Sierra Toy Soldier News
October, 2012
October, 2012 Issue
Retail Store
Sierra Toy Soldier Blog
Events
William Britain
King & Country
October Releases
King & Country
October Releases
King & Country
Being Retired
John Jenkins
Collectors Showcase
Black Hawk
Figarti
First Legion
Forces of Valor
Corgi
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Just a reminder for those of you living in Northern California, or perhaps just visiting, that our retail store dedicated to toy soldiers is open 7 days a week.

The store is located at
29 North Santa Cruz Avenue, Los Gatos, California 95030.
(408) 395 3000

www.sierratoysoldier.com

 
Sierra Toy Soldier Blog

To try to keep you updated on all the latest news about what is happening in the wonderful world of Toy Soldiers, Model Aircraft and basically everything we sell and do. Updated frequently!

Sierra Toy Soldier Blog

 
Greetings!

Welcome to the October Edition of the Sierra Toy Soldier News, written on a very warm fall day here in the Bay area.

September was as always a very busy month. We had the annual visit by Andy, and Gordon of King & Country. This was a great success with great attendance both during the day and at our Soiree. Everyone thought it was a great opportunity to get together with other collectors and to find out more about the process of making toy soldiers and putting together dioramas. Andy was kind enough to make a special presentation to Franklin, one of our local collectors. The special presentation was a Master Edition of the new Will and Kate set, the only one released from their Headquarters.

To view pictures of the event, please click on Sierra Open House.

Straight after this event we had the Chicago Toy Soldier Show, and also our annual customer appreciation dinner. We were totally sold out and had two terrific speakers in Andy of King & Country and Richard of Britain's. Great question and answers made for a terrific event for all.

To view pictures of the event, please click on Customer Appreciation Dinner.

We would like to thank our customer volunteers who made the event for us by helping, Eric Fatzinger and Marc Rezzonico, who helped up unpack, pack, move, unpack and then pack up again. We had a great show, if you ever get a chance to attend, please do so, as this is really the "Mecca" of Toy Soldier Shows.

We get many requests for pictures of the dioramas on display at the show. So our friend Eric had put some pictures together that we hope ill inspire you or give you some great ideas you can use.

To view pictures of the event, please click on Chicago Show Dioramas.

Now we are off to invade Williamsburg, Virginia for the Military History Weekend, and are really looking forward to it. We have already shipped our boxes, but if there is an item you would like us to bring, we can sneak it in our suitcases.

We have another busy month of terrific releases for you including Britain's, King & Country, Collectors Showcase, Figarti, First Legion, , Force of Valor, Corgi plus many more.

Hope to see you soon!


Events

Learn To Paint A Toy Soldier - Saturday October 13, 2012 - Los Gatos, CA - 10.00 - 4.00pm

Come and have some fun learning how to paint a Toy Soldier. Designed for Little and Big Kids, Mums most welcome.

Sponsored by Britain's.

Military History Weekend @ Williamsburg, October 13/14, 2012.

Sierra is heading East, yes we are planning to invade Virginia and attend the Military History Weekend hosted by Britain's. Please let us know what you would like us to bring, as we still in the early planning stages. If you would like some more information, please let us know.
[email protected] - subject Military History Weekend.

Britain's Open House @ Sierra Toy Soldier, Los Gatos November 3 , 2012.

We are hosting a Britain's Open House with Richard Walker General Manager of Britain's. The date is set so do not miss out. We thanks to Bob Walker (no relation) are also having an Open House at this home, another event not to miss. Contact us for more details!

William Britain

New Arrivals!

The following new releases are now in stock!

American Revolution

American Revolution

American Civil War

American Civil War

Napoleonic - 95th Rifles

Napoleonic - 95th Rifles

Classic Collection - Redcoats

Classic Collection - Redcoats

New Releases Expected To Arrive In October!
American Revolution

American Revolution

Napoleonic Collection

Napoleonic Collection

History of the British Army - Redcoats Collection

History of the British Army - Redcoats Collection

Diorama Collection

Diorama Collection

War on the Nile -- Battle of Tamai March 13, 1884

Battle of Tamai March 13, 1884

Britain's Retirements

Britain's have just announced the following new retirements. Get them while you can.

Being Retired

 

King & Country - October 2012 Releases

Christmas 2012

As always around this time K&C produces its "SPECIAL YULETIDE SET." This year we've returned to that famous "Christmas Truce" of 1914 where British and German troops left their trenches and met each other in "No Man's Land" and fraternized for the one and only time during that terrible conflict.

Christmas

Royal Salute

Like millions of television viewers the world over Andy was transfixed by the Royal Wedding of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton back in 2011. Andy thought then (and now) it would be nice to produce a figure of both of them on their big day.

  • CE011 -- William & Kate - Kate in her traditional-style wedding dress and Prince William in his uniform as Honorary Colonel of the Irish Guards make a handsome couple... I hope you agree.

British Ceremonial

British Ceremonial

That's the motto of the Queen's 2nd. Regiment of Foot Guards - The Coldstream Guards. Here to begin our new "Ceremonial Series" are a selection of "Coldstreamers" on parade. SPECIAL UNIFORM NOTE: All of the previous 9x Coldstream Guards figures are in the Parade and Style Dress of the mid 1930's. At that time Guardsmen wore the by then obsolete Slade-Wallace white fighting order and carried the Lee Enfield .303 rifle with sword bayonet. Officers and Musicians uniforms today are virtually identical to the 1930's period.

British Ceremonial

Eastern Front 1941

On September 6, 1941, Hitler boasted, "Today begins the last great battle of this year!" But the Fuhrer had reckoned without the treacherous Russian weather... the mud of Autumn and the approach of "General Winter " were to become his mortal enemies.

For two more months the German armies continued to advance and win battles despite the almost continuous rain and sleet that flooded rivers, turned fields into quagmires and once dusty roods into knee-deep mud.

Tracks and wheels churned the ground into axle-deep "glue" that sucked the boots off marching troops and stuck and stalled thousands of trucks and tanks.

Then, on the night of 6/7 November 1941, the first frosts arrived... followed a few days later by early flurries of snow... "General Winter" had struck!

  • RA026 -- Soviet T34/76 "Crush The Fascists" - This first "winter" T34/76 bears the slogn "Crush The Fascists" painted in red on both sides of the turretand comes with a suitably-clad Russian tank commander in the open turret hatch. (Just 150 made)
  • RA030 -- Lend-Lease Russian Jeep - As soon as Hitler attacked the Soviet Union both Britain (and later America)provided, Free-of-Charge, huge quantities of weapons, trucks and tanks to the Russians. Among the most valued were the Willys and Ford-built Jeeps which arrived by the hundreds and were immediately put into action. Here is one such example complete with Red Army driver.
  • RA031 -- Red Army Officer with Burp Gun - Scanning the enemy position through his binos this officer also clutches his iconic PPSh41 machine gun.
  • RA032 -- Kneeling Ready - This kneeling figure, clad in his long, Russian-style greatcoat holds the Mosin-Nagant Model 1891/30 rifle.
  • RA033 -- Standing Ready - When we released our first batch of Russian infantry there were a few complaints that everyone had a PPSh "Burp Gun" and there were no riflemen! Well here is another rifleman advancing cautiously forward.
  • RA034 -- Kneeling Firing Rifle 
  • RA035 -- Standing Firing Rifle 
  • RA036 -- Lying Prone Machine Gunner - Taking aim from the lying-prone position is this infantryman with his Degtyarev 7.62 machine gun. Another very useful (and important) member of the assault team.
  • RA037 -- The Scout - Armed with both a PPSh-41 and a hand-grenade this Soviet is ready for anything!
  • RA039 -- Soviet T34/76 "Moscow"! - A second "winterized T34/76 is also available for those collectors who might like another second model for their displays or dioramas. This one carries the number "4" and "Moscow!" on both sides of the turret and has NO commander. (Just 150 made)

Eastern Front 1941

WWII - Winter Germans

German soldiers fought through six "winters of war" between 1939 and 1945 on both the Eastern and Western fronts. Here at K&C we though it might be a good idea to portray a selection of "Classic Germans" dressed for battling it out in the worst winter weathers... We made the figures... You choose in which campaign or battle you think most suitable for your display or collection.

  • BBG054 -- Sd. Kfz. 222 Armoured Car (Winter camouflage) - Another great version of a great-looking vehicle. Set includes a commander seen just inside the 222's turret.
  • BBG055 -- Winter Guards - A pair of greatcoat-clad "soldaten" perfect for guarding a strong-point, a bridge crossing or anything you like. One carries the obsolete (but still used) Bergmann submachine gun .
  • BBG056 -- Advancing w/Rifle #1 - Looking straight ahead, left leg forward, and ready for battle
  • BBG057 -- Advancing w/Rifle #2 - Looking to the left, right leg forward, going into action
  • BBG058 -- Shouting Officer - This officer is urging his men to speed up and stay together... despite the terrible weather conditions.
  • BBG059 -- Winter MG34 Gunner - Carrying his MG34 machine gun over his shoulder plus an extra box of ammunition.
  • BBG060 -- I hate this weather! - Rifle slung over the shoulder and other hand thrust deep into his greatcoat pocket this soldier seems to say "I wish I was anywhere but here!"
  • BBG061 -- Advancing, well-wrapped up! - This soldier is doing his best to stay warm and alert... all at the same time.
  • BBG062 -- Sergeant with MP40 - Machine Pistol at the ready this NCO knows some enemy might be in the vicinity.
  • WS216 -- Tiger 1 (Early Production) - This particular Tiger, the first of two "Early Production" models is #"213" belonging to the famous Abteilung 503, the 503 rd. Heavy Panzer Battalion. This grey, battle-weary veteran has already seen some "hard-action" on the Russian Front. Both track guards have been lost and its missing a front left wheel cover!
    Another unique feature is the rear baggage bin behind the turret... "cannibalized" from a Panzer III. This allows us to place this tank operational in Russia between August and November 1942. A shirt-sleeved commander completes the model.

Eastern Front 1941

 


King & Country - November 2012 Releases

Napoleon in Egypt - Les Dromadaires

Faced with a desperate shortage of cavalry in Egypt, Napoleon ordered the formation of a regiment mounted on camels! Instead of using regular cavalry he chose infantrymen from his many demi-brigades to make up the strength of his new unit. These soldiers enjoyed the same privileges and pay as Dragoons and were uniformed in, as Napoleon described it, "The Oriental Style" with huge offwhite cloaks and baggy, loose fitting pantaloons. Here are our first selection...

Napoleon in Egypt

Australian Light Horse

Australian Light Horse

Battle of the Bulge

Winter means "Battle of the Bulge" and more German and American forces in combat (or moving towards it). Well you've already seen the German side so it's only fair that we should introduce our cousins from across the pond...

Battle of the Bulge

Classic Germans -- In Action!

Dressed in dust-covered field-grey these Wehrmacht "soldaten" are a useful "add-on" to our first four field-grey "classics" issued in September.

  • WS211 -- Unteroffizier with Schmeisser -- This standing NCO pulls back the cocking handle on his machine pistol.
  • WS212 -- Kneeling Ready --  The battle is about to begin and this soldier is ready
  • WS213 -- Kneeling with ammo Box -- Another soldier carrying an extra box of machine gun ammunition.
  • WS214 -- Wait! -- As this soldier moves forward he orders his comrades to stay under cover.
  • WS215 -- Just Looking -- One soldier bends down to peer round a corner while his comrade leans forward to get a better view.
  • WS220 -- The Winter Tiger1 -- The second of our new, early-production models of this iconic German tank. This second version has been given a thin coat of whitewash to help camouflage it... Already however the original "fieldgrau" is showing through. The vehicle comes with a new Tank Commander figure.

German Forces

 


King & Country Retired

BEING RETIRED THIS MONTH

A large batch this month with many more to follow... Please note we only Hyperlink the categories in case an individual piece has already sold out!

Life of Jesus

  • LOJ005A "Standing Camel"
  • LOJ005B "Grazing Camel"
  • LOJ005C "Sitting Camel"

Life of Jesus

Remember the Alamo

  • RTA011A "Standing Mexican (No Moustache)"
  • RTA011B "Standing Mexican (with Moustache)"
  • RTA013 "Wounded Mexican"
  • RTA021 "Joseph Kerr, LA - Firing Pistols"
  • RTA024 "John Forsyth, NY - w/Musket Bayonet"

Remember the Alamo

Afrika Korps

  • AK041 "Marching AK Officer"
  • AK042 "Marching AK Sergeant"
  • AK043 "Marching AK Corporal"
  • AK048 "Marching AK Rifleman"
  • AK054 "AK Newsreel Crew"
  • AK055 "New Machine Gun Crew"
  • AK056 "Rifle Section"
  • AK057 "Attack Group"

Afrika Korps

Waffen SS

  • WS163 "Talking Tankers"
  • WS164 "Kneeling HJ Officer"
  • WS172 "Hitlerjugend, Casualty Evacuation"
  • WS174 "Walking Wounded"
  • WS175 "Summer Raupenschlepper"

Waffen SS

Operation Market Garden

  • MG015 "Advance to Contact"
  • MG018 "Manning the PIAT"
  • MG019 "Anti-tank Gun Set"
  • MG021 "Lying Firing Sten Gun"

Operation Market Garden

Fields of Battle

  • FOB057 "Wehrmacht marching officer"
  • FOB058 "Wehrmacht marching rifleman"
  • FOB059 "Wehrmacht Bugler"

Fields of Battle

Retirements


John Jenkins

In Stock Now!
Battle on the Monongahela 1755

There were reported to be over 500 pack horses with Braddock at the Monongahela. This first set will be one of 3 sets of standing horses, with two sets of walking horses to follow. Packs are separate from the horses, and are interchangeable.

Battle on the Monongahela 1755

Raid on St Francis

From mid 1758 until 1762, Rogers' servant was known to be a young black man named "Prince". He was to accompany Rogers on the St. Francis Raid.

In the eighteenth century, servants were often referred to as "belonging" to a particular master. In the military this meant that the servant was usually clothed in the master's cast-off clothing.

The main reference to Prince is in 1762 when Rogers' brother James placed an advertisement in the "Boston Weekly Post-Boy" November 22nd 1762. "Ran away from me the Subscriber at Londonderry, in the Province ofNew Hampshire, on the 18th September, a Man Servant named Prince about 40 years of age, about 5 feet 5 inches high, speaks good English." It was reported that Prince had first run away from Major Rogers in 1760. Previously Rogers' servant had been with him for many years.

During the Battle of Snowshoes they became separated, and the servant found himself travelling with Captain Henry Pringle, and Lieutenant Boyle Roche. Pringle wrote that during the retreat , "one night the servant, straggled from us, where he sat down, fell asleep and died immediately, tho a very strong man."

Raid on St Francis

The Peninsular War 1807-1814

The Peninsular War 1807-1814

Battle of Chippawa, 5th July 1814

Ammunition wagons were used to carry the reserve ammunition for the guns and were normally to be found at the second line or in the Park of Artillery. The later 1814 "New Pattern Ammunition Wagon" is based on an engraving of a burning wagon at Waterloo. This model is based on designs found in the excellent book, "British Napoleonic Field Artillery" by C.E. Franklin. The wagon was designed to carry 180 rounds of ammunition for the British 6-pdr. It was normally allocated a team of six horses.

Battle of Chippawa, 5th July 1814

Battle of Leuthen 1757

Battle of Leuthen 1757

Sudan War

Sudan War

Knights Of The Skies

Knights Of The Skies

Spanish Civil War

The BT tanks were a series of Soviet cavalry tanks produced in large numbers between 1932 and 1941. They were lightly armoured, but reasonably well-armed for their time, and had the best mobility of all contemporary tanks of the world. The BT tanks were known by the nickname Betka.

They first saw action in the Spanish Civil War. A battalion of BT-5s fought on the Republican side, and their 45 mm guns could easily knock out the opposing German and Italian light tanks. The BT tanks were "convertible tanks". This was a feature designed by J. Walter Christie to reduce wear of the unreliable tank tracks of the 1930s. In about thirty minutes the crew could remove the tracks and engage a chain drive to the rearmost road wheel on each side, allowing the tank to travel at very high speeds on roads. In wheeled mode the tank was steered by pivoting the front road wheels. However, Soviet tank forces soon found the convertible option of little practical use in a country with few paved roads, and it consumed space and added needless complexity and weight. The feature was dropped from later Soviet designs.

The direct successor of the BT tanks would be the famous T-34 medium tank, introduced in 1940.

  • REP-002 -- BT-5, Fast Tank - PLEASE NOTE THE T-26 TANK RIDERS ARE NOT DESIGNED TO FIT THIS MODEL.  REP-01A The T-26 Tank Commander can be used with this model.

Spanish Civil War

 


Collectors Showcase

New November Releases.
Rome

We had an opportunity to see these in Chicago and were very impressed with the quality if this release. These releases are expected late November!

Roman Collection

Napoleonic - French 54th Line Infantry

French 54th Line Infantry

WWII - German

The new Tiger tanks are very limited editions of around 150, so we are are not expecting them to last very long. We saw these at Chicago and again were very impressed, this is a very good release.

WWII

 

Black Hawk
Figarti
First Legion

Crusaders

During the siege of Acre in 1291 the Crusader Holy Orders launched several mounted charges out of the city at the Mamluk Army in fruitless spoiling attacks.  Hopelessly outnumbered, Grand Master Guillaume de Beaujeu lead 300 men out on horseback into ferocious melees in a vain attempt to destroy the Mamluk siege engines wrecking havoc on the walled city. Now with our mounted Crusaders, these desperate struggles can be faithfully recreated in lifelike miniature displays the world over! With the superb sculpting and painting that you've come to expect from First Legion, these figures will make a wonderful addition to any serious Crusades toy soldier collection.

Crusaders

French 1st Light Infantry Regiment - Waterloo 1815

This is the first regiment First Legion have done specifically for the 1815 campaign in their short-waisted Bardin coats. In addition, it is of course the first time we've covered French Light Infantry with our previous infantry releases being line infantry or guard units. Light infantry had the same six company organization as the line except that Light infantry center companies were Chasseurs and the elite companies were Carabiniers (instead of Grenadiers) and Voltigeurs. Unlike line infantry, light infantry received extra training and could deploy in its entirety as skirmishers or remain in close order formation. This is no doubt why Jerome Bonaparte's division which contained an extremely high proportion of Light Infantry was deployed opposite the Hougoumont woods at the Battle of Waterloo where their training as skirmishers would serve them well.

French 1st Light Infantry Regiment - Waterloo 1815

Death of Marshal Lannes

Marshal Jean Lannes was one of Napoleon's greatest Marshals and a close friend of the Emperor. Lannes was wounded during the Battle of Aspern Essling in 1809 where his actions on the field were primarily responsible for averting a French disaster. His leg was amputated by Chief Surgeon of the Army Larrey, but he never recovered and died shortly after. Set NAP0389 depicts the moment as described by Baron de Marbot, Lannes' Aide Camp, when Napoleon came to see the Marshal shortly after his operation. This set was inspired by an 1894 lithograph which itself is based on the detailed Memoirs of Baron de Marbot who was present at the events depicted. The lithograph is shown below and we hope you agree that we have faithfully recreated one of the few moments in Napoleon's career where he displayed the human side of his character so often overshadowed by his ambition and megalomania. To complete the scene depicted, sets NAP0390 Baron de Marbot and NAP0391 Grenadier of the French 7th Line Infantry are also available.

Death of Marshal Lannes

German Forces - Stalingrad

German Forces - Stalingrad 

Vietnam

Vietnam

 

Forces of Valor
Corgi

Corgi - New Releases

New releases expected to start arriving in 2013!

 

Very best regards from Mike & Myszka Hall and the Sierra Toy Soldier team - Andrew, Ann, Barbara, Evan, Gary, Michael (the Kilted Vampire), Matt, and Stephanie.