Big accident today, dropped and fell on the M4A1 for the Cecina Italy Battle Diorama and it shattered. Only thing left is the turret I had off to the side. Of course the Dragon M4A1 is OOP so I have to go with the Italeri model with the Tank Workshop hull. And before I touched anything else on it I decided to put if off to the side and work a little on my Polish Cromwell’s in Grave Diorama that I put on hold to do the Cecina diorama.

So to the main topic, I worked on the Grain sign on the side of the windmill and started the decking for the terrace. I’ll probably just put this to the side again when I calm myself over the M4 loss but I wanted to post an update for the windmill.

Let me know if you see anything or have suggestions,
Thanks for looking,
Bob

To bad about the M4. On the good side - the windmill looks very good.

If you are going with the same scale for the scene it's going to be huge.

Can't wait for more updates.

too bad indeed for your loss but this mill is simply awesome!!!
Grave is not too far from where I live and it's very interesting to see someone from the other side of the Atlantic do a scene of it. are you working from pictures and or drawings?

again; great work

kind regards
Mark

Hi ,

Your Windmill looks great!
I searched in your profile in case i missed it, but found nothing about the construction phase of it.
How did you construct it? What is the base material?

Cheers
Claude

Your windmill looks awesome Bob. A shame about the M4A1.

sad story about your M4, bob. but your windmill looks abnsolutly stunning and excellent. The finished diorama maybe a real eyecatcher.

Hello Bob,
this windmill is really good and very original !!! congratulations:-)

Carlos

Gday Bob! Have a few bits and bobs from the Dragon M4A1(75) lying about... PM me if you are in need of anything specific, and I'd only be too happy to help out
By the way, the windmill looks terrific! From the photo it looks quite accurate too...
Cheers
Brad

Thats a great build Bob, are you going to add some of the other buildings, as in your ref. pic. ?
Sorry you lost the tank !!, but with the job you did on the windmill you should be very proud, it is quite an accomplishment.
Cheyenne

Great and original job.

Congratulations
Horacio

Outstanding , that is a fantastic building. Basiclly I am gob smaked by it , Totally cool ! Sorry to hear about the Sherman accident very frustrating I know from experience, its a good move to take a break from it for awhile and approach it with a clear head at a later date

Love the windmill mate ...

Jerry

Thanks guys, appreciate the kind words. About broke my heart after all that work, special casting markings, lamps, stowage, tracks, I just stopped when it happened for about 10 min. just thinking about it.

Taking very special care on the details on the windmill because I want this one perfect

Thanks everyone for taking the time to post and thanks for the comments.

Scott, I’ll add some more pictures tonight with the basic layout on the base, you have me curious now how much of a base I’ll need. I didn’t take into account the stage diameter in relation to the houses.

Mark, I’m working off the middle picture as my main guide and Robert Blokker was kind enough to direct me to a windmill site for specific details on windmills during the RMG Campaign and for some ad signs for the buildings. And Thanks to Danny Wennekes for the info on the ad sign on the windmill.

Claude, I have some in work photos in my gallery, Gallery

Bradley, thanks for the offer, I just might have to take you up on that depending on what comes with the Tank Workshop set.

Cheyenne, looking at the reference picture I’m going to build the 2 houses closest to the windmill, and back the tanks up to just turning the corner with one stopped under a tree to the left (out of photo) and another turning the corner. It would make it basically square but I’ll come up with a base to put the windmill centered and at the back. So the actual view will be different then the photo.

Jerry, I won’t touch the tank again until I finish the entire base now, still have a lot of grass to cut, and I still have to finish the tiger.

Thanks again guys for for your time and I hope I answered everyone’s questions.
Bob

Hi Bob,

This look really great, I like you plan, excellent work sir, thanks for sharing- inspiring.

Cheers

Al

gonna be a great dio bob , just one thing ; the picture you have from the windmill is one taken during the liberation of holland. the windmill in question is standing in sluis [as painted on the mill ] sluis beiing the name of the village near the border with Belgium

Thanks Alan.




Janssens Luc
I have just got to get you and Danny together,
Not saying you are not correct, that windmill looks really close to the one in the photo but the street doesn't match up, unless it was radically changed since WWII. The actual picture I used is only as good as the caption that it came with, I'll look that one up tonight. Concerning the Sign on the mill please look here Windmill Ad from Market Garden Era
I think this will come down to proving where and when the picture was taken.
I'll look up that photo tonight, Thanks for the intrigue,
Bob
:-)

Comparing the windmill photos they look like different mills in that one has stright up and down windows above the door on the stage and the WWII one has them offset. Also yours looks to be on a hill on the side matching the WWII photo side, maybe some more reconstruction?

So everyone can see what I am referring to;
Front and back views of Sluis windmill;

Janssens Luc,

I believe my initial panic is over. Had me worried there for a second.

By looking at a satellite map of Sluis Holland, the windmill looks to be in the correct part of town next to the main road heading south, but is in the middle of the block on the left side of the main road. Unless the town was rearranged after WWII it just doesn’t match. I’ve mentioned that the town was stated to be 80% destroyed during WWII it doesn’t show any damage when the tanks were passing through. That doesn’t mean that it couldn’t have happened after the photo was taken. Also the advertisement on the side of the windmill in the WWII photo shows a chicken head on the top of the S, It’s a bit much to swallow that a chicken head would be part of the town’s name, but would be part of the logo for the feed company.

Always ready to see some info or proof of your idea.

Thanks, that was fun checking out,
Bob