ICM Royal Marines Officer (16012) 1:16

[Mike]

Royal Marines Officer (16012)

1:16 ICM via Hannants Ltd

 

 

The Royal Marines are a naval fighting force that can trace their lineage back to the 1600s, and are a proud group of soldiers that go through a tough selection process that sorts out the wannabes from the actual hard-men that can handle the rough and tumble of their taxing schedule, which includes official duties as well as their Commando and other roles that they undertake when required. 

 

 

The Kit

This figure model depicts a Lieutenant in the Royal Marines (If I’ve read his shoulder boards right) dressed in his dark blue ceremonial uniform with red piping down his pants, and with his ceremonial sword held out at waist height resting over his right shoulder, a white and red peaked cap atop his head, and three medals on his left breast pocket.  The uniform is Best Blue, and the sword is based on the Infantry Sword pattern of 1897, with a three-quarter basket guard on the hilt, pierced and beautifully etched with a pattern incorporating the royal cypher of the Queen.  The scabbard is held at rest vertically by his free hand on a belt-mount that has an over-shoulder stabilising strap.

 

It arrives in ICM’s usual top-opening box with captive inner lid, and inside are two sprues of grey styrene, a sprue of black styrene and plinth, plus a single instruction sheet printed in colour on both sides.  At the bottom of the box you will also find a print of the photo-realistic artwork, which could be framed and hung if you're so minded.

 

 

Construction and painting guides are shown on the same set of diagrams, using the parts on the grey sprues, which comprise separate head, torso, legs and arms, plus individual tails to his jacket and two shoulder boards.  Due to the position of the hands around the sword and scabbard, the fingers are supplied separately moulded, with two strap sections for the scabbard on the left.  The sword is finely sculpted and has a separate hand guard that slips over the blade during construction. 

 

 

 

 

The base is moulded in black styrene, and has a choice of four different surfaces for the top and a flat base for the bottom.  The choices comprise a flat asphalt surface plus three styles of cobble or paving stones.

 

 

 

Markings

There are no decals included in the box, but the various badges, medals and emblems are all shown with colour call-outs, and they are all large enough to be painted carefully by hand, although the piping down the trousers will need a steady hand, some decal strip, or careful masking.

 

 

Conclusion

This is a handsome kit of a ceremonial uniform worn by one of the most elite British soldiers with a huge vault of history standing behind this young officer.

 

Highly recommended.

 

Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd.

 

Review sample courtesy of

 

[bootneck]

Thanks for the review Mike, that will be one that is definitely on my shopping list.

 

cheers,
Mike

[cmatthewbacon]

Could someone better informed than me tell me if the Marine dress uniform is a unique pattern, or could this figure form an easy basis for figures from  other units/arms, even if it’s a bit more than a “paint conversion”?

Best,

M.

[Mike]

2 minutes ago, cmatthewbacon said:

Could someone better informed than me tell me if the Marine dress uniform is a unique pattern, or could this figure form an easy basis for figures from  other units/arms, even if it’s a bit more than a “paint conversion”?

Best,

M.

I believe the cut for officers is slightly different, but otherwise it's very similar to standard best.  That's just me reading round the subject for the review though, so don't take my word for it Actual or former Marines?  Believe them  

[John_W]

6 hours ago, cmatthewbacon said:

Could someone better informed than me tell me if the Marine dress uniform is a unique pattern, or could this figure form an easy basis for figures from  other units/arms, even if it’s a bit more than a “paint conversion”?

Best,

M.

The jacket looks identical to the current issue British Army No2/FAD jacket except for the buttons on the lower pockets which seem to be a Bootneck thing.

[ndicki]

Bit late here, but never mind.

He's a bit odd in that he is standing to attention, but his sword is in the "stand at ease" position. In the position of attention, it should be held out in front on him, with the blade at the vertical. There are plenty of photos of this on internet for you to look at. His hand should actually be open, and his fingers should in fact touch the handguard, rather than being closed around the grip. The angle of the sword hand could probably be fixed reasonably easily or he could be put together with his legs apart, if the tunic skirts don't get in the way.

To my eye, the basic uniform will do for any line infantry officer, and most others, from the 1930s up until the introduction of FAD as mentioned above. The officer's tunic, as modified in 1916 when the sewn-on belt was abolished, had bellows pockets with buttoned flaps, like this. The unbellowed patch pockets in the skirts, with or without buttons, came in for general use only very recently with the new FAD uniform. It is actually the trousers more than anything else which put a date limit on him - before 1920-odd, trousers were worn shorter, and often with turn-ups. You can see this in photos from WW1. You would have to fill in the striping on the trousers of course.

So regimental specificities aside, this chap can easily be painted up as an officer of most line regiments, and depending on date, etc, you could place him anywhere between about 1930-odd and about 2010 or so. He would even do as an officer from most of the Commonwealth nations.

Edited June 30, 2022 by ndicki

[John_W]

11 minutes ago, ndicki said:

So regimental specificities aside, this chap can easily be painted up as an officer of most line regiments, and depending on date, etc, you could place him anywhere between about 1930-odd and about 2010 or so. He would even do as an officer from most of the Commonwealth nations.

Might need a little tweaking on the medals as he has a Campaign Medal (Square Mount) for Iraq(?) and two Jubilee Medals (on the "Pointed" ribbons). Interestingly, Medals are moulded as Court Mounted, but the Officer in the Picture has them Swing Mounted.