KING & COUNTRY DISPATCHES
JULY 2017
A warm welcome to one of the hottest times of the year in Hong Kong... As I
write this today it is the second day of a 3-Day visit to our fair city by the President
of the People’s Republic of China, Mr. Xi Jinping.
The reason behind this is
to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong by the
British back to the Motherland, China in July 1, 1997.
Hong Kong, as many of you know has been home to me for the past 40 years.
I arrived in June 1977 to become an Inspector in what was then the Royal
Hong Kong Police... I expected to stay just one contract – 3 years and then
go back to the UK. But I’m still here... all these years later – Why?
Well, to put it simply, it is one of the most exciting and vibrant cities in
the world. It’s a city that works hard... and plays hard. It’s a
city full of challenges and opportunities where hard work and effort are
rewarded... Where government for the most part, keeps its nose out of your
business yet still keeps its citizens safe,
well-educated and generally healthy and reasonably happy.
And it’s where KING & COUNTRY began and prospered amidst its hustle and
bustle. A different flag now flies over it from when I first arrived but
I’m still proud and pleased to call it home!
So, here’s what’s in store for you this month...
1. BEING RELEASED IN JULY...
A. “Joining The Volunteers”
Back in 1980 after
leaving the RHKP and Government service I decided to join the local
Territorial Army regiment in what was then the British Crown Colony of Hong
Kong .... The Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers).
Founded in 1854, by
1980 the Regiment was an integral part of 38 Gurkha Infantry Brigade and
under the command of British Forces in Hong Kong.
Because “The
Volunteers” was a Reconnaissance Regiment it was affiliated with
the Armoured Corps in the UK and as an
‘enlistee’ I joined as a humble ‘trooper’ (private).
As a former Royal Marine I was invited to apply
to become an officer cadet and a year later was commissioned as a 2nd
Lieutenant.
By 1984 I was promoted to Captain and Regimental
Adjutant, the last British – born officer to hold that position.
The Regiment itself was over 1000 strong and organized into 4 x ‘Sabre’
Squadrons ... 1 x Training Wing... 1 x ‘Home Guard’ Squadron (Veterans)...
a Women’s Troop ... A Junior Leaders Squadron (14-18) and Head Quarters
Squadron.
95% of the
rank and file were locally-born Hong Kong Chinese while the officer corps was
mixed... half and half-Hong Kong Chinese together with mostly Brits,
the occasional Aussie, New Zealander, Canadian and, at one point, even
an American (but that’s another story).
EARLY K
& C
While I was still
adjutant I suggested to the Colonel that King & Country could make a
little 4-man Guidon Party Set to
celebrate the Regiment and so we produced just 250 sets... Most of these sold
to members or former members of the Regiment here in Hong Kong however a few
did also go overseas.
REVISITING
THE REGIMENT
Last year we
decided to ‘revisit’ some of our earlier K&C figures... especially
those with a Hong Kong connection and I proposed doing a small number of an
upgraded and improved RHKR(V) Guidon Party
& Escort sets.
And here they
are...
COLONIAL HONG KONG
The Royal Hong Kong Regiment On Parade!
CHK-S01 “The Guidon
Party”
A marching officer with drawn sword leads the Regimental Guidon (Cavalry Standard) Bearer
flanked by 2x Staff Sergeants carrying L1A1 SLR’S with fixed
bayonets.
All are in No.3 Parade Dress (Warm
Weather Ceremonial Uniform)
CHK-S02 “Escort to the Guidon
Party”
An additional 4-figure set comprising 1 x
staff sergeant, 1 x corporal and 2 x troopers.
CHK-S03 “Extra Troopers”
3 x more marching troopers with
rifles and fixed bayonets.
Special Note: After the Sino-British Joint Declaration of
1984 that gave Hong Kong back to China it was announced that the Regiment would
be disbanded in 1995, two years before the handover.
The Regimental
Badge was a British Crown surmounting two Chinese Dragons atop a scroll with
the latin motto: “Nulli
Secundus in Oriente” (Second-to-none
in the Orient).
AVAILABLE: Mid July
B. “RUSSIAN CIVILANS 1941-45”
From Colonial Hong Kong
it’s a big step to the Steppes of Russia during WW2...
FOB141 “Three Russian Children”
Three young girls
watch the tanks and troops go by ...
FOB142 “Old Peasant Woman”
Life in Soviet
Russia was tough at the best of times... How much harder was it in
wartime...?
AVAILABLE: Mid July
C. “DUNKIRK 1940”
From Russia it’s
back to northern France in the dark days of May and June 1940...
FOB152 “Bren Gun Carrier”
This particular Universal Carrier also
has a Vickers Machine Gun mounted on top to add some extra firepower. The
vehicle includes a driver.
FOB153 “Highland Sergeant”
A sergeant of the
Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, map in hand does not look too
worried... even if the military situation is going from bad to worse!
AVAILABLE: Early July
D. “BERLIN 38”
We move from a French seaport to the streets
of the capital of The Third Reich in the years before the outbreak of
war... and different events.
LAH218 “Der Fuhrer on inspection”
Hitler himself on parade in a typical ‘Hitlerian’
pose with his very own ‘half-salute’.
LAH219 “Reichsfuhrer
SS Himmler on inspection”
Accompanying
Hitler is the Head of the SS, Heinrich Himmler, looking
over his troops and clutching his ceremonial SS Dagger.
LAH220 “SS Inspection Officer”
Marching alongside
the Fuhrer and Himmler, sword drawn, is this SS officer.
LAH221 “The SS Marriage Set”
For members of
Himmler’s SS any kind of Religious connections were definitely
‘frowned upon’... even weddings.
Most SS marriages
were civil ceremonies and here is one such scene... An Algemeine
SS (General SS) officer and his bride pose after the ceremony.
Note the officer
is not wearing the usual black jodhpurs and boots but the less common
long dress trousers.
LAH222 “SS Fahnentrager”
In 1936 the SS
purchased a small porcelain factory to, in the words of Reichsfuhrer
SS Himmler, “enhance the culture of the SS state!” It was called “Allach Porcelain”.
Between 1936 and
1945 the factory produced numerous decorative items including animals, home
décor of all descriptions and, of course, figurines.
Military figures
were among the most sought after and one of the best was the Allach figure of the “SS Fahnentrager”
(SS Flag Bearer) introduced in 1936.
This special piece
was not available to the general public but
only available as a ‘Presentation Gift’ by the Reichsfuhrer
himself.
Our new model is a
scale copy of this very special figure.
AVAILABLE: Mid July
E. “And Now For Something Completely Different”...
Regular readers of “DISPATCHES” already know
that K&C’s subject matter is a broad and diverse collection that
encompasses everything from the Ancient World all the way up to the
present day... and many points in between. Here’s a good example... PIKE
& MUSKET – our series on the English Civil War... The Thirty
Years War and even... The Three Musketeers!
PnM068 “The Equestrian Charles I”
A classic pose… King Charles I in
full body armour prepares to take to the field of
battle.
The pose itself was
adapted and suggested by several portraits of the King that still exist to this
day.
PnM071 “Queen Henrietta Maria”
The consort of Charles I and a strong and forceful
lady, originally from France.
She was a powerful
influence on Charles and the mother of the future Charles II. She
was also a Roman Catholic which did not make her particularly popular
in, what was then, Protestant England.
AVAILABLE: Mid July
F. “THE REAL WEST”
The lush green fields of 17th
Century England give way to the rugged and spectacular Southwest United
States and the Apache / Cavalry wars of the 1870’s and
1880’s.
TRW110 “Crouching Apache Warrior”
Carrying a captured Winchester
repeating rifle and wearing a U.S. Cavalry corporal’s jacket this
warrior is about to spring an ambush.
He could, of
course, also be an Apache Scout for the Cavalry ... You make the
decision.
TRW111 “Watching and Waiting”
Another Apache
Warrior shields his eyes while looking off into the distance... Perhaps he
can see the approach of a Cavalry patrol..?
AVAILABLE: Mid-Late July
2nd Release of ‘BUFFALO SOLDIERS’
As promised last month here is the second
batch of 10th U.S. Cavalry.
TRW115 “The White Officer”
Pistol in one hand,
sabre in the other... and ready for battle.
TRW117 “The Bugler”
TRW118 “Kneeling Trooper”
TRW121 “Standing Ready”
TRW122 “Turning Shooting”
TRW-S02 “The Combined Command Set”
All five great figures at a very affordable
price!
AVAILABLE: Mid-Late July
G. “WAFFEN SS ON PARADE”
Over the years
K&C has produced a wealth of “Algemeine
SS” and “Leibstandarte SS
Adolf Hitler” on parade in their black pre war uniforms.
Never, until now have we shown the Waffen SS ‘on parade’...
always in combat ... or before and after.
Well now we
have, here are officers and men of the LAH as they would have
appeared in the mid war period 1942/43.
The men and NCO’s
wear the by now standard ‘feldgrau’ tunic and
trousers while their officers wear the more expensive, privately purchased,
tailor-made uniforms.
WS335 “Marching Waffen SS Officer”
Sword
raised and marching forward.
WS336 “Marching Waffen SS Man w/Rifle”
WS337 “Waffen SS Standing-to-Attention”
WS338 “Inspecting Waffen SS Officer”
WS339 “Waffen SS NCO at Attention”
WS340 “Waffen SS Present Arms”
A classic
‘parade’ pose.
WS341
“Waffen SS Flagbearer”
A standing Waffen
SS Senior NCO holds the Regimental Banner presented to the LAH
by Hitler himself.
Special Note: All of these Waffen SS Parade figures bear the cufftitle “Adolf Hitler” in script form on
their left arm sleeve.
AVAILABLE: Mid July
2. Being Retired ...
Here is the list... grab’em
while you can!
AE059
Paying Homage
AK084
Panzerjager 1
BBG071
Winter Chained-Dog
LAH190 “Vote For Hitler!” #1
TRW042(P)
Beaver Heart
TRW046(P)
American Flag
WH056
Pz.Kpfw. 35R(F)SPG
WS200
Walking Officer
WS201
Marching MG42 Gunner
WS280
NCO Bodyguard
And so July’s “DISPATCHES” draws to a close... Best wishes
to one and all... Happy collecting for collectors.
All the Best!
Andy C. Neilson
Co-founder & Creative Director
King & Country Hong Kong