Hi to everyone.
In addition to the bust of Blondie
have also released 2 smaller scales namely 1/35th and 75mm but this time we have both Blondie and his companion canoesist Marine Bill Sparks
Here is the link to the bust review from RP models here on PF:
http://www.planetfigure.com/threads/major-blondie-hasler-from-rp-models.77340/
In that review there is information on Operation Frankton and also on Major Blondie Hasler himself so I will give some details here on Marine Sparks his fellow companion on Operation Frankton.
William Edward "Bill" Sparks was born in the East End of London September 5 1922 .
He became a cobbler at 14 and at the outbreak of war in 1939 volunteered for the Royal Marines, with whom he served at sea. Deeply affected by the death of his brother on another ship, Sparks volunteered for "hazardous duty" and was posted to the Boom Patrol Detachment in July 1942. He trained first in Plymouth and then on the Clyde.
After the raid he was awarded the DSM (Distinguished Service Medal)
...............going onto serve in Burma, Africa and Italy. In 1946 he joined London Transport as a driver, taking a year's break in 1952 to work as a lieutenant in the Malayan police during the insurgency.
Three years later he was an adviser for the film Cockleshell Heroes with Mel Ferrer and Trevor Howard, and toured America to promote it.
He also published The Last Of The Cockleshell Heroes (1992)
and Cockleshell Commando (2002) 
Good picture of the clips holding the spray decks together
He finished his working life as an London Transport garage inspector. At 65, tax regulations cut his invalidity pension, forcing him to auction his many medals
in order to keep his retirement home at Alfriston, East Sussex...a disgusting thing to happen in my opinion but the anonymous buyer allowed him to borrow them for veterans' parades.
Blondie and Bill are seen here
His first wife, Violet, died in 1982. Their three sons and a daughter survived him, as does his second wife, Irene, whom he married in 1984.
· William Edward Sparks died November 30 2002 ...a true hero and a marine to the end.
as indeed were all those that took part in the operation
Here we have a couple of You Tube for you:
We owe Bill and them all a massive debt of respect
Continued in next post
Nap
In addition to the bust of Blondie
have also released 2 smaller scales namely 1/35th and 75mm but this time we have both Blondie and his companion canoesist Marine Bill Sparks
Here is the link to the bust review from RP models here on PF:
http://www.planetfigure.com/threads/major-blondie-hasler-from-rp-models.77340/
In that review there is information on Operation Frankton and also on Major Blondie Hasler himself so I will give some details here on Marine Sparks his fellow companion on Operation Frankton.
He became a cobbler at 14 and at the outbreak of war in 1939 volunteered for the Royal Marines, with whom he served at sea. Deeply affected by the death of his brother on another ship, Sparks volunteered for "hazardous duty" and was posted to the Boom Patrol Detachment in July 1942. He trained first in Plymouth and then on the Clyde.
After the raid he was awarded the DSM (Distinguished Service Medal)
...............going onto serve in Burma, Africa and Italy. In 1946 he joined London Transport as a driver, taking a year's break in 1952 to work as a lieutenant in the Malayan police during the insurgency.
Three years later he was an adviser for the film Cockleshell Heroes with Mel Ferrer and Trevor Howard, and toured America to promote it.
He also published The Last Of The Cockleshell Heroes (1992)
and Cockleshell Commando (2002) 
He finished his working life as an London Transport garage inspector. At 65, tax regulations cut his invalidity pension, forcing him to auction his many medals
in order to keep his retirement home at Alfriston, East Sussex...a disgusting thing to happen in my opinion but the anonymous buyer allowed him to borrow them for veterans' parades.
His first wife, Violet, died in 1982. Their three sons and a daughter survived him, as does his second wife, Irene, whom he married in 1984.
· William Edward Sparks died November 30 2002 ...a true hero and a marine to the end.
as indeed were all those that took part in the operation
Here we have a couple of You Tube for you:
We owe Bill and them all a massive debt of respect
Continued in next post
Nap
