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Border Regiment at Oosterbeek


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This is my interpretation of the famous photograph of the 3 inch mortar team of no23 Mortar Platoon, Support Company, 1st (Airlanding) Battalion, The Border Regiment, commanded by Cpl Jim McDowell, inside the perimeter at Oosterbeek on the edge of woodland, just to the south of Van Lennepweg.  The location is still identifiable today.  Figures and mortar are from Resicast, other airborne bits and pieces from Bronco.  Thanks for looking!

 

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Superb - in fact, I think it's a museum piece that any Regiment would be pleased to display!  Would be great if it's a copy off a photo where you could give each figure a name...

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Truly brilliant. I'm surprised you didn't mention how or what the vegetation was made from. Did you make it yourself, and if so what with, or is it 'kit' vegetation? Whatever, it's what makes this dio so very special. It really does look like real heath/scrub land and makes the whole dio super-realistic.

 

One slight concern, which may be down to my eyes and not having my contact lenses in, but does that mortar round actually fit inside the mortar? It looks a bit too fat to me?

 

Rearguards,

Badder  

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On 25/07/2020 at 21:41, sanfrandragon said:

 The location is still identifiable today.

 

On 29/07/2020 at 11:23, Alpha Juliet said:

Would be great if it's a copy off a photo where you could give each figure a name...

https://ninedaysinseptember.wordpress.com/2015/04/02/with-the-border-regiment-then-and-now/

 

 

Quote

there is an image from a piece of film that is without doubt one, if the not the most, well known in the Battle for the Oosterbeek Perimeter. It’s the 3″ Mortar Team of Corporal Jim McDowell, Private Ron ‘Ginger’ Tierney (face to camera) and Private Norman ‘Jock’ Knight.

picbordermortar_high-1.jpg?w=670&h=461

The same spot today, marked by the small board in the photo and marks the end of a walk that only takes a few minutes and yet takes in so much.

img_0560.jpg?w=670&h=501

 

this is the film

and you get the @Badder  seal of approval on the vegetation!  High praise indeed!!!

 

:goodjob:

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2 minutes ago, Troy Smith said:

and you get the @Badder seal of approval on the vegetation!  High praise indeed!!!

Hi Troy,

I had to giggle at that. Sanfrandragon's 'scrub' is better than anything I've managed in that regard. That's why I'm asking what he used.  I've seen some lovely scrub made using 'kit' vegetation, but it's always very clearly kit vegetation, having a certain 'neatness' about it. This scrub I'm not sure about. It looks a lot wilder and therefore more realistic.

 

So, I'm looking forward to Sanfrandragon's response.

 

Rearguards,

Badder

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10 hours ago, Troy Smith said:

 

https://ninedaysinseptember.wordpress.com/2015/04/02/with-the-border-regiment-then-and-now/

 

 

picbordermortar_high-1.jpg?w=670&h=461

The same spot today, marked by the small board in the photo and marks the end of a walk that only takes a few minutes and yet takes in so much.

img_0560.jpg?w=670&h=501

 

this is the film

and you get the @Badder

 

:goodjob:

That is indeed the photograph.  I didn't post it for fear of copyright but I guess it's ok.  All 3 soldiers made it back across the Rhine although Jock Knight was wounded.  The Resiscast set was 4 figures, but I couldn't not make the final figure!

 

I would highly recommend a visit to Arnhem/Oosterbeek.  It's one of the most complete battlefields I've visited and apart from the infamous distance between the two, easily walkable with many foxholes still in existence if you know where to look.  For anyone interested I would suggest joining the Arnhem 1944 Fellowship.  They have published a series of highly detailed self-guided walks, the destruction of 4th Parachute Brigade's 10th and 156th battalions on the Dreijenseweg and fields of Papendal being my favourite.  In addition they have conducted guided walks during the annual commemorations.

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10 hours ago, Badder said:

Hi Troy,

I had to giggle at that. Sanfrandragon's 'scrub' is better than anything I've managed in that regard. That's why I'm asking what he used.  I've seen some lovely scrub made using 'kit' vegetation, but it's always very clearly kit vegetation, having a certain 'neatness' about it. This scrub I'm not sure about. It looks a lot wilder and therefore more realistic.

 

So, I'm looking forward to Sanfrandragon's response.

 

Rearguards,

Badder

Thank you Badder but  I'm afraid I have to disappoint you!  The basic scrub is from a pre-made mat, I forget the maker.  I teased out a lot of strands and re-planted them to make it more variable and to try and get an over-hanging look around the hole, then added individual clumps in varying colours, made by Green Line.  The hole itself was made from plaster mixed with grit and small twigs pressed in afterwards to represent roots.

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12 hours ago, sanfrandragon said:

Thank you Badder but  I'm afraid I have to disappoint you!  The basic scrub is from a pre-made mat, I forget the maker.  I teased out a lot of strands and re-planted them to make it more variable and to try and get an over-hanging look around the hole, then added individual clumps in varying colours, made by Green Line.  The hole itself was made from plaster mixed with grit and small twigs pressed in afterwards to represent roots.

Hi San,

That was  a good choice of mat then. It's a shame you can't remember the maker. Whatever, I'm not disappointed at all. What you did with the mat afterwards with the teasing and re-planting and the other added  plants must have been an improvement over the original, so you do get a lot of credit.  I have all the correct materials to re-paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel..... but it would look more like a painting done by Homer SImpson!

 

 

Rearguards,

Badder.

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