Latest Acquisitions (2023)

[Guest]

Walked past a model shop

Yeah, right, like those still exist …

[KarlW]

"Walked past a model shop".....
.....and just got inexorably drawn inside!!

TBH, walked straight to the model shop from my hotel then straight back to the hotel..........

[KarlW]

Yeah, right, like those still exist …

Actually one of 3 branches....proper old school narrow aisled and jam packed.
(Also not in the UK.......)

[adt70hk]

Yeah, right, like those still exist …

Actually we have one a 7 minute walk away, albeit his main focus is radio controlled stuff and his paint offering is limited to say the least... And his kit supply is only marginally better but he does do some very useful materials.

[stillp]

Actually we have one a 7 minute walk away, albeit his main focus is radio controlled stuff and his paint offering is limited to say the least... And his kit supply is only marginally better but he does do some very useful materials.

Is that the one in Wolverton Andrew?
Pete

[stillp]

Well, my modest haul from the Hinckley show today:
A jar of Mr Surfacer 1200, because of the Stynylrez disaster on my Vampire, some Tamiya narrow cotton buds as I used most of the ones I had removing the Stynylrez..., 25 size 0 brushes for £15 - hardly worth cleaning them at that price, and last but not least, at Tony's insistence, a Zero for the Japanese GB.
Pete

[adt70hk]

Is that the one in Wolverton Andrew?
Pete

Yes

[Jim R]

Looks a great kit Paul. Always special to build something to which you have a personal attachment. I look forward to your build.

[scottie3158]

I want one as well. Please blog the build.

[The Smythe Meister]

This fabulous kit arrived today and I'm really quite excited about it. I've been looking for a way of building one of these vehicles for ages and then suddenly Thunder announce they are were going to kit one.

The reason I'm so pleased they did is because these particular vehicles were used in an action involving my grandfather.
My grandad was a Sexton SPG driver with the 153rd Leicestershire Yeomanry Royal Artillery regiment, Guards Armoured Division during WWII. On 3rd August 1944 they were deployed at Maisoncelles Plateau and begun firing on enemy positions. However the deployment was very confused and was planned in complete ignorance of the whereabouts of the 9th SS 'Hohenstaufen' Division. My grandfather's unlucky regiment were about to find out exactly where they were! As I said previously, the batteries of Sexton self propelled artillery pieces (one of which my grandad drove) were shelling enemy positions when suddenly from the direction of a farm to the east came the Panthers and panzer grenadiers of the 9th SS Hohenstaufen division. These forces were too close to engage with the 25pdr guns (the Sextons were armed with) and so they were forced to use 'open sights' and engage the enemy as improvised anti tank guns! The only other heavy weaponry they had were in the form of 40mm self propelled, anti aircraft guns, as seen above. These proved invaluable in holding the German infantry back during a very hasty and chaotic fighting retreat. Achilles tank destroyers were later deployed to drive back the attack but it's thanks in part to these 40mm guns that my grandfather wasn't killed or captured. Weirdly, this would not be the last time that the 9th SS would meet the Guards armoured Division as the two would be trading rounds again a couple of months later in Holland during operation Market Garden.

Anyway, the kit contents look absolutely fabulous and I look forward to building this, together with a couple of Dragon Sextons, into a very personal diorama at sometime in the future.
Cheers, P

Lovely stuff.....
..... on BOTH counts.
I really like a Bofors,and the truck itself looks Uber cool in my opinion...
.... with the two married together,it makes for an awesome kit

[The Smythe Meister]

I want one as well. Please blog the build.

I agree.........
....with BOTH statements Scottie.

[Ian M]

This fabulous kit arrived today and I'm really quite excited about it. I've been looking for a way of building one of these vehicles for ages and then suddenly Thunder announce they are were going to kit one.

Rather fancy one myself. When the last of the Scammell turn up, I might just order one...

[adt70hk]

This fabulous kit arrived today and I'm really quite excited about it. I've been looking for a way of building one of these vehicles for ages and then suddenly Thunder announce they are were going to kit one.

The reason I'm so pleased they did is because these particular vehicles were used in an action involving my grandfather.
My grandad was a Sexton SPG driver with the 153rd Leicestershire Yeomanry Royal Artillery regiment, Guards Armoured Division during WWII. On 3rd August 1944 they were deployed at Maisoncelles Plateau and begun firing on enemy positions. However the deployment was very confused and was planned in complete ignorance of the whereabouts of the 9th SS 'Hohenstaufen' Division. My grandfather's unlucky regiment were about to find out exactly where they were! As I said previously, the batteries of Sexton self propelled artillery pieces (one of which my grandad drove) were shelling enemy positions when suddenly from the direction of a farm to the east came the Panthers and panzer grenadiers of the 9th SS Hohenstaufen division. These forces were too close to engage with the 25pdr guns (the Sextons were armed with) and so they were forced to use 'open sights' and engage the enemy as improvised anti tank guns! The only other heavy weaponry they had were in the form of 40mm self propelled, anti aircraft guns, as seen above. These proved invaluable in holding the German infantry back during a very hasty and chaotic fighting retreat. Achilles tank destroyers were later deployed to drive back the attack but it's thanks in part to these 40mm guns that my grandfather wasn't killed or captured. Weirdly, this would not be the last time that the 9th SS would meet the Guards armoured Division as the two would be trading rounds again a couple of months later in Holland during operation Market Garden.

Anyway, the kit contents look absolutely fabulous and I look forward to building this, together with a couple of Dragon Sextons, into a very personal diorama at sometime in the future.
Cheers, P

Cool... Actually stumbled across a miniature wargame battle based on this very scenario!!

[tr1ckey66]

Cool... Actually stumbled across a miniature wargame battle based on this very scenario!!

Yes, this action really took place.
My grandad (whilst he was alive, he passed away in 1985) said very little about the war, it was my research that pieced together what regiment he was in and where/what that unit did during the war. He did however tell me that he was 'a driver of a turret-less tank' and was once 'chased' by the SS through fields with bullets flying passed his head 'like bees'. This was way before 'Saving Private Ryan' and the description therein. He only told me this when a 14 year old me asked him if he, 'was ever scared?' He replied that he was crawling on his belly through a field with bullets flying over his head and he wished the ground could swallow him up. He did tell me a few other things but I'll leave those perhaps for another time. I don't think he told anyone else his exploits during the war (not even my Grandma) as I think all he wanted to do was get home and start as normal a life as possible and put the war behind him. He didn't forget though - I do know he and my grandma visited Holland on a number of occasions for memorials etc. I remember him as a very happy, jolly man who was always smartly dressed and loved time with his family. He also helped me build some of my earliest models.

I have a book entitled '153rd Leicestershire Yeomanry Field Artillery R.A., T.A., 1939-1945' that chronicals the regiment's movements. If you're interested it's worth reading

[papa 695]

These are what I got from the Hinckley show,
[ATTACH]478591[/ATTACH][ATTACH]478592[/ATTACH][ATTACH]478593[/ATTACH][ATTACH]478594[/ATTACH][ATTACH]478595[/ATTACH][ATTACH]478596[/ATTACH]
Also had a great catch up with Dave, Pete and Tony.