Completed British wwii paratrooper [young miniatures]

[Nap]

Martin, this is really great, I love what you have done with this, just one thing missing. His wings should be at the top of the right arm, part of the Regimental identity for Parachute Regiment soldiers.

Cheers Simon

I was so impressed by the camo didn’t notice no wings !

Nap

 

[1969]

Excellent job Martin, love what you have done with this bust.
Regarding wings, if portraying Market Garden then wings were only worn by NCO's and above along with badge of rank so no need to add wings to him being a private soldier.
Cheers
Steve

 

[Briggsy]

Excellent job Martin, love what you have done with this bust.
Regarding wings, if portraying Market Garden then wings were only worn by NCO's and above along with badge of rank so no need to add wings to him being a private soldier.
Cheers
Steve

Steve, that is the first I have heard of that, glider troops wouldn't have worn wings unless they happened to be para trained. I would be interested in the source of that info if you have it to hand.

Cheers Simon

 

[1969]

Steve, that is the first I have heard of that, glider troops wouldn't have worn wings unless they happened to be para trained. I would be interested in the source of that info if you have it to hand.

Cheers Simon

Hi Simon,
It was a discussion I came across online years ago when sculpting a Para figure I released, I always assumed wings were worn on smocks as they are today. Since that discussion I have seen plenty of photos taken for Market Garden that show Para Reg troops without wings on their smocks which I initially took as Infantry Glider troops such as Staff's, Buck's etc.
Here is one example of 1 Para troops prior to Market Garden and you will see not all are wearing wings, I don't think it was a blanket rule as I have seen some with and some without but seems NCO's and above all did and Toms tended not to on their smocks.
I know prior to 1941/42 not sure exact date that insignia was only to be worn on Battledress but then rule changed to allow wings on smocks but maybe that changed again for Market Garden as Denison smocks were classed as camouflage items.

{Image added for discussion purpose only}

All the best mate
Steve

 

[Briggsy]

Cheers Steve, that is rather interesting, I guess in war time traditions for a new regiment weren't all that important, well apart from prowess in battle. I know in my time no one would be caught dead without their wings, indeed many had them tattooed. Every day is a school day, many thanks for that.

Cheers Simon

 

[Nap]

Fascinating posts ref the use of wings ....always good to see and adding to this excellent completed thread from Martín

Nap

 

[Steve Ski]

Awesome job, Martin!

 

[Robert Jan de Wit]

Mooi werk Martin!

 

[Henk]

A very nice version, despite Youngs Miniatures penchant for adding floating arms to busts, I like this one. I like your choice of colours for the webbing and the Denison, one thing I like about the WWII Para uniform is that there are so many variaitions of the finish of the equipment. And you can't really go wrong with the Denison camouflage, but at the same time it's one of the hardest to get to look "right". You managed it.

As for the wearing of insignia on the Denison, as I understand it, the Denison was classed as a camouflage over garment and no Insignia were regulated to be worn. However, as photos show, individual soldiers would do as they pleased, some adding the wings or Pegasus badge, some adding rank Chevrons, and many nothing at all. Many altyerations were made by individual soldiers, probably the best known adding the top of socks to the cuff on the MK2 version of the smock, when the elasticated hems were replaced with loose buttoned ones. Another interesting feature was that some soldiers added extra pockets, taken from other (presumably worn or damaged) smocks, to the bottom rear or front inside, or undid the seam inside the rear panel of the smock, creating an extra pocket.
The Denison smock is a fascinating garment, and can be painted in so many differenty ways.

 

[Henk]

Hi Simon,
It was a discussion I came across online years ago when sculpting a Para figure I released, I always assumed wings were worn on smocks as they are today. Since that discussion I have seen plenty of photos taken for Market Garden that show Para Reg troops without wings on their smocks which I initially took as Infantry Glider troops such as Staff's, Buck's etc.
Here is one example of 1 Para troops prior to Market Garden and you will see not all are wearing wings, I don't think it was a blanket rule as I have seen some with and some without but seems NCO's and above all did and Toms tended not to on their smocks.
I know prior to 1941/42 not sure exact date that insignia was only to be worn on Battledress but then rule changed to allow wings on smocks but maybe that changed again for Market Garden as Denison smocks were classed as camouflage items.

{Image added for discussion purpose only}

All the best mate
Steve

View attachment 481951

This is a facinating photo, it shows so many differnet versions of the Denison, new ones, worn/faded ones, Mk1 and Mk2, with and without rank insignia or badges... I'm going to hang this on my wall, as a painting guide..

 

[Henk]

This is a facinating photo, it shows so many differnet versions of the Denison, new ones, worn/faded ones, Mk1 and Mk2, with and without rank insignia or badges... I'm going to hang this on my wall, as a painting guide..

I fact, if you observe the soldier standing in the rear row, second from right. It looks like he is wearing a Denison made from a mix of old and new camouflage material. This happened for a small time, when old stocks of the first (lighter)camouflage style where replaced with the later "darker" camouflage, and the old stock was used up (can't waste anything). Some smocks had a body cut from one, and arms (although more often smaller parts, like the pockets) from the other stock. There are some good examples of this in the exellent book "Denison" by Bruce Wilson. Which I would hartely recommend to anybody with an interest in, or painting, the Denison smock.