From a Norwegian online second hand market I recently bought a lot of 46 toy soldiers for only about £8/$10/€9. -That's pretty cheap in Norway. They're mostly Airfix knock-offs in 'the lower end of the 54mm-ish scale'. Except for some odd figures, all of them seems to be about the same size, so perhaps they're from the same set or something?
I actually bought this lot for the Australian Infantry, as I would like to convert them into mercenaries for my Congo Crisis wargames. I know they're 'small' but I don't mind as my
UN-troops and Katangan Gendarmerie is too (being around 50mm)
Some Africa Corps figures, which can be converted into regular Wehrmacht, or perhaps one or two of them into mercenaries for my Congo wargames.
A couple of the 8th Army can also be converted into mercenaries from the Congo crisis. I've seen photos that some of them were wearing shorts.
It seems like you can't buy a second-hand lot without getting some occasional Americans along with it. -It seems like there is a kind of
'Murphy's Law of Wargaming'...And finally some odd pieces and figures. The broken Germans seems to be Airfix and Matchbox originals.The 2 blue service men I don't know the origin of. -Perhaps any of you do?
The price I paid for these knock-offs are quite acceptable in Norway, and lots like these are not that common either. The figures are 'small' but I plan to use them along my UN and Congolese figures which are small too, so I actually don't mind. So within 2025 it seems like I can make some mercenaries to add to my Congo crisis wargames.
The blue figures look like Atlantic figures. They could as easily be Congo mercenaries, and one could be a medic. Ever since I read Wilbur Smith's novel and saw the film version, Dark Side of the Sun (starring, Australian, Rod Taylor) I had a fascination with the 1960s mercenaries. The mercenaries and Belgians were with the breakaway province of Katanga. If I recall, some of the Belgians were 'settlers' rather than veterans. There was a later phase of the Congo war when Katanga was reintegrated and the mercs worked for the central government against rebels such as the Simbas and also the communist Cubans. Other Cubans, organized by the CIA, worked for the government as pilots against their red brothers.
ReplyDeleteA lot of the mercenaries, at least in the later stage wore green or red berets. They tended to not carry a lot of gear as it was in their jeeps.
The Airfix knockoffs are serviceable and, due to their cheapness are open to conversions with any failures being acceptable collateral damage. Would you prefer to work with the originals?
If you ever do the Simbas that is a VERY rich field for conversions!
Apparently there were some Katanga soldiers in almost Napoleonic looking cavalry uniforms, similar to French ones. I'd love to know if they wore them in battle or just as dress uniforms!
My comment, previously, would only publish as anonymous. James of Quantrill's Toy Soldiers. A couple of years back I did a post on my blog, about a Congo game.
ReplyDeleteYet another comment from James. The Americans could also be used in the Congo game. Strangely, a lot of government Congo troops wore only the plastic grey liners.
ReplyDeleteOne thing with the Airfix and matchbox Americans is that those with rifles can be converted into late 19th and early 20th century troops. The Germans can also be converted, especially into dismounted cavalry.