'Rounds Complete'-Arnhem sept. 1944. 1/35

[Muchmirth]

Latest one off the bench. I started this just after xmass as the missus said I was spending too much time modelling and so put me on a three week enforced break, she then ended up helping me make the books for this one! Pleased with doing a lot of scratch build but at the same time will be glad to get back to something with written instructions! If that makes sense? Anyway.... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used a pallet from work to make the box. Then distressed the panels with a blowtorch and then further tantalised with boiled linseed oil, wood stain and cheap ole acrylic paint. The stencilling was actually done with a marker pen as its quicker and less hassle than masking and spray paint. All I say is I'd never make a carpenter but I was going for the shabby chique look! 

 

 

The figure is from SK Miniatures  (not that I'm that experienced with figures) was really good to work with, amazingly well crafted. He is turning his back on the scene I like to think he's thinking 'where did it all go wrong'. 

    Few more pictures with the lights on and from different angles:

 

 

 

 

 

Now a few close ups on some the details:

I made the lamp and wired it to a single 12v battery (which incidentally drains within about 5mins, long enough to take a few snaps.)

 

 

   This is shows the rats tail sticking out from between the floor boards, attracted by the smell of the dead body. I made this from Milliput, along with the dead mouse in the rafters, seen below 

(sorry about the pic, hard to get a good angle on it.)

I thought no attic could be complete without spiders webs: I made this from Universal glue (pound shop), which is useless as a glue but great for stretching into spiders webs:

 

I hand made all the books (48 in total), stuck the pages into the covers then having tea stained the paper: I also made the tarp, violin case, rug and luggage

 

I made the rocking horse from styrene (including a bit of hairspary chipping of the paint) with the rifle beside as if a kind of stab at lost innocence (maybe that's a bit too pretentious and really no pro solider would leave his rifle like this but hey ho).

 

 

 

 

I also made the 3 inch stokes mortar and empty mortar boxes, empty mortar cases tubes, the table and broken chair:

 

When I was putting the xmass tree away I noticed in our own attic that we had, at some point, had an invasion of birds nesting (and sh**** everywhere.) so I had to add one here as well complimented with milliput eggs as well:

I had to add a couple of priceless Vermeers, as I thought they'd just be kicking about the average Dutch attic in 1944. The frame are again made from Militput and the 'canvas' was rubbed with chalks to give the slight yellowing effect a picture would get from a being in drafty loft. 

 

 

 

Lastly the umbrella: This is a nod to one of the greatest films of all time 'A bridge too far' and Digby Thatham Warter, who inspired the diorama and (I've attached the wikipedia article about him here, if you get a sec I recommend taking a read as he really was, if all true, quite some character):https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digby_Tatham-Warter

He allegedly used the umbrella as a weapon poking it through the slit of an armoured car catching its driver in the eye!

 

 

The bottles, upturned basin and crates are from mini art . The tea lights at the back don't work so well in the pictures because you obviously don't get that flickering effect but looks a little like fire. The moon light on the back wall (hidden from view) is quite bright so had to be defused with dark tissue paper.

   I'm happy enough with the result. Hope you like.

I'll end with a couple black and white shots:

   

 

As ever thanks for taking a peek.

Paul

 

Edited February 8, 2022 by Muchmirth
Spelling

[Matt P]

Very nice diorama, although you have miss-spelled ARNHEM on the outside of the box 🤔

[Muchmirth]

Wow don’t know how I didn’t spot that, bloody dyslexia again. Damn, difficult to change now though. 

[Ted]

That's great, the details, concept and feeling of it really work.

[Billthebattler]

"I'm awfully sorry, but I'm afraid we're going to have to occupy your house...."

 

Obviously not a personal quote, but one from "A Bridge Too Far"

 

This is a fantastic diorama. Open the box to reveal a three dimensional treat full of amazing details.

The back lighting (and Tilly lamp), really gives the whole scene an incredible look. - I've always had a fascination for funny little details, so the bird's nest does it for me.

 

Fantastic 👍

[Muchmirth]

17 hours ago, Billthebattler said:

"I'm awfully sorry, but I'm afraid we're going to have to occupy your house...."

 

Obviously not a personal quote, but one from "A Bridge Too Far"

 

This is a fantastic diorama. Open the box to reveal a three dimensional treat full of amazing details.

The back lighting (and Tilly lamp), really gives the whole scene an incredible look. - I've always had a fascination for funny little details, so the bird's nest does it for me.

 

Fantastic 👍

I love that bit in the film… thanks for kind comments, really appreciate it. 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Muchmirth
Typo

[Maginot]

A very creative vignette of a poignant scene. I'm particularly taken with the rocking horse; it's so incongruous.

[Ade H]

An imaginative and evocative idea.

If the spelling error bothers you, Paul, I think there's just enough room for an F in front of it. You can claim to be documenting the little-known battle of Farnham. 😀

I don't know if you know the Box Dioramas website but I'll post the link as it may interest you.

[Pete in Lincs]

A thing of beauty and a lovely tribute to those brave souls who fought there. 

The British forces back then contained quite a few 'characters', and were all the better for it.

[Muchmirth]

3 hours ago, Ade H said:

An imaginative and evocative idea.

If the spelling error bothers you, Paul, I think there's just enough room for an F in front of it. You can claim to be documenting the little-known battle of Farnham. 😀

I don't know if you know the Box Dioramas website but I'll post the link as it may interest you.

Thanks Ade. I’m still smarting about the spelling mistake, gutted after so much graft on it to make such stupid mistake but your idea of a battle of Farnham does make me laugh!! 
  I did mean to say in the original post that I honestly wasn’t ripping your idea off with the ammo box as honestly had it planned before I saw your brilliant one. Plus they are two very different models.

  I’ll check out the link, sounds interesting. 
 What are working on at the mo mate? Anything near finish? 
thanks again,

Paul.

[Muchmirth]

3 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said:

A thing of beauty and a lovely tribute to those brave souls who fought there. 

The British forces back then contained quite a few 'characters', and were all the better for it.

Thanks Pete, means a lot. Quite a somber subject alright.

[Ade H]

7 minutes ago, Muchmirth said:

What are working on at the mo mate? Anything near finish?

Ha! Well, there's a nearly finished MkIV AVRE which has been waiting for camo nets, dust, and a commander figure (Alpine Minis) for too long; a Firefly half-built; I started a Staghound; and that's just the AFVs. There's a P-47, an A-6E, an MX-5, a bust of Monty... and about half a dozen other things. I only finished three things last year. 🥴

And don't worry about ripping ideas, Paul. I never thought that you had and would have been flattered if you did! 🙂

[RAF4EVER]

I visit Oosterbeek War Graves sometimes,and the thing that hurts the most,is when  I see a Headstone with no name on it,only a soldier of the Parachute Regiment,or an unknown British Soldier, known unto God,it is someones father,brother,son or husband.

[Homer]

Congratulations on bringing that sorry situation the airborne forces found themselves in to life ,a very dramatic piece of work well done 👏. 

[PlaStix]

Wow! Fantastic idea and beautifully modelled. Very atmospheric. Very well done.

Kind regards,

Stix 

[Davek72]

Paul amazing work.  I love all the little details.  My great uncle was General Sir John Hackett who had a little run in at Arnhem and told me some of his stories when I was a kid.  Your dio brought a lot of these back.  Thank you.

 

Dave

 

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

That is beautiful. It makes me think of those times I've been to the theatre and when the curtain rises on the scenery, the audience spontaneously applauds. 

 

All the little details, the props are lovely but what makes it so memorable for me is how well you've managed the 'empty' spaces, the shadows. That's where the 'emptiness' of the defeated soldier is amplified to an emotional climax. I think it was very 'brave' to fill such a huge space with just one figure and it really works.

 

The box is another brilliant touch, as is showing it in the first two pictures. 'Rounds Complete' is obviously a technical term but it also makes me think of the end of a boxing match. The spelling mistake puts the whole thing into the historical period when few Englishmen had heard of Arnhem, I realise it was unintended but it works for me.

 

10/10 for ruin and wrecked hopes, mate!

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 Please forgive me for pushing our GB proposal and take a look at this. This diorama of yours suggests to me that you might find it interesting.

 

 

[Muchmirth]

21 hours ago, Bertie Psmith said:

That is beautiful. It makes me think of those times I've been to the theatre and when the curtain rises on the scenery, the audience spontaneously applauds. 

 

All the little details, the props are lovely but what makes it so memorable for me is how well you've managed the 'empty' spaces, the shadows. That's where the 'emptiness' of the defeated soldier is amplified to an emotional climax. I think it was very 'brave' to fill such a huge space with just one figure and it really works.

 

The box is another brilliant touch, as is showing it in the first two pictures. 'Rounds Complete' is obviously a technical term but it also makes me think of the end of a boxing match. The spelling mistake puts the whole thing into the historical period when few Englishmen had heard of Arnhem, I realise it was unintended but it works for me.

 

10/10 for ruin and wrecked hopes, mate!

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 Please forgive me for pushing our GB proposal and take a look at this. This diorama of yours suggests to me that you might find it interesting.

 

 

Cheers Bertie!!! That’s really good of you to say. You’ve taken the time to notice all the little bits and pieces. It was a bit of a challenge this one to be honest… thanks for the tip on the group build I’ll check it out. Thank you.

[Bertie McBoatface]

6 minutes ago, Muchmirth said:

It was a bit of a challenge this one to be honest

 

It's so far out from the regular dioramas that it qualifies as art by my definition. Briefly: a unique object that communicates emotion from the creator to the receiver. Rusty recics are like that in themselves sometimes and I'm sure you could make us all weep. Which would be a good thing of course. 😄

[ErikT]

Simply incredible.  So many things told in a single scene.  The use of the space is haunting, with the lone soldier sitting there, ammunition expended, wondering when the enemy will come.  I think that many of us tend to 'over-detail' or 'under-detail' our dioramas, but I'd have to say you found the perfect medium with this one.  And don't beat yourself up about the spelling.  You could probably find some tactical maps of that time period that had the name misspelled.  As Bertie pointed out, most English-speaking people had never even heard of the city prior to dropping in there.

[Retired Bob]

A stunning diorama and very thought provoking.  Don't sweat the spelling of Arnhem, as the British Army crossed into Germany in early 45 their maps labeled the town of Kleve as Cleve.

[Muchmirth]

15 hours ago, Retired Bob said:

A stunning diorama and very thought provoking.  Don't sweat the spelling of Arnhem, as the British Army crossed into Germany in early 45 their maps labeled the town of Kleve as Cleve.

 

16 hours ago, ErikT said:

Simply incredible.  So many things told in a single scene.  The use of the space is haunting, with the lone soldier sitting there, ammunition expended, wondering when the enemy will come.  I think that many of us tend to 'over-detail' or 'under-detail' our dioramas, but I'd have to say you found the perfect medium with this one.  And don't beat yourself up about the spelling.  You could probably find some tactical maps of that time period that had the name misspelled.  As Bertie pointed out, most English-speaking people had never even heard of the city prior to dropping in there.

most appreciated…. Some time I will actually get around to sanding down that side and correcting the spelling mistake (I was frustrated by it but now with these kind comments of recent has given me the will to stop sulking and fix it!!) so in other words… thanks!!!

[Muchmirth]

Finally got my 'botherredness' together and fixed this one...

Need a couple more coats of boiled linseed oil to blend it in and I can get over my ocd for a while...

[Remus389]

Definately an original idea. I like it very much. 👍