Gallery

Dioramas and displays featuring john jenkins Designs collectable soldiers

Short video about Eddie Rickenbacker, WW1 Ace, from the archives of the San Diego Air and Space Museum.

Postcard from a Collector, thank you!

Image of work in progress from one of our Leuthen collectors! Wow! Well done Old Bill!

Merry Christmas - 2012

First of a collection of Spanish Buildings suitable for the Peninsular War ranges and Spanish Civil War range.

'Musical Box', see text below image for the amazing account of this Whippet tank in action! The preview figures featured will be available painted in early 2013.

Whippet tank named 'Musical Box'

One of the most famous - and bloody - exploits by an individual tank and crew, was done on August 8th 1918, during the first day of the Battle of Amiens - the so called "Black Day of the German Army" - when an individual "Whippet", commanded by Lieutenant C.B. Arnold, penetrated to the rear of the German lines where it roamed for ten hours, causing big damage and enormous confusion. This is a contemporary edited account, based on Arnolds own story.

"Munchausen-like yarns have been woven out of every campaign in history, beginning with Herodotus and continuing with Froissart and his present-day imitators; but no more unbelievable story was ever staged than that of a Whippet Tank of B Company, 6th Battalion, vclept "Musical Box." Lieutenant Arnold, the C.O. of " Musical Box," concentrated a whole lifetime of alarms and excursions within a single revolution of the sun. His own version of the events suffers from the common English failing of understatement.

Army records scorn every ornamental trapping, and stick closely to brass tacks. They are incurably prosaic in describing even poetic happenings, and Lieutenant Arnold’s lone-handed assault on the German Army was not a whit less epic than the defence of the Tiber bridge by Horatius Cocles.H e was in command, with Gunner Ribbans and Driver Carney as his crew; their united ages being under threescore. "Musical Box " left the lying-up point at 4.20 A.M., zero-hour, on 8th August 1918, and proceeded (the sacred B.E.F. word which embraces going on leave and going over the top) to the south side of the railway at Villers-Bretonneux. We crossed the railway and passed through the Australian infantry 2nd some of our heavy (Mark V.) Tanks. Four sections of B Company went across country due cast.

"After 2000 yards I was alone, the others being ditched. To the immediate front I could see more Mark V. Tanks, closely followed by Australian infantry. I came under direct fire from a German four-gun field battery." What that means can be more or less visualized when one remembers that a field gun can fire ten to twenty rounds a minute—forty-eight shells to one hectic minute. The battery was close enough for him to see the gun flashes between Aboucourt and Bayonvillers, and the shooting so accurate as to knock out two Mark V. Tanks alongside Musical Box.’’ That only strung up Arnold. " I turned half-left and ran diagonally across the front of the battery at 600 yards range "---manoeuvering so that both his guns could fire at once. The Bosche could do the same, and pumped in over thirty shells before Arnold got under cover of a belt of trees. He was not however going to earth, but doing an outflanking move: "I ran along until level with the battery, when I turned full half-right and attacked it in the rear."

A field gun cannot fire fore and aft, and so the Bosches sensibly ran for their lives. "Gunner Ribbans and I finished them off." Lieutenant Arnold then becomes slightly nautical: "I cruised forward, making a detour to the left, and shot a number of the enemy who appeared to be demoralized." This was merely in beating about on the other tack, and he does not even count his slain, but resumes his cruise on to " the railway siding N.N.W. of Guillancourt. "His destruction of the German battery had an immediate effect, for he now records : "The Australians also had advanced and were taking cover in a sunken road 400 yards in advance of the abandoned battery"—a quarter-of-a-mile gain of ground at no cost to the infantry.

At this point Arnold allowed himself a breather: "I got out and asked an Australian Lieutenant if he wanted any help, and he was struck by a bullet in the shoulder during our talk." What a spot to select for a little quiet talk where bullets strike one in the shoulder, perhaps lower!

To return to the C.O. of " Musical Box "chatting with the Aussies. I-Ic was now joined by Major Ryeroft and Lieutenant Waterhouse of his own Corps, and decided he must be doing some more damage: "I then followed the railway east and came up with two cavalry patrols of twelve men each "(which he, luckily for them, recognized as our own) "who were being fired at by a party of the enemy, hiding in standing corn. I dealt with them." Going farther east, I came across a second patrol pursuing the enemy. The leading horse was so tired that he could not gain on the Hun . . . and with his sword stretched out at the back of the Hun his rider was shot down." Arnold has the artist’s eye. He makes you see the stumbling horse and its rider straining forward, and the flying German suddenly realizing that he is safe and turning to fire fatally at his pursuer. But Arnold the artist is also Arnold the practical soldier.

"I dealt with that party who had taken up a position on the railway bridge." They were not of the family of Horatius, and when "Musical Box " heaved herself on to one end of the bridge they tumbled off the other end—at least, the few survivors did—whilst Arnold went on his destructive way. "Proceeding farther east (i.e. always in the direction of Berlin) I entered a valley marked on my map as containing Bosche hutments. As I entered many were packing kit... As I opened fire crowds more appeared and made for the embankment and safety; I accounted for many of them. I cruised round, and Ribbans went out and counted the slain, about sixty."

There were probably about 600 Bosches, and yet Gunner Ribbans left the shelter of the Tank to do his little sum. "I turned left from the railway and cruised across country, where lines of enemy infantry could be seen retiring. We fired at these from 200 to 600 yards range. As our cruise lasted an hour, we inflicted much damage." Arnold was now absolutely in the blue—an island entirely surrounded by undiluted Huns. "I did not see any more of our troops or machines after leaving the cavalry patrols." Consequently he drew all the fire, from every kind of weapon that the harassed Bosches could bring to bear on "Musical Box," which kept on playing her own devil’s tattoo in reply. The only thing to do was to keep on moving. At this point Arnold inserts a mild protest " I would beg to suggest that no petrol tins should be carried on the outside [of Tanks] as we did, as they were always being perforated by bullets and the fumes of the burning petrol made breathing so difficult that we had to use our box-respirators, having been in action about ten hours."

Ten hours in action with the very likely prospect of being burned alive, or at any rate asphyxiated, would have damped most men’s fire for further adventuring, but not Arnold’s. "At about 2 P.M. I again proceeded east, and arrived at a large aerodrome with a captive balloon and a great quantity of horse-transport and motors." What he did to the balloon is not mentioned, but most probably he brought it down, having stampeded the motors and transport.

"Over the top of another bridge I could see a lorry coming in my direction." "Musical Box" lay perdu(lost/hidden) in a hollow and waited. As soon as the hun topped the bridge, the Whippet leapt forward and rammed him backwards into the ditch. "The railway was now quite close, and I could see long lines of men retiring along it at ranges of 400 to 500 yards. I fired at them and did much damage. Leaving these in a state of panic, ‘Musical Box ‘ looked round for more exciting quarry. Passing by a two-horse canvased waggon, I knocked that out—Gunner Ribbans (R.H. gun) did some good shooting on the motor and horse transport, whilst I fired many bursts at 600 to 800 yards on the transport blocking the roads on the left (L.H. gun). I turned quarter-left to a. Small copse. On the way we came under the most intense rifle and machine-gun fire (bullet splash). The L.H. revolver port-cover was shot away. I withdrew the forward gun, locked the mounting and held the body of the gun against the hole." This was pretty level-headed after over ten hours’ delirious brain-storm. Arnold kept his balance, and if only the Fates had done the same it is conceivable that he would have overrun the German Army H.Q. His luck, however, ran out, like the petrol on the cab, and he describes it without bitterness: "Petrol was still running down the inside of the back door (of course ignited). As it was no longer possible to continue the action, I shouted to Driver Carney to turn about, when two heavy concussions closely followed each other and the cab burst into flames." (At last a field gun had got in a knock-out blow.)

If there ever was a situation for losing one’s head it was then, when they were trapped in a burning Tank, choked by petrol fumes and worn from want of sleep and food. "Carney and Bibbans got to the door and collapsed. I was almost overcome, but managed to get the door open, fell out on to the ground and was able to drag out the other two. Burning petrol was running on to the ground where we were lying. The fresh air revived us and we all got up, and made a short rush to get away from the burning petrol. We were all on fire." Now is the moment for the chivalrous foe to charge forward with army blankets to the rescue, not a bit of it! In this rush, Carney was shot in the stomach and killed." The other two, apparently, were saved from this peril by the more pressing danger. "We rolled over and over to extinguish the flames," and so were harder to hit.

Our code is not to hit a fellow when he is down, but that is not the Code d’Allemagne. "I saw numbers of the enemy approaching from all round. The first arrival came at me with a rifle and bayonet. I got hold of this and the front of the bayonet entered my forearm. The second man struck at my head with the butt of his rifle, which glanced off and hit my shoulder, knocking me out. When I came to, there were dozens all round me, and everyone who could reach me did so, and I was well kicked." This was not worthy of the fellow-countrymen of the Crown Prince, who sent New Year Greetings at Verdun to his chivalrous foe, General Sarrail. Anyhow, "they were furious," and forgot all about the Barmherzlichkeit due to a fallen foe; and one in a state of combustion. The kicks, however, did stamp out the flames, so they served some purpose.

We were eventually marched to a dug-out. Later, we marched past a field-kitchen (a cruel stroke!). I made signs for food. We had had nothing since 8.30 P.M. the previous night, and it was 3.30 P.M. when we were set on fire. Then I was taken before an elderly Staff Officer and interrogated. As I always answered "I do not know," he said: You mean you do not know, or you will not tell me ? " I said : " You can take it whichever way you wish." (To which Arnold must have added under his breath "and be damned to you ! " For something in his "dumb insolence" made that Hun officer and gentleman descend to the level of the kicking privates, for) "He then struck me in the face and went away "- presumably to weep over the downfall of his own decorum. Arnold was sent back to the rear, but he does not say anything about being fed : only that they put paper bandages on some of his wounds but left his scarred face alone.

"The second time I was interrogated I recieved five days’ solitary confinement in a room with no window - this time with a little soup and bread thrown in. This did nothing towards breaking his contumacious spirit, as "the next time I was interrogated I told the officer he had no right to give me solitary confinement and that I would report him to the highest authority." That threat, most awful to the authority-ridden German soul, had its effect; and "I was then sent to Freiburg, where I met my brother." The only fitting climax to this ascending series of adventures would have been for the brothers Arnold to escape from the prison-camp and return through the German lines to report to their respective units. They did not, unfortunately, see their way to doing so. In the camp near Canterbury, in January 1919, through which our prisoners-of-war were distributed to their homes, one of those met there by the present writer was Gunner Ribbans.

Lieutenant Arnold ends his own tale in the way those who know him would expect: "The conduct of Gunner Ribbans and Driver Carney was beyond all praise; throughout, Driver Carney drove from Villers-Bretonneux (4.20 P.M. 18th till 3.30 P.M. 19th)." The amount of damage actually and morally inflicted on the enemy by those three Englishmen in their Whippet was about equal to that which a brigade of infantry could have wrought at the cost of half of their effectives. It is, in the opinion of one of the least hysterical historians of the late war, the most fruitful individual achievement on record. It was not fireworks, which make a prodigious noise and end in smoke, but the stroke of another Attila - "the Scourge of God." He too harassed the Teutons of his day."

- From the book "Fighting Tanks – An account of The Royal Tank Corps in action 1916-1919", published in 1929 and edited by G. Murray Wilson.

Collectors Club, final painted version of the British Mortar carriage, JJD UK will carry a few spare in stock, as very limited edition, please contact us to check availability if you missed out. JJCLUBSET-14 (supplied painted)

Acrylic Flight stands to fit most planes, please check before ordering, as some earlier planes are not compatible. Sold singly or discounted as a set of two. STAND-A&B.

British Ground Crews a welcome addition to the Knights of the Sky range, here we see both 'Chocs away' sets with Mannock's SE 5ad

Above pictures by John Jenkins.

The death of General Gordon is romanticised in the oil painting by George William Joy, which now hangs in the Leeds City Art Gallery;

It clearly inspired John to create the Sudan SUD-01 set, and is a reminder that the Leuthen range is not the first painting brought to life by John. Over recent months the Madhist's have received reinforcements, and it seemed worthy to add them into the scene to complete the 'picture' I was even tempted to add in the cavalry 'Baqquara Lancer' and soon to be available 'MADCAV-02 Baqquara Lancer and Wounded Horse, but didn't have these models to hand.

These photos feature one of each SUD set; SUD-01, SUD-02, SUD-03, SUD-04, SUD-05, SUD-06, click each set to see them individually. It is worth noting that SUD-01 is a limited edition of 600, and is now low stock, as are codes 2 and 3.

J.Brierley

I haven't been keeping up to date with my collection over the last few months, as my day job has been stealing my evenings and weekends, so it was with great pleasure that I added the French 4lb cannon and new firing crew to my collection. I really enjoyed opening these sets, suitable for Culloden, Ticonderoga as well as what if FIW scenarios. I'd love to see it set up firing through the Breach in the French defenses, perhaps we will do this at the London Toy Soldier show in December. Anyway, here's a few photos;

J.Brierley

A conversion of the Albert Ball pilot figure, into a sit in pilot, all the more accurate, as Albert didn't wear a flying hat when in the air! Conversion by 'Old Bill', thanks for letting us share these with other collectors.

This series of images, done by the guys at www.battlesceneproductions.net Their website is well worth a visit!

(Reproduced with kind permission, thanks Alex)

“I am very unhappy and I can’t imagine why you care about life. I do not mean to come back.” except from a letter written by Burnaby to his footman.

Colonel Frederick Gustavus Burnaby, meeting his death at Abu Klea. January 1885. This scene features Beja packs MAD01/02/03/04/05 and the figure from MADCAM02

J.Brierley

Collector Julian Tennant's tribute to Bishop

Reproduced with kind permission, models featured; ACE-02 Nieuport 17, ACE-02P Billy Bishop, ACE-04P Donald Roderick Maclaren.

Forwards Am Freiceadan Dubh

British Highlanders from the 42nd Regiment of Foot mount an aggressive assault upon well-defended French Defences. A. Pulman and J. Brierley.

Diorama constructed for the London Toy Soldier Show March 2012.

Man the Defences

French Marines man the abatis. A.Pulman and J. Brierley.

The Calm Before The Storm

Rogers Rangers and British Grenadiers relax by the campfire in preparation for an impending dawn raid. A. Pulman and J. Brierley.

Hold the Line

Gordon Highlanders, supported by the British Naval Brigade and their Gatling Gun, stand fast against a rush of Mahdists and Beja Tribesmen. A. Pulman and J. Brierley.

A Captain's Best Friend

Captain Stark settles Sgt Beaubien in the whaleboat before setting out for St Francis. J. Brierley

Battle of Leuthen, 5th December 1757

Exploring the versatility of using duplicates, whilst awaiting the next Prussian releases. J.Brierley

Storm the Breach!

Drum, tricorn and muskets from my French Indian War collection. J.Brierley

Sentry Ahead!

A small party of Rogers Rangers spot a French sentry whilst scouting a French Fort. J. Brierley.

Within These Walls

The British stand firm against the assault whilst civilians and Militia prepare to defend the fort. A. Pulman and J. Brierley.

Facing The Odds

French Marines rain fire upon the British Line. J. Brierley and A. Pulman.

The 42nd Charge The Abatis

The 42nd Regiment of Foot make a daring assault on French field fortifications. J. Brierley and A. Pulman.

Christmas 2011

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! M. Miller.

Priller Autumn 1940

Josef “Pips” Priller had a rather long career in the Luftwaffe, received the Ritterkreuz for twenty victories and became one of the top aces of the Second World War.

Messerschmitt ME109E-3 6./JG51, Autumn 1940. J. Brierley.

Garrison Overrun!

Gordon Highlanders fight bravely on and keep a stiff upper lip as Mahdist forces overrun a small garrison in the Sudan. M. Miller.

Stewart at Monongahela 1755.

Captain Robert Stewart, one of only five members of a 29 man unit that survived the battle, suffering only a slight injury when one bullet creased his brow and another his forehead. J. Brierley.

Leaving Suakin