Rapid Fire! 20mm - The 6th and last paratrooper battalion of the British Airborne Division

 

This post concludes the two Paratrooper brigades of a British Airborne Division. Now I still have to make the larger Airlanding Brigade as each has three battalions of four companies instead of three. Most probably I´ll only make one one of its battalions as the biggest British paratrooper gathering was the action of the 1st Division at Oosterbeek/Arnhem were the division was already depleted of maybe some 10% to 15% of its strenght. So you can discard two of its battalions from the original 6 paratrooper´s battalions, 3 airlanding battalions, 1 engineer and 1 of glider pilots and R.A.S.C.

As usual I used the Airfix, Esci and Revell figures with a few leftovers from SHQ. The Airfix figures were useful for conversions for the support weapons (Vickers MMG and 3" mortar) and some Esci were also used (2" mortar and 6pdr AT guns). 

The 6 pdr guns were scratchbuilt and only the barrels and wheels are original PSC. All other pieces were made from several types of plastic all superglued at the end. The figures are SHQ, and Esci and Airfix conversions. 

This is an example of a scratchbuilt stand. None of the three mentioned British paratroopers plastic brands (nor any of the newer in the market) has the Vickers MMG and this one was made by heating the arms of those strange Airfix figure with open arms looking like Jesus Christ at the cross and the Airfix 8th Army Vickers with added water cooling system and ammo box made from Evergreen plastic card. 

Next: a British Glider battalion