Hi, currently doing a build on Miniart's Bantam. Just one question: did any Bantam BRC 40s served in the ETO? The set came with five US GI figures - It'll be a shame to waste them.

Thank you all for your replies. Guess I'll have to put it in static display. Shame, as I plan to put the entire thing in a diorama. I still find it unusual that Miniart would pair up the Bantam with the crew set.

I believe they stated when they resleased the set many years ago that it was paired that way to depict a training unit in the Southern US in 1941 or 1942. There are plenty of photos of Bantams in US service during training operations-- perhaps you could use the kit to dipict it as such-- giving the crew colored armbands to represent a "blue" or "red" force or "white" for umpires.
VR, Russ

Miniart has decals for 29th Division soldiers! Which are part of the Bantam model box.
Wasn’t the 29th involved in the Overlord actions in June 1944?

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Miniart has decals for 29th Division soldiers! Which are part of the Bantam model box.
Wasn’t the 29th involved in the Overlord actions in June 1944?

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Yes, but they didn't have Bantam BRC-40s.

True, but they fell in on equipment already in England before D-Day. By then, a crapload of Willys MBs and Ford GPWs were shipped to England for the landings. I don't believe any BRC-40s were in the D-Day landings.

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True, but they fell in on equipment already in England before D-Day. By then, a crapload of Willys MBs and Ford GPWs were shipped to England for the landings. I don't believe any BRC-40s were in the D-Day landings.

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You misunderstand my original point, although not used in the ETO, they could easily have been used anywhere in the 29ths Stateside training before deployment to England in 1944. The 29th is the “Blue and Gray” Division, made up of units from North and South of the Mason Dixon line. So any of those units could have had Bantams prior to deployment.
VR, Russ

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True, but they fell in on equipment already in England before D-Day. By then, a crapload of Willys MBs and Ford GPWs were shipped to England for the landings. I don't believe any BRC-40s were in the D-Day landings.

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You misunderstand my original point, although not used in the ETO, they could easily have been used anywhere in the 29ths Stateside training before deployment to England in 1944. The 29th is the “Blue and Gray” Division, made up of units from North and South of the Mason Dixon line. So any of those units could have had Bantams prior to deployment.
VR, Russ

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I'm afraid the misunderstanding was from you, Russ. Gino was addressing a comment implying that the 29th ID used BRC-40s in OVERLORD. He was not speaking about the entire WW II period except with respect to the suitability of the uniforms.

At any rate, my understanding is that the US figures will not actually fit in a BRC-40. The story goes that Miniart made them to fit an MB/GPW and assumed the BRC-40 was the same size. A confirmation or correction would be welcome.

KL