Introduction

Commonwealth Tanks in WW2 carried a lot of stowage. Anything that would make life easier for the crew was lashed to the engine deck or glacis and carried until either it fell apart or something more useful replaced it. Some modelers have become adept with modeling putty and bits from the spares box to make tarpaulin covered bundles but a set like this from Resicast provides enough stowage for at least two tanks with some of it already arranged into tidy and untidy looking bundles.

The Set

The Accessories Set came in two ziplock bags inside a cardboard box. The smaller parts such as brackets for the Firefly bin and handles for the Jerricans were in one bag while the bigger items were in a separate bag to avoid breakage. An A4 sheet is included with a photograph of the contents and a key to what each piece is. This sheet also contains placement directions for the Firefly stowage bin brackets.

The set contains the following

2 Turret bins with stowage attached.
A curved bundle of stowage to fit a Sherman turret.
A cast resin camouflage net rolled to fit a Sherman Turret.
2 large stowage bundles for the rear deck of a tank. One bundle is made up of compo crates and tarpaulins while other has additional compo tins and Jerricans.
Firefly rear hull stowage bin plus separate brackets.
A folded chair.
A first aid box.
A long rolled tarpaulin.
A folded tarpaulin.
A compo ration crate.
2 3” mortar ammo boxes.
A 2” mortar ammo box.
1 25 pdr ammo box.
A Hollebone towing bar.
2 optional support bars for track armour.
2 five link lengths of T62 Sherman track detailed front and back.
2 three link lengths of T62 Sherman track detailed front and back.
Sherman tracks arranged as Sherman front glacis armour.

All of the parts are very crisply cast in a greenish colored resin and the detail is excellent. There are no air bubbles in my set that I can see. Some smaller items you might expect to see on a British tank such as Tanker helmets, universal pouches, coiled ropes, etc. are cast as part of the turret and rear deck bundles. My favorite piece is the curved stowage for a Sherman turret which has a pair of boots hanging off it. I can imagine the Tank commander saying “If you want to keep those stinking boots, hang them outside.” The ammo boxes are especially useful as many tanks had them welded in place to provide extra stowage. From the limited references I have for these boxes they look right to me.

As always with any resin aftermarket sets, some of the pieces come with large resin plugs which have to be cut away. A sharp razor saw, some sanding sticks, and a lot of patience are needed with this set as the casting plugs are quite large. There are a few pieces such as the brackets and pin for the Firefly bin which will need care when removing from their pour plugs as they are very delicate.

Remember to take precautions when creating resin dust as inhalation is dangerous. I usually dip my razor saw in water which makes the resin dust clump together and I do all my sanding under water in a shallow tray

Conclusion

A very useful set for any British Tank enthusiast, especially if mixed with Resicast other Tank accessories sets, though you will need to eat your spinach before tackling the resin plugs on some parts.