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Dioramas
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German POW Dio
hofpig
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Posted: Thursday, May 31, 2012 - 05:08 AM UTC
As an aside to doing my campaign stuff at the moment I decided to do something a little different. I was watching an article on german Pows in Britain during WW2 and it inspired me to come up with a small dio on the subject.

My initial thopught was to show a group of POW's doing some sort of work and that is pretty much what I decided to do. They will probably fixing a fence or laying a trench with pipe?

I found that Miniart's German Soldiers At Wotk (RAD) set would be a great starting point along with an alager figure that I think may fit to.

Along with these I plan to have a British soldier (homeguard?) guarding them, who will be chatting to a young woman (his girfriend?) with her push bike. I don't know what anybody else thinks?

Pics...



The only figure from this set to be used is the young lady on the right.



Again just the guy on the right I might use sans equipment.



This set probably all of them will get used.

Paul

hofpig
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Posted: Thursday, May 31, 2012 - 05:40 AM UTC
As far as the bike goes i had an old set of the tamiya germans with bikes and I have been adapting one of these to suit.

I found this reference picture to use as a sort of template for the style of womans bike that could have been available.



And i knocked this up quickly from both the two german bicycles.

SovietBoy22
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Posted: Friday, June 01, 2012 - 08:59 PM UTC
Interesting Idea
Thanks
Euan
jrutman
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Posted: Saturday, June 02, 2012 - 03:12 AM UTC
Excellent idea,get those POWs to work!
J
zontar
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Posted: Saturday, June 02, 2012 - 04:58 PM UTC
Paul: Nice work on the bike. Should be a fun dio.

Happy Modeling, -zon
hofpig
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Posted: Monday, June 04, 2012 - 04:09 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Excellent idea,get those POWs to work!
J


From what information I have gleened from various sources, numbers of german and italian POW's were put to work in Britain and were worked hard but seemed in the most cases to have been well treated (certainly treatec fairly at any rate). I have aquired a few pictures which mainly seem to have them working in agriculture so I think my premise should be fairly realistic.

Paul
trackpads
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Posted: Monday, June 04, 2012 - 05:14 AM UTC
Hi Paul when you look at how many german and italian pow's married english girls and stayed in the uk after the war ended and raised familys litraly becoming english in every sence of word. even with a former ss member playing foootball for english clubs at pro level. i think you can say they were treated very well indeed mate.
Most of the work they caried out was farm labour even in cases living on the farm in question.
hofpig
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Posted: Monday, June 04, 2012 - 05:38 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Hi Paul when you look at how many german and italian pow's married english girls and stayed in the uk after the war ended and raised familys litraly becoming english in every sence of word. even with a former ss member playing foootball for english clubs at pro level. i think you can say they were treated very well indeed mate.
Most of the work they caried out was farm labour even in cases living on the farm in question.


Very true, there was a man, Mr. White ( Herr Weiss) in my Gradfathers church who had been in that very position, a very nice bloke indeed.

paul
jrutman
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Posted: Tuesday, June 05, 2012 - 02:42 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Hi Paul when you look at how many german and italian pow's married english girls and stayed in the uk after the war ended and raised familys litraly becoming english in every sence of word. even with a former ss member playing foootball for english clubs at pro level. i think you can say they were treated very well indeed mate.
Most of the work they caried out was farm labour even in cases living on the farm in question.


Very true, there was a man, Mr. White ( Herr Weiss) in my Gradfathers church who had been in that very position, a very nice bloke indeed.

paul


Ah yes,we are all human after all,despite wartime propaganda. We had quite a few Brits and Germans settle over here after our War of Independence. Some sources say as many as 20% of the POWs remained in the New World. Plenty of land,plenty of work,what's not to like? Start your own farm,hmmm who's that pretty little lass over there? Before you know it,he's passing on a nice legacy to his kids. And so it goes
J
J
ahandykindaguy
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Posted: Tuesday, June 05, 2012 - 10:17 AM UTC
Paul I think that is a very good idea to use as a basis for a diorama. I will enjoy looking at what could be considered the lighter side of warfare.

We had plenty of POW's shipped to the prairies here in Canada during the war, in fact there are books and articles which show that many farms and mining and forestry jobs were filled by these very same type of german prisoners, who would in some cases be aloud to even go to the matinees in the towns in which their prison camps were located near.

Now that would be an interesting subject!

Have fun, and take care. Looking forward to seeing this one come alive.

Dave
hofpig
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Posted: Tuesday, November 06, 2012 - 11:27 PM UTC
Hi lads, Well after a while working on other projects I decided to come back onto this one. I left it with just the bare bones completed as mentioned before I had finished the bike and that was about it!!

Now in the last couple of days I have just finished building the bulk of the prisoners. The young woman is built along with the guard. I have made a start on the dio base and am awaiting ordering the last few bits, which I shouold do early next week. Later on today I will put up some pics of the parts I have done so far, so there will be more later on today.

Paul
hofpig
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Posted: Wednesday, November 07, 2012 - 12:37 AM UTC
Ok so pics as promised earlier...



A4 grass mat I found on ebaylooks good but will look better once I have it on...







A few of the figures, well all the ones I am thinking of using!





Paul
hofpig
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Posted: Wednesday, November 07, 2012 - 12:52 AM UTC

The plan sort of....



The guy who will have the wheel barrow will be on the left, the guys with the pick and the shovel will be in the trench. The guard will be to the right of the gate with the lady with the bike behind the gate. The seated guy will either be sitting atop one of the spoil heaps or on the edge of the trench I've not decided yet. The guy pointing will be either pointing into the trench or showing the wheel barrow where to dump his load. I still have to build the guy with the post, I think he might be dropping it into the trench to be used as a lever for the clay pipes?

Paul
jrutman
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Posted: Wednesday, November 07, 2012 - 03:03 AM UTC
I like the way that you think,
J
Bluestab
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Posted: Thursday, November 08, 2012 - 05:37 AM UTC
Paul, I like this idea and cannot wait to see it done up. Here's an idea though about the girl. Instead of having her as the Home Guardsman girlfriend, why not make him middle-aged and make her his daughter. Maybe have her bring him his lunch and hint at her checking out the Germans. Mayeb even add a fried. That sort of plays with the Mr. White/Weiss story you mentioned.

I've read several accounts of German POWs being moved around in the US and they always drew a crowd. Maybe add a few curious bystanders. I'd even suggest a few children but so many of the kids were moved out of the cities.
All_You_Can_Kit
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Posted: Thursday, November 08, 2012 - 07:22 AM UTC
Can't wait to see your progress any longer! Sometimes I have my own interest for ideas on a diorama or vignette that shows no vehicles, tanks, armored cars, etc. but able to represents lifelike condition
Tiger_213
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Posted: Thursday, November 08, 2012 - 08:17 AM UTC
Will be interesting to see Paul. The base looks a bit large I think but hopefully it comes together when completed.
tommy1drop
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Posted: Thursday, November 08, 2012 - 08:36 AM UTC
Looking forward to seeing more of this Paul, going to follow this build buddy.

Tom
hofpig
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Posted: Friday, November 09, 2012 - 06:21 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Will be interesting to see Paul. The base looks a bit large I think but hopefully it comes together when completed.


Hi Christopher, I know what you mean regarding the size of the base but once the hedge etc gets added I think it will look ok. The piles of earth from the trench will take up a fair amount of room so I think I will be ok. At one point I was intending to add a farmer and a cow but I think it would have ended up a littlle too busy.

Paul
Tiger_213
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Posted: Friday, November 23, 2012 - 07:58 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Will be interesting to see Paul. The base looks a bit large I think but hopefully it comes together when completed.


Hi Christopher, I know what you mean regarding the size of the base but once the hedge etc gets added I think it will look ok. The piles of earth from the trench will take up a fair amount of room so I think I will be ok. At one point I was intending to add a farmer and a cow but I think it would have ended up a littlle too busy.

Paul


Looking busy can work, it just has to be the right kind of busy. Someone here on Armorama has a MiniArt base with at least fifteen figures AND two vehicles... and it looks great.
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