Show your mannequins!

[Watchdog]

Well, after the recent mini heatwave during which I was working (typical!) I had a rest day yesterday and it was p***ing down so it was a "toy box day" and this is what I produced;

The Household Division of the British Army sometimes can seem to an outsider as a seperate arm. It isn't but it has responsibility for providing ceremonial to the Royal Household, Buckingham Palace etc.

It consists of the Household Cavalry Regiment (Life Guards & Blues and Royals) and the 5 regiments of foot guards; Grenadiers, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards.

They are not purely ceremonial troops as in many armies but are "real soldiers" with a war fighting role and have ceremonial duties to which they rotate periodically (Scots and Welsh fought in the Falklands see particularly Battle of Mount Tumbledown).

Most people recognise the famous scarlet tunic and bearskin cap but probably don't realise that differences in the insignia, arrangement of buttons and plume in the bearskin make all five regiments easily distinguishable at some distance. More of that in another thread.

This is a representation of a Guardsman ( a Private) of The Grenadier Guards.

The rifle magazine, bayonet and scabbard are all "parade" versions of the standard items. Not factory produced but painted/polished by the soldiers themselves.

The belt and frog are Buff leather which is whitened and brass polished.
The rifle sling is a '37 patt which is made in white webbing not khaki and is also whitened by hand in use with brass bits polished.

Other regiments use white plastic versions of these items but the Guards would have a seizure if it was suggested!

The rifle is fitted with a foresight protector for parade/ceremonial. This is a standard piece of gear designed to protect the foresight in routine transit but is ideal in ceremonial to protect the uniform from snagging/staining. They would often be painted gloss black though this one isn't.

The belt buckle correctly called a locket is brass and would be highly polished/burnished so I show a picture of one in "virgin" condition for reference.

The tunic and trousers are wool and quite heavy so given that they are mostly seen on summer parades they are very hot to wear.

The bearskin cap is relatively light and cool as it is fur streched over a rattan frame so there is a large void inside (for the soldier to keep sandwiches and cigarettes ).

The boots are standard "ammo" boots exactly the same as WWII (still manufactured for use as drill boots) which are double soled and with studs that the soldier himself prepares with a mixture of molten beeswax (pharmaceutical grade hard white not the soft yellow) and black boot polish which is painted on then highly burnished (the famous "bulling"). These are often referred to as "black diamonds" and are expected to shine like such!

I hope this is of interest and I will post another thread concerning the regimental differences in this uniform.



Regards

Mark

[Grimebox]

Awesome. I’d have him stood next to my front door

[Watchdog]

Awesome. I’d have him stood next to my front door

The thought has occurred to me when those nice people come knocking to advise me on my lifestyle choices and how much better off I would be if I listened to their news

[Rosenberg]

My place to switch off when everything is shitty and the mind games. The attic is more beautiful than any woman I've had ))))

[Watchdog]

My place to switch off when everything is shitty and the mind games. The attic is more beautiful than any woman I've had ))))

Great "man cave" but where's the fridge?

[JMM]

Great attic. Bet you spend endless hours there just forgeting eveything else
Love those 3 beauties on pic # 4

[Rosenberg]

Hi, thanks for the answers, yes the 3 people's receivers are very cool, especially completely original parts even the plugs. I bought adapter pieces for listening to it. They are still running with no problems. I still have the largest people's receiver twice, to swap or something, if interested

[JMM]

Thanks.
I also have it almost all complete (only need 2 fabric cables and DRGM plugs)

[SHEMP H]

My place to switch off when everything is shitty and the mind games. The attic is more beautiful than any woman I've had ))))

And your manequinns don't nagg you


Bill

[Grimebox]

A group shot of WW2 British soldiers serving in the Far East
(For more info see: WW2 1945 British Jungle Greens)