Introduction

The recent release by Resicast of the Morris C9 Armoured Car, (kit No 53.1221), has combined with the release of two new figures for North Africa in 1941. The figures are available separately but I choose to review both together as they are a pair that fit nicely with the new Morris C9.

Sculpted by Gerard Detroeye they are based on a picture taken of several officers in conference beside a C9 in North Africa in 1941.

review

Both figures are cast in a light cream coloured resin and are of a simple 4 part construction. Both come packed in the standard Resicast format for small items, namely inside double zip bags with a paper coloured insert showing the product and manufacturers details. Both figures are shown built and painted on the insert for reference. Painting was done by Christophe Nachtergael. The Officer with Book is kit #35.5635 and the Leaning Officer is #35.5634.

Officer with Book - North Africa 1941:
This figure depicts a standing British officer in open neck Khaki Drill shirt, trousers and shoes/boots. The body is cast as a whole and leans back and slightly to the right, with the left slightly forward. The uniform detail is extremely well done with the correct pockets and buttons on the shirt and the same if true for the trousers. The footwear is also well done.

To add to the figure you get two arms raised at slightly over 90%. In the left hand is an open book and the right is designed to support the lower edge of the publication. Both arms have short sleeves, and to complete the figure you get a head in an officers service dress cap. The head is sharply sculpted showing the face of a youngish chubby cheeked officer. The service cap has the correct detail in place and a cap badge.

Officer Leaning - North Africa 1941:
This figure also depicts a standing officer, again in a slightly leaning position. The body is cast as a whole and stands with the right leg crossed at the shin of the left, with the right show atop the left. Dressed also in Khaki Drill, again the uniform looks good.

To complete this figure are two arms with shirt sleeves rolled up. The left arm is designed to go into the left hand trouser pocket and the right is open handed which could hold an article of your choice. The head also comes in an officers service cap, this time the cap is tilted back further on the head exposing more of the excellent facial detail.

Minimal clean up of the figures will be required before you get straight to the fun part. Normal precautions apply when working with resin.

Conclusion

Two excellent representations for a snap shot in time showing two officers from the 11th Hussars (Prince Albert’s Own) Regiment in the Western Desert in 1941. Both figures are casually dressed and the poses look perfectly natural and in keeping with the original reference.

These figures should appeal both to figure painters and diorama builders alike. Highly suitable for a range of British Army Vehicles and settings during that period and in fact probably into the Italian campaign. Both figures have great potential and might also make a useful number of POWs for our Axis friends.

Standing at approximately 44mm in height the build and pose of the figures should be perfectly acceptable to 1/35 scale modellers and the generic nature of the order of dress means they have great flexibility.

These two figures are a bit of a departure for Resicast into a theatre of operations not normally covered by them so may offer the introduction of some new exciting possibilities in that area of operations?