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1/35 diorama


GoonerChris

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I'm up for a diorama featuring some figures and other bits and pieces.

Still trying to source this and that but hopefully this will be sorted.

I'm going to rely heavily on Shep Paine's book for inspiration and hopefully use some of his tricks on this one.

For this I am using some Masterbox 1/35 paras, some looted Tamiya equipment and possibly a bit of scratchbuilding. It seems a little ambitious even to me but we'll see what happens.

This is a first time dio for me.

Roll on.

Edited by GoonerChris
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  • 2 weeks later...

Camera gone wonky so cannot do pics at the moment.

I've kinda got most bits together but I'm still in the planning stage and re-reading my source material.

Will update this further when I get going.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I've made a small start on my intended diorama for this GB.

I used my trip to Duxford the other weekend to do a little research. In the Airbourne Assault exhibition, which I thought would be bigger to be honest, they have the original model used by Major John Howard and the Glider Pilot Regiment with which to famliarise themselves with the target and it's surrounding area. Seeing it made the hairs on the back of neck stand up. I have a picture, which I will post, of the model showing the area around Pegasus Bridge and seeing this has helped enormously with what I am going to do. It is strange to note that many of the roads in that area were not tarmac'd, something that we take for granted today. They were hard, compacted earth and stone.

Anyway, getting back to the dio, one of my figures is not a figure at all. It will be representing a dead body. I blu-tacked one of the figures together and wrapped it in cling film. Once this was done, I wet a few sheets of tissue paper with diluted PVA glue and draped it over the figure. This was left to dry on my cutting mat overnight and this morning, I gently peeled the dried paper away from the mat and removed the figure from it's recess. The paper will be trimmed and painted to represent an army blanket. I did originally try using some fabric offcut, which turned out to be too thick and would not mould itself to the figure. The tissue paper seemed to be the only option. The true test is whether the painting looks realistic enough.

Right, now back to doing some papier mache stuff for my wife's art class. 'It's modelling Jim, but not as I know it'!

Edited by GoonerChris
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Will do. For some reason I cannot log onto 'the Bucket'.

I'll ask the wife.

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Ok, a couple of pics for you. Please bear in mind that the lighting in this exhibition was shockingly awful. Dark, dingy and altogether unpleasant. Why they couldn't have the damn lights up I don't know. Creating ambience is probably what they would tell me:

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Airbourne soldier in typical uniform c.1944

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Starboard and port side head on view of Horsa cockpit. Erwin's pics are far better

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This one didn't come out so well as the map was so big and on the small camera screen, it looked fine. A map table showing the area of operations for the 6th Airbourne on the night 5/6th June 1944. This table was used by Gen.Gale, Brig. Poett and other senior officers to show the how, when, where and why. Pegasus Bridge is in the top left hand corner. Sorry the pic is bad but hopefully you get the idea.

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Two pictures of the actual map table as used by Maj.John Howard in the run up to the Pegasus Bridge Coup de main operation. The first one is of the bridge and it's immediate area and the second includes the Orne river bridge (right hand side) which was 1/4 mile away. You will note that after the operation, models of the gliders were added to show their final positions on the LZ's. They show just how good the pilots were and that their feats of flying that night were instrumental in what the Ox & Bucks achieved.

Just looking at this brought me out in goosebumps. I've read countless books, articles, etc about this operation so many times since I was 13, it always brings a lump to my throat.

Edited by GoonerChris
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Despite not being as extensive as I would have liked (it probably was when at Aldershot), it is still worth seeing.

They have the VC's of Col.'H' Jones and Ian McKay, along with their other campaign medals.

Plus equipment and a couple of glass cases full of rifles, anti-tank weapons, folding bicycles, etc.

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You will note that after the operation, models of the gliders were added to show their final positions on the LZ's. They show just how good the pilots were and that their feats of flying that night were instrumental in what the Ox & Bucks achieved.

Indeed - probably some of the finest flying of the entire war.

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If you ever go to Ouisteram (Caen) on the ferry, the detour to Pegasus bridge is well worth making.

It's a trip I've been promising myself for years but never done. I must force the tribe to allow me to go sometime.

Something I've just been thinking about, I know that the glider pilots watched a film of thousands of recon pics put together to illustrate the flight in and turning points, etc. Does it still exist? More importantly, if so, where is it?

That would be worth watching.

Edited by GoonerChris
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Anyhow, today I've painted the body under blanket. After I posted previously, I found a scrap of fabric thin enough to mould itself to the shape I'd created. So after a lengthy dunk in dilute PVA, this was added. It has now since dried and I've painted it in H155. Hopefully this will be good enough. At the moment it looks quite dark wet.

Also, when you see pics of the boxart, I've begun to build a figure sitting up but leaning back. The leg sections have been glued together and so has the head to the torso. Small seamlines are present and I've done the best I can to remove them. The plastic is a little soft and if I try too hard, I'll remove too much detail. I've put him together using blu-tack so I can see how he looks and to make painting the seperate sections easier. Once that is done, I'll glue him properly.

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A little late in the day but a quick pic of the boxart. You may notice the words: Operation Market Garden, 1944. Aparently this action was more famous. Also it's the 65th anniversary of the 'bridge too far' this year as well.

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Pic of my simulated dead body under a blanket. How I did it is described above. This was taken prior to the thin fabric being added.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just a small note:

Reported in The Times obituary section (27 March 2009), the last officer from the Pegasus Bridge coup-de-main operation, Colonel David Wood, died on the 12th March, aged 86.

David Wood was a figure I always intended to feature in this diorama. The sad news of his death has only renewed my resolve to finish it.

:poppy:

Edited by GoonerChris
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  • 3 weeks later...

Haven't done much recently as the girls are on Easter holiday but here are a couple of pics of the figure that will represent Lt. David Wood:

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The legs have been glued together and the head onto the torso. I've left these parts seperate in order to make painting easier. As you can see there is still a bit more clean up to do but these figures are quite well moulded. Hopefully the painting will bring it out.

Edited by GoonerChris
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