a few. After watching Danger Close it made my mind up, it's just like most things so much to do so little time to get it done in.

They're not bad at all, bracken, the sculptor has obviously done his homework. However, his platoon composition is a bit off. By the book PLHQ had the boss (2LT or LT with Owen or M16), PLSGT (SLR), sig (Owen or M16) and runner (SLR) when at full strength. However, a platoon runner was rare-he'd fill a vacancy in a section when one occurred.

Section weapons were a bit more fluid and there are lots of variations. As long as each section has a gun group and six to ten bods in the section, and no more than two M16 (some blokes refused to carry the M16 and opted for an SLR instead), you'll be right.

Thanks Dal Gavan I do like the look of the Empress Aussies, I picked a few up and converted them to US Special forces. I'm still researching the ARVN I've purchased, but I'm starting to think ahead of them already.

If you do the Empress aussies, the Eureak aussies match pretty seemlessly together and give a lot of variety.

I made a deal with Mike at Eureka to pick out all the M16 figures out of the aussie ranges to use them as a Mike Forces.

Your Westwind US figures are actullay pretty good. I just find the action posing as semi awkward. Also even though you get fortty in a set, the mix of t-shirts to shirts to flak vests and bare headsto helmets to boonie hats is infuriating to me who likes some kind of uniformity.

I kind of avoid the VC figures because of the non uniformity too.