Me and the good lady went round to visit a good friend the other day who is convalescing at home after a serious operation (she took some flowers, I took a big bottle of Lucazade – old school.). When we entered his front room there was a sight that immediately warmed the cockles of my heart, laid out on their coffee table was a vision straight from my childhood – a box of British Commando’s and a box of American Paratroopers supported by a Centurion, a Patton, a SP Gun with a DUKW and Landing craft are trying to take on a box of German Infantry who were defending a Coastal Defence Fort (the Gun Emplacement wasn’t ‘on-table’ but had definitely been thought about as it was on the floor) – all Airfix of course.
My mate, Gaz, quickly stated that it wasn’t him playing with them by himself but his eldest lad, Sid, had done it. The missus then promptly said that it wouldn’t be a problem if he was playing with them as ‘you should see what he does’ pointing to me. Really though it was the embodiment of most an early wargamer’s ‘career’, even more so when Gaz told us that it had taken Sid nearly 2 hours the night before to set up and he was under strict instructions not to move anything until he got back from school. He really had thought about the set up too, all figures with the same poses were grouped together and some even had the obvious NCO figures in charge of them. Now if that lad is not a future wargamer I don’t know who is – Sid I salute you!
It was the first time that I had seen the German set in years and I had forgotten that it had my favourite all time Airfix sculpt in it until I saw it again – NCO on one knee with MP40 waving someone forward, might have to get a box!
A few pics – I did take a few more but they didn’t come out well.
(I’ll get me coat)
Tracks and Threads 