Dan Morton
A Fixture
This is a simple 2 figure vignette using Dessin's wartime illustration "Colonial Soldiers" from 1915 as a reference. I've given it a similar backdrop - a rude brick wall, wood door with latch and tile floor, and added a little stool and a dog-eared book just for fun. I covered the 1886 Lebel rifles with home-made wraps and twine to keep the breeches and action clean in winter weather. Dessin didn't identify the nationality or unit of his two soldiers. Looking at their attire, I believe they could be Tirailleurs or French Foreign Legion or Colonial Zouaves, but I chose the 7th Regiment of Tirailleurs Marocains.
The rifles and some of the field equipment is Model Cellar. The heads are Verlinden but much modified. The putties are mixed Kneadatite or Duro (green) and Magic Sculpt mostly.
The M1879 fez and one should be red with gold regiment number and wreath around the number. The other has a light khaki cover on it with the little red thingie showing thru.
The greatcoat they are both wearing is a variation of the M1915 greatcoat, typically done in horizon blue. Most colonial soldiers were wearing uniforms of a mustardy khaki ["moutarde khaki"] with a small amount of dull grey trim and sky blue numbers on the collars. The cyclists' trousers worn by Tirailleurs and Zouaves were very loose and large in size. Putties could be khaki or light blue or grey. Some were wearing mixes of colors like the regular and reserve French infantry in 1915. So there is some room for color choices on these two Poilu.
There is a lot of cleaning left to do on the model and some corrections on the ankles and boots. The boots don't fit carefully enough on the floor, so I'll have to fix that, otherwise pretty close to being done.
Hope you like it!
All the best,
Dan
The rifles and some of the field equipment is Model Cellar. The heads are Verlinden but much modified. The putties are mixed Kneadatite or Duro (green) and Magic Sculpt mostly.
The M1879 fez and one should be red with gold regiment number and wreath around the number. The other has a light khaki cover on it with the little red thingie showing thru.
The greatcoat they are both wearing is a variation of the M1915 greatcoat, typically done in horizon blue. Most colonial soldiers were wearing uniforms of a mustardy khaki ["moutarde khaki"] with a small amount of dull grey trim and sky blue numbers on the collars. The cyclists' trousers worn by Tirailleurs and Zouaves were very loose and large in size. Putties could be khaki or light blue or grey. Some were wearing mixes of colors like the regular and reserve French infantry in 1915. So there is some room for color choices on these two Poilu.
There is a lot of cleaning left to do on the model and some corrections on the ankles and boots. The boots don't fit carefully enough on the floor, so I'll have to fix that, otherwise pretty close to being done.
Hope you like it!
All the best,
Dan
