Private, Vichy French Moroccan Spahis Syria 1941

By Adrian Hopwood Company – El Greco Price – £22.00 Scale –1/8th Material – Resin and White Metal Code – EGM-BU01 Sculpted by – Roy Hunt Whilst some companies seem to churn out “lots of the same” in an almost formulaic progression towards boredom, a subject like this is rather a breath of fresh air. Something different in fact. The subject is a very round shouldered specimen of humanity, it makes him look tired and worn out, possibly with a uniform jacket that is a couple of sizes too big. Needless to say, I’ve already imbued him with some character, and I’ve only just got the main casting out of the box ! I think it’s easy to look at this bust and see a person, it’s got character, and for anyone who has a liking for WWII period fighting men, this rarety of subject might just be attractive. There’s a couple of points that need looking at – both regarding the ammunition belt. The shells protruding from their pouches onto the shirt will require some careful painting to make them both neat and allow them to stand out from their surrounding clothing. The second point being perhaps not as noticeable ( because it’s at the back of the piece – hey who looks at the back ! ), and that’s the width of the belts that come over the shoulders and travel down the back of the model. Simply put, they’re not of even width. The one on his right shoulder is perhaps 2mm wider than the one on his left. It’s noticeable if you measure them, but as I say, most of the time, no one sees the back of a figure, so it doesn’t matter a great deal. I’d add a blob of filler inside the helmet to make the top of the head and the helmet have a greater area for the glue to grab onto, and there is the choice for how much of the bayonet you leave hanging at his front. Cutting it off just below the frog would make the piece more compact and might be what some people prefer, whilst leaving it as it is will make for an interesting “V” shape to the overall bust. Casting is good, just one mould like on the chin / lower lip to clean off on the example supplied here, a little pip of resin and a small scar from the moulding process to deal with on the helmet, and a very small amount of work will be required on the bayonet to remove an understated mould part line that is expected on White Metal parts, whoever supplies them. To be honest, there’s all of ten minutes work here to clean this piece up, and I think that’d include making a brew of tea in that time too. Included in the box are several pictures of a painted piece, together with an exhaustive historical background and also details of how to paint the model. I believe that this was the last bust that the late Roy Hunt finished sculpting before his untimely death in August 2008. It’s a testament to his skill with putty that the bust has a character to it that grabs you as soon as you take it out of the packet. Thanks to Matt and Celine at El Greco Miniatures for sending this along for review, the model is available from them at the address below, or by visiting their website. Adrian. El Greco Miniatures 63 Glebe Drive Brackley NN13 7BX United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)1280 840364 Email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Home Page: http://www.elgrecominiatures.co.uk