Matt P Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 (edited) Just finished this small diorama depicting RAF Police Dog Handlers taking a break in the woods during the 1970's. This was a time of big changes in the RAF Police service, with combat clothing only then beginning to be introduced on a proper basis. Dog handlers were first to get DPM clothing, although this only consisted of jacket and trousers up until the mid 80's really. The unwritten rule before that was 'if you have combats you can wear them', which led to all sorts of different combinations being sported and generally accepted. This included US army boots, aircrew boots, NI boots and extended DPM's. Shirts were blue but if you had KD or khaki then they were accepted too, as were plain green OG trousers. I remember going to Berlin and working with the RMP for a few days and the sergeant going berserk at my 'Uniform'! Anyway here it is.........................Figures are based on Callsign Australian infantry from the Vietnam era, some with Hornet heads. The land Rover is from Italeri with aftermarket decals. + odds and sods from the spares box. Painted using Lifecolor and Vallejo acrylics mostly. Edited January 2, 2022 by Matt P 30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Delta 210 Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 Excellent (unusual) diorama! I really enjoyed looking at the details and you've done a great job on the figures (and GSDs!) Whatever happened to RAF Newton? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt P Posted January 2, 2022 Author Share Posted January 2, 2022 6 minutes ago, Alpha Delta 210 said: Excellent (unusual) diorama! I really enjoyed looking at the details and you've done a great job on the figures (and GSDs!) Whatever happened to RAF Newton? Sadly closed down and now abandoned I believe, although I think they will probably end up building houses on it. The dog training school area is completely gone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Delta 210 Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 1 minute ago, Matt P said: Sadly closed down and now abandoned I believe, although I think they will probably end up building houses on it. The dog training school area is completely gone Shame. I spent time there (and Syerston). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt P Posted January 2, 2022 Author Share Posted January 2, 2022 17 minutes ago, Alpha Delta 210 said: Shame. I spent time there (and Syerston). Likewise. It seems that just about everywhere I served has now shut down with the exception of RAF Wittering. Swinderby (closed), St Athan (Closed) Laarbuch (closed) Gatow (closed) Scampton (soon to close) Bruggen (closed) Upavon (closed)...........Must have been something I said 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Run, Snowdrops !! very nicely done, figures look great.... DaveH 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt P Posted January 12, 2022 Author Share Posted January 12, 2022 (edited) Just a couple more pictures to show the finishing touches Edited January 12, 2022 by Matt P 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 A very well done and unusual diorama. I too remember wearing all sorts of kit for exercises, including an ex West German Army shirt. At work on the OCU we preferred to wear a DPM jacket on top of overalls. The O.C. Odiham once pulled me up for wearing a green wooly pully over blue trousers on the way to the Hangar. My blue wooly pully had shrunk in the wash. Again! RAF blue clothing could vary too. You could have five blokes, all in different blues, yet all correct! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanC Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 That's a wonderful diorama Matt. Off on a slight tangent, but my dad was an RAF police dog handler in the 1950s. They wore blue battledress (war service dress?) in those days, I believe. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt P Posted January 21, 2022 Author Share Posted January 21, 2022 On 1/12/2022 at 5:46 PM, IanC said: That's a wonderful diorama Matt. Off on a slight tangent, but my dad was an RAF police dog handler in the 1950s. They wore blue battledress (war service dress?) in those days, I believe. We were still wearing that old stuff into the mid seventies when I joined! Even up to 81 we still had 1936 pattern webbing 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 Lovely dio and realistically painted figures (and dog). The black and white images make it look a lot more realistic. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col Walter E Kurtz Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 Really unusual subject and very well done. My Dad would have loved this as he was an RAF Police Dog Handler for his National Service. Think he trained at Pershore then went to RAF St Athan with spells at RAF Lakenheath and a few other Cold War bases.. this would have been 1950 to 1952. superb! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col Walter E Kurtz Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 On 12/01/2022 at 17:46, IanC said: That's a wonderful diorama Matt. Off on a slight tangent, but my dad was an RAF police dog handler in the 1950s. They wore blue battledress (war service dress?) in those days, I believe. Ditto Ian. My Dad wore a leather jerkin , Wellington boots and blue battledress and was allowed to set his own duty rosters.. he said he enjoyed his time in the RAF except for Bull Nights lol! Andy 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephyr Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 Love this, two of my cousins were in the RAF Police from about 1980. On the occasions I saw them in uniform they were usually dressed like the bloke leaning on the fence, although always with a blue wooly pully as well. I seem to remember them having single-colour green German army jackets for winter at Bruggen though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt P Posted January 31, 2022 Author Share Posted January 31, 2022 4 hours ago, Zephyr said: Love this, two of my cousins were in the RAF Police from about 1980. On the occasions I saw them in uniform they were usually dressed like the bloke leaning on the fence, although always with a blue wooly pully as well. I seem to remember them having single-colour green German army jackets for winter at Bruggen though. Thank you. :). We had plain green winter parka type coats that went over the DPM jackets (and numerous other layers!), although most had their own winter warmers as well. I used to like the US issue poncho/cape when it rained as they were huge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 It's great to see something a bit different and I think you have captured the scene beautifully. Very well done. Kind regards, Stix 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted March 14, 2022 Share Posted March 14, 2022 That's outstanding. It's such a simple scene but you've posed and painted the figures so well, especially the faces, that they really have personality. I can see how relaxed they are swanning around in the woods with dogs that they obviously love, and getting paid for it too! Great storytelling. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt P Posted March 14, 2022 Author Share Posted March 14, 2022 2 hours ago, Bertie Psmith said: That's outstanding. It's such a simple scene but you've posed and painted the figures so well, especially the faces, that they really have personality. I can see how relaxed they are swanning around in the woods with dogs that they obviously love, and getting paid for it too! Great storytelling. Thank You Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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