DISPATCHES
November 2024
Hi Guys,Welcome to this month’s ‘DISPATCHES’ and a terrific bunch of releases they are too with a whole collection of dynamic new figures and a couple of fresh adaptations of K&C ‘firm favourites’…
But, before I get down to business let me provide you with a brief report on K&C’s recent visit stateside.
As many of you know, King & Country took part in the Fall / Autumn Show at the ROUND TOP ANTIQUES & COLLECTABLES FAIR in Round Top, Texas, a 2-hour drive north east of San Antonio and another couple of hours from both Dallas and Houston.
Tammi and Kristy from K&C HQ in Hong Kong and yours truly joined Laura from K&C Texas to put on a great display in the BIG RED BARN at Round Top showing off and selling a broad selection of some of the best and most popular K&C ranges to a wide and varied audience of attendees, many of whom had never before seen or bought a ‘Toy Soldier’ in their lives!
At the same time, we were happy to meet a number of regular K&C collectors who knew of our presence at ROUND TOP and journeyed, in some cases, hundreds of miles to meet us in person and purchase figures and items from their favourite series.
Overall, the show was a valuable experience and a unique opportunity to reach out to a whole new audience of interested people and potentially all-new collectors.
We all had a blast during 10 very hectic days in Texas!
After the Lone Star State, Tammi and Kristy returned to Hong Kong and I flew on to Atlanta, Georgia to meet up with a dedicated K&C collector and diorama builder, Mr. Craig Warner.
Craig and myself have known each other for several years and at the 2023 Chicago Show he kindly invited me to visit him in Atlanta and view his superb 30 sq. ft. diorama of a WW2 European town besieged by hordes of German infantry and tanks fighting a beleaguered joint force of British and American troops bravely defending the town.
After several days of R ‘n’ R with Craig and his lovely wife Polly I drove with Craig up to Charlotte, North Carolina to meet and stay with yet another valued friend and K&C collector, Mr. Fred D’Ambrosio whose own spectacular collection of ‘Ceremonial Parade’ figures is, I am sure, second-to-none!
Rank upon rank of standing, marching, presenting arms soldiers in the many hundreds paraded before me in perfect formations that was a joy to behold and the delight of any Regimental Sergeant Major.
While in Charlotte, Craig, Fred and myself were also invited to meet and view the work and display / dioramas of a new friend Mr. Dan Nance.
Dan is an excellent and very talented military history painter of the first order who in addition to all of that is also a skillful designer and builder of dioramas that feature 1:30 scale depictions of Napoleonic battlefields, D.DAY beaches (and French countryside), Revolutionary War landscapes plus many other historical eras almost too many to mention but here I must also add-on his superb VIETNAM WAR paddy fields!
Dan employs a whole host of 1:30 scale figures from many different makers of which, I am happy to say, K&C is very well represented in virtually every scenario.
After all this excitement and fantastic American hospitality I flew back to ‘The Pearl of The Orient’ last Friday and almost immediately got down to work on these ‘DISPATCHES’.
Now, back to our latest releases…
1. BEING RELEASED IN NOVEMBER
A. ‘The Magnificent Seven’
‘The Magnificent Seven’ is quite simply one of the greatest ‘Westerns’ ever made, it’s also one of the most important. Not because it led to three sequels, a TV series and a cinematic remake in 2016 but because it set the standard for other adventurous and influential western films that followed it in the late 1960s and into the 1970s.
These included, among others ‘The Professionals’ and ‘The Wild Bunch’.
These two movies alongwith ‘The Magnificent Seven’ focused on an ensemble cast rather than a typical lone hero or a single lawman going up against a gang of outlaws.
The Magnificent Seven(1960) were not traditional good guys but a mixed group of anti heroes bound together to go up against an adversary who was both cruel and ruthless.
Based on an original Japanese film, ‘The Seven Samurai’, director John Sturges, a well-established ‘Western’ film maker helmed the movie. Among the great titles Sturges had already made included ‘Bad Day At Black Rock’ (1955) and ‘Gunfight At The Ok Corral’ (1957).
In January 1960, the director began assembling his talented cast led by Yul Brynner, followed by emerging star Steve McQueen and the TV actor, Robert Vaughn who in turn also suggested a young James Coburn. Sturges himself added Charles Bronson who had appeared in two of his previous movies.
Yet another experienced TV actor, Brad Dexter was added to the cast alongside a popular young German actor, Horst Bucholz playing the youngest gunfighter of ‘The Seven’.
Filming took place in Cuernavaca, Mexico and virtually all of the supporting players were Mexican except for the Bandit Chief ‘Calvera’ played by the celebrated American character actor, Eli Wallach.
On location in Mexico, one large main set of a small farming village, church and main square were built.In nearby Durango another major set was constructed of the town on the Tex / Mex border where ‘The Seven’ were originally hired to help defend the Mexican peasants against the local banditos.
I remember seeing this great movie when it first came out around 1960 or maybe 1961 by the time it reached Scotland.At the age of 12 this film had everything I liked in an action flick… lots of gunfights, plenty of ‘goodies ‘n’ baddies’ a great stirring movie music them by Elmer Bernstein and… NO SLOPPY KISSING or LOVE SCENES!
Since that time I have viewed this magnificent movie many, many times and enjoyed it more and more with each viewing.
This unique Seven-Figure Boxed Set is my (and K&C’s) tribute in 1:30 scale miniature to one of the finest and most enjoyable ‘Westerns’ ever made and a very worthy addition to King & Country’s ‘THE REAL WEST’ series.
These included, among others ‘The Professionals’ and ‘The Wild Bunch’.
These two movies alongwith ‘The Magnificent Seven’ focused on an ensemble cast rather than a typical lone hero or a single lawman going up against a gang of outlaws.
The Magnificent Seven(1960) were not traditional good guys but a mixed group of anti heroes bound together to go up against an adversary who was both cruel and ruthless.
Based on an original Japanese film, ‘The Seven Samurai’, director John Sturges, a well-established ‘Western’ film maker helmed the movie. Among the great titles Sturges had already made included ‘Bad Day At Black Rock’ (1955) and ‘Gunfight At The Ok Corral’ (1957).
In January 1960, the director began assembling his talented cast led by Yul Brynner, followed by emerging star Steve McQueen and the TV actor, Robert Vaughn who in turn also suggested a young James Coburn. Sturges himself added Charles Bronson who had appeared in two of his previous movies.
Yet another experienced TV actor, Brad Dexter was added to the cast alongside a popular young German actor, Horst Bucholz playing the youngest gunfighter of ‘The Seven’.
Filming took place in Cuernavaca, Mexico and virtually all of the supporting players were Mexican except for the Bandit Chief ‘Calvera’ played by the celebrated American character actor, Eli Wallach.
On location in Mexico, one large main set of a small farming village, church and main square were built.In nearby Durango another major set was constructed of the town on the Tex / Mex border where ‘The Seven’ were originally hired to help defend the Mexican peasants against the local banditos.
I remember seeing this great movie when it first came out around 1960 or maybe 1961 by the time it reached Scotland.At the age of 12 this film had everything I liked in an action flick… lots of gunfights, plenty of ‘goodies ‘n’ baddies’ a great stirring movie music them by Elmer Bernstein and… NO SLOPPY KISSING or LOVE SCENES!
Since that time I have viewed this magnificent movie many, many times and enjoyed it more and more with each viewing.
This unique Seven-Figure Boxed Set is my (and K&C’s) tribute in 1:30 scale miniature to one of the finest and most enjoyable ‘Westerns’ ever made and a very worthy addition to King & Country’s ‘THE REAL WEST’ series.
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| TRW194 ‘The Magnificent Seven’ Seven individual gunfighters featuring seven iconic actors of the 1960s in all-action poses. |
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AVAILABLE: Mid November
B. ‘CHRISTMAS COMES BUT ONCE A YEAR’
With November being just next door to December K&C would be remiss if we did not come up with one of our Annual Christmas sets featuring Father Christmas doing what he does best… delivering all kinds of presents, all over the world to all types of little girls and boys who have been especially good… all year long!
Well this year is no exception and here is our yuletide offering for Christmas 2024…
| XM024 ‘SANTA & HIS SLEDGE’ As you can see here, hard-working Santa is pulling along one of his many sleds carrying a Mama Teddy Bear and her young offspring together with a big bag full of Christmas ‘goodies’ destined to be placed under quite a few Christmas trees ready to be discovered on the morning of December 25! |
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AVAILABLE: Early November
C. ‘RETURN TO ARNHEM’
This past September marked the 80th Anniversary of one of the most famous battles of WW2…The doomed attempt by the British 1st Airborne Division to capture the famous road bridge over the Lower Rhine at the Dutch city of ARNHEM.This was part of Operation Market Garden, devised by Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery, to seize a series of major bridges and secure a road route for the British XXX Corps to advance up through occupied Holland and open a direct front into The Ruhr, Nazi Germany’s industrial heartland.
If successful, Montgomery believed the war might be over Christmas 1944.
Unfortunately, the plan fell apart in Arnhem.
THE BACK STORY…
Back in 1994, King & Country decided to make a big splash in the toy soldier world by producing a whole new range of WW2 soldiers in action.These figures were, at the time, revolutionary…They would be a larger 1:30 scale (as opposed to the traditional 1:32 size).In addition they would be matt-painted and not, the predominant style of the time high gloss finish. It was also determined that all the pieces would be ‘action-fighting’ soldiers. By the time of release in early 1995 this new series would be called… ARNHEM ’44.Over the next 25 years or so, many other British airborne soldiers (and some of their iconic vehicles) would be released to help tell the unique story in miniature of the Arnhem battle and the exploits of the men of the British 1st Airborne. Throughout this time many thousands of collectors around the globe have enjoyed collecting and displaying these British paratroopers and their glider-borne comrades attempting to capture and then defending the famous bridge at the centre of the story.
Now, K&C are bringing some very important reinforcements to add to their existing forces fighting in Arnhem…
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| MG084 “This bloody radio is useless!” One of the many failures of the Battle of Arnhem was the poor radio communications between different British units operating in the Arnhem area.This was partly caused by the wide dispersion of different units as well as the wooded environment of the area and the large built-up sections of Arnhem and the nearby village of Oosterbeek. All of these factors played into the confusion of battle and the lack of information reaching command level throughout the battle. Our 2-man team tries in vain to reach one of their forward units already advancing into the town and coming up against fierce German opposition. A three-piece set comprising two sitting and crouching British Paras alongwith a local road sign pointing towards the city of Arnhem. |
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| MG085 “Patrolling Para Bren Gunner” Cradling his .303 Bren, Light Machine Gun this Para moves cautiously forward ready to take action, if his unit comes under direct enemy fire. This Para also uses his large square fabric net to cover his backpack and other vital items. |
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| MG086 “He Ain’t Heavy… He’s My Mate” Soldiers of all stripes and persuasions always attempt to carry a wounded soldier back to safety and out of ‘Harm’s Way’. This British Airborne soldier is no exception. |
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| MG087 “Bombs Away” This 2-man team fires the 60mm mortar, a deadly and accurate weapon in a confined space with well-trained operators. |
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| MG088 “Lying Prone Bren Gun Team” Another great (and useful) addition to our British Airborne forces. ‘Covering Fire’ is an essential ingredient for every successful attack… or defence. Once more, a skilled Bren Gunner in the most comfortable firing position, lets loose 4-5 round bursts at the enemy. Next to the gunner, is the #2 to the gunner. He will carry additional ammunition for the Bren and, perhaps, an extra barrel and, of course, his own .303 Rifle, the standard infantry rifle for virtually all British and Empire forces during WW2 and well into the 1950s. |
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| MG090 “Para Lying Prone Firing Rifle” One more Para engaging the enemy. |
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| MG091 “Kneeling Para Sniper” Taking careful aim with his No. 4 Mark 1 (T) rifle designed for snipers using the No. 32 Mark 1 telescopic sight. |
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| MG092 “Para Firing Sten Gun” Strangely enough, over the years, we have never produced a standing Para firing the MarkⅤ Sten Gun until now… This particular variant of the Sten was the ‘Paratrooper Version’ complete with pistol and front grips plus a bayonet lug. More than 350,000 Mark Vs were made before 6 June 1944 and continued in service right into the 1950s. |
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| MG093 “Kneeling Para w/Sten” This kneeling Para cautiously looks to his side with his Mark V Sten at the ready. |
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| MG094 “Lying Prone Para w/PIAT” The PIAT (Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank) was a relatively short range anti tank launcher that was ‘man-portable’ but still pretty heavy and fired a large round that could penetrate the armour of most German tanks then in service.The practical range of the weapon in the AT role was about 100 metres. Against a house or a 350 metres. Its rate of fire was approx. 5-6 rounds per minute. |
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AVAILABLE: Mid November
D. “FATAL COLLISION”
Nine years ago in 2015, K&C released a little ‘Arnhem Ambush’ scene with a Citroen / German Staff Car that was shot up by British paratroopers leaving all the occupants well and truly dead!Since that first release we have had many request from collectors and a few dealers to ‘revisit’ the scene of the crime… and so we have… with a few minor amendments.
| WS398 “Ambushed SS Citroen” This time around the Citroen Staff Car has been painted in standard 3-colour German camouflage complete with SS plates and two very dead Waffen SS officers lying around the vehicle. This edition also has which can open or close plus multiple bullet ‘hits’
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AVAILABLE: Early November
E. DEFENDING ISLAS MALVINAS
The Falklands War lasted just 74 days and ended with an Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982, returning the Islands once more to British control.During the 10 week conflict the opposing land forces took part in a number of violent confrontations from large, full scale battles to small individual firefights and skirmishes.
Throughout the land campaign the majority of infantry weapons utilized were broadly similar on both sides. What made the major difference between the opposing forces was the overall quality of the soldiers involved.
On the British side, all of their troops were professional regulars with many years of practical battlefield experience and used to fighting in all kinds of conditions and situations.
By contrast, most of the Argentinean troops were ill-trained conscripts, poorly motivated and badly-led by their officers and NCOs.
A few regular units of specialized Argentinean troops did fight well in the Falklands and put up a determined and dangerous defence to attacking British forces causing quite a number of dead and wounded.
Overall, the Argentinean ground forces performed badly with some notable exceptions.
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| TF014 “The Argentinean Defenders” A 3-man squad of Argentinean soldiers open fire on advancing British Paras. Both armies in this conflict used almost the same assault rifle… the British SLR (Self Loading Rifle) and the Argentinean FAL, both derived from the original Belgian designed FN Assault Rifle that fired an identical 7.62mm round. The only major difference was that the enemy rifles had the ability to fire ‘Full Auto’ while the British believed in ‘every round an aimed round’ i.e. that is to say, single shot automatic. At the end of the day what really mattered was the quality of the soldier behind the weapon not the weapon itself. Our trio of enemy soldiers are bravely putting up a defence as best they can in a difficult situation. All are dressed in standard Argentine Cold weather ‘Parka’ jackets originally designed for and by the Israeli Defence Forces. The helmets are standard U.S. M1 steel pots with camouflage covers.On the helmets themselves each soldier has a pair of protective goggles. Each soldier has the standard black leather fighting order and ammunition pouches alongside a water bottle and entrenching tool plus a rifle bayonet and scabbard. Completing the dress of each soldier are a pair of olive drab trousers in a similar shade to the ‘Parka’ with a patch pocket on each side of the trousers.On their feet are standard issue black leather combat boots. Of special note is a small Argentinean flag patch on the upper left arm of each soldier. As seen here all three soldiers are in various shooting positions and will look great in any trench, on the ground or even behind a rock ‘sangar’ defence work |
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AVAILABLE: Early November
F. ‘AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT’
From the cold, damp, windswept Falklands to the burning hot sands of the Middle East comes K&C’s latest display item…
| SP127 “The Desert Village Gateway” This simple and useful structure is ideal for any scene set anywhere in the Middle East from Baghdad to Benghazi… from Cairo to Kuwait City and every point in between. It can also be used in displays and dioramas spanning the centuries and the many conflicts that have raged across this volatile area throughout history… ancient and modern. Each piece is made from strong, sturdy expanded polyurethane to reduce weight and transport costs. |
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The Gateway itself measures:
HEIGHT: 9 1/2” (24cm)
LENGTH: 9 3/4” (24.5cm)
WIDTH: 3 3/8” (8.5cm)
AVAILABLE: Early November
G. ‘A CASUALTY OF WAR’
As stated before, on many occasions, some of our best suggestions have come from collectors and dealers and proved to be very successful.One such suggestion put forward by a collector in America was to provide an alternative colour variation for a ‘Fallen Knight’ which K&C had produced a while back.
The suggestion came because of our recent release of a large number of Medieval Archers.It was suggested that K&C needs more ‘victims’ of the archers accuracy an so… here one is.
| MK229 “The Fallen Knight” Three separate arrows have found their mark as this stricken horse and rider struggle to survive their perilous position. |
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AVAILABLE: Mid November
2. BEING RETIRED THIS MONTH…
And so, this month’s ‘DISPATCHES’ draws to a close however I will be leaving once more to visit and meet up with collectors and dealers in Italy (Florence) and then onto France (Paris) before finally… UK (London). I will be looking forward to talking (and listening) to all things TOY SOLDIERS and much else besides.So, in the meantime very best wishes to one and all and, happy collecting!
| AF044 "The Flying Tiger Trio" |  |
| SP121 "The American Base Flag Set" |  |
| USMC053 "The U.S.M.C. Pacific Sherman" |  |
| WH089 "Dismounted Assault Gun Crew #1" |  |
| WH090 "Dismounted Assault Gun Crew #2" |  |
| WS347 "Dismounted Tank Crew #2" |  |
| WS348 "Obersturmbannfuhrer Max Wunsche" |  |
| WS357 "Tank Commanders Set" |  |
Andy C. Neilson
Co-founder & Creative Director
King & Country Ltd.
Post Script: Mr. Brett WilliamsThe Military Workshop
Brisbane, Australia
It is with great sadness that while in America I heard of the tragic news of the sudden passing of one of our hobby’s great supporters and promoters of TOY SOLDIERS in the world today.
Brett, together with his wife Gerelou established The Military Workshop in Brisbane, Australia and made it a great success over many years after he retired from the Royal Hong Kong Police in 1997 and emigrated to the land down under.
Both Brett and myself joined the RHKP almost at the same time in 1977 and he would go on to serve a full 20 years.
His fondness and dedication to the Toy Soldier business and hobby helped build and develop a growing band of dedicated collectors not only in Queensland but throughout Australia and elsewhere.
Brett was central in helping me to put together K&C’s Annual ‘OzFest’ Trips down under where Brisbane and The Military Workshop were always my first port-of-call.
The many special evening events Brett organized were among the very best and most enjoyable I have ever had the pleasure of taking part in.
Often, after these evenings Brett and myself would go to my room to continue our conversations about history, politics and, of course, all things toy soldiers.
His suggestions and advice were always welcome and often very productive and commercially successful for his shop and our business together.
The last time I spoke with him was just a few days before beginning my latest trip to Texas.
The final time we met in person was last July when we two and Gerelou had one of the best K&C evening events of all our many years. Everyone was happy.
Brett William’s passing leaves a huge gap in my toy soldier world and even more importantly in his family’s.
All of us at King & Country in Hong Kong and Texas wish to express our deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to Gerelou and her family.
Rest in Peace Brett, you left us far too early,
Andy