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Sightseeing in Tunisia 1943 (Jeep + fig Reedoak 1/35)


iwik

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Hi y'all!

 

A while back, I came across LIFE photo archives and found a series of shots of the war correspondents in Tunisia in 1943.

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I really liked the sand scheme of the early Jeep with the arabic serials.

The French miniature company Reedoak released a few months later a war correspondent, who really looked like the one standing in the first photo. Moreover, I also found a small decal sheet from Echelon depicting that very Jeep. A resin roman column and the project started...and stopped for a few days...weeks...months, until 2019 New Years resolutions. I MUST finish some of my begun projects.

I've used Italeri's kit with a photoetched set and some scratch as you can see:

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And here is the final product!


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Pretty happy how it ended up.
Hope you like it too!

 

Ciao

IWik

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What they said!

 

I didn't know that US forces in Tunisia repainted any vehicles in a sandy colour.  Thank you for imparting that knowledge.

 

But I should point out that the figure is actually an official US Army Signal Corps photographer - a soldier - not a War Correspondent.  The latter were civilians and wore only "war correspondent" badges on their uniforms.  Under the Geneva convention they could not bear arms, take any active part in military activity or spy.  This guy is wearing a sidearm and combat knife, both forbidden for correspondents.  As an Official Photographer he would have worn normal uniform badging for his parent unit, and would be a Technician 5th or 4th Grade - Corporal's or Sergeant's chevrons respectively with a T beneath.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 2/18/2019 at 9:19 PM, Das Abteilung said:

What they said!

 

I didn't know that US forces in Tunisia repainted any vehicles in a sandy colour.  Thank you for imparting that knowledge.

 

But I should point out that the figure is actually an official US Army Signal Corps photographer - a soldier - not a War Correspondent.  The latter were civilians and wore only "war correspondent" badges on their uniforms.  Under the Geneva convention they could not bear arms, take any active part in military activity or spy.  This guy is wearing a sidearm and combat knife, both forbidden for correspondents.  As an Official Photographer he would have worn normal uniform badging for his parent unit, and would be a Technician 5th or 4th Grade - Corporal's or Sergeant's chevrons respectively with a T beneath.

 

Thanks everybody for your kind words!

 

Das Abteilung, thanks for pointing that up! Which one do you think those on the pictures could be?

 

Ciao

Iwik

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6 hours ago, iwik said:

Das Abteilung, thanks for pointing that up! Which one do you think those on the pictures could be?

It's kinda hard to tell.  But as none of the people are wearing even belt order equipment and no weapons are visible it seems more likely that they are war correspondents.  No soldier would be near an active combat area without a personal weapon, like the figure model with his sidearm.

 

I've just noticed that the Jeeps have Arabic serial numbers as well as the Army serials.  Which potentially infers that they are part of a permanent headquarters and that the vehicles are registered as civilian.  That potentially supports the occupants being War Correspondents as they were civilians.  No visible unit ID on the Jeeps either.  Official photographers were generally embedded with units, although some would undoubtedly heve been posted to permanent/fixed HQs.  But in either case would have carried unit ID on vehicles.

 

So, probably war correspondents in the photos with the jeep.  Impossible to tell in the multi-vehicle picture in the ruins.  The truck on the left looks British.

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