Royal Navy Landing Craft crew in Norway 1940

[Poiter50]

I'm using some 28mm Landing Craft as fluff in a project for Norway 1940. They will be terrain pieces really but I like my fluff to be authentic and I find that there are no suitable Royal Navy crew figures on the market. I have some USN sailors in dungarees from Shapeways (very nice) but not quite what I am seeking. Photos of the LCMs evacuating the survivors show RN guys in normal working rig but I feel there would be more cold weather gear needed and wondered whether there are pics available somewhere? My google-fu has failed to turn anything up. Any thoughts?

[Truscott Trotter]

Oh great authentic fluffer (https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fluffer) - I should imagine that duffle/greatcoats would be the order of the day in Norwegian waters. Perhaps Gorgon Brits  plus some greenstuff hoods and mae wests?  

[Poiter50]

I fluff on your levity!

The pics of the Dieppe raid LCs show the RN sailors in a very small belt style lifejacket/harness. The USN Shapeways one I bought have Mae Wests. If we find no evidence to the contrary, I will go with the USN figs. Mind you, at this stage, I only have 2 LCAs for the LCs, the LCM Mk Is are currently underway from Barrage Miniatures and may still be a couple of weeks away from delivery. The DBLE figures are all base coated but need basing and the bases will then need snow detailing. It has been interesting finding some alternate figures for troops in cold weather gear, some of the LW Germans in Winter outfits have been useful.

[carlos marighela]

IIRC the earlier RN lifejackets were quilted, kapok stuffed items, quite unlike Mae Wests. Might be a green stuff job.

[Etranger]

They were likely to be wearing with battledress (possibly a nice dark blue colour, rather than Khaki drill) with a duffle coat over the top, and perhaps a white roll neck jumper underneath. The duffle coat would be the RN's standard cold weather kit.



You can just see the top of the kapok lifejacket on this LC crewman. (from https://www.combinedops.com/LCT_PAGE.htm)

[vodkafan]

They were likely to be wearing with battledress (possibly a nice dark blue colour, rather than Khaki drill) with a duffle coat over the top, and perhaps a white roll neck jumper underneath. The duffle coat would be the RN's standard cold weather kit.



You can just see the top of the kapok lifejacket on this LC crewman. (from https://www.combinedops.com/LCT_PAGE.htm)

I am also collecting figures for 1940 Norway. The Navy blue version of the battledress was not issued in 1940 , but I second duffle coats and roll neck jumpers, and wellingtons with thick socks rolled over the top. Nothing out there is perfect, but I found a couple of figures from the Pulp Figures ranges useful for modifying. If you stick a brodie helmet on you can get away with artistic licence

[Etranger]

Yes, I couldn't find much about when the RN adopted BD, although they might have had the khaki version in 1940. Photos of 1940 LC crew are, not surprisingly, pretty rare!

[Poiter50]

 

I am also collecting figures for 1940 Norway. The Navy blue version of the battledress was not issued in 1940 , but I second duffle coats and roll neck jumpers, and wellingtons with thick socks rolled over the top. Nothing out there is perfect, but I found a couple of figures from the Pulp Figures ranges useful for modifying. If you stick a brodie helmet on you can get away with artistic licence

[lou passejaire]

i have only seen one picture of the LCM used to disembark the French H39 tanks ...


there is also a French army movie " Narvik, Premiére Opération de Débarquement" with some LCM and some LCA ... but filmed from the Navy ships so of no use ...   

[Poiter50]

Looks like sea boots and greatcoats. The Matchbox Flower Class Covette figs in 1/72 are the closest to what I think they would look like.

i have only seen one picture of the LCM used to disembark the French H39 tanks ...


there is also a French army movie " Narvik, Premiére Opération de Débarquement" with some LCM and some LCA ... but filmed from the Navy ships so of no use ...   

[Iain]

Empress have just brought out a nice Royal Navy landing party (28mm) - not in cold weather gear but maybe a reasonable proxy.

[Truscott Trotter]

Empress have just brought out a nice Royal Navy landing party (28mm) - not in cold weather gear but maybe a reasonable proxy.

Wow just looked at those they are gorgeous I was thinking of the WG ones but the Empress ones look far better for the defenders or Calais and Boulonge.
Also the Empress early Brits look more likely for BEF Dunkirk?

[Poiter50]

Yes, I have the first 4 figures released by EM but they have added to the list since I got them. Unfortunately they have no plans at this stage for the type of figures I'm looking for.

 

Empress have just brought out a nice Royal Navy landing party (28mm) - not in cold weather gear but maybe a reasonable proxy.

[Truscott Trotter]

Yes its a pity they are not in winter gear - I would go the Gorgon Winter Brits and then just paint on the life preserver (bet it wouldn't  ) on some of them  maybe use the ones in jerkins? and greenstuff some hoods on the greatcoats to make them dufflecoats?- how many do you need as crew anyway?

PS The Empress Brits appear to have the wrong gaiters for WW2 pity as I really like the poses better than the running Warlord BEF. Still the naval chaps will do me nicely - though I am not sure about the term Matelot 

[Poiter50]

Think I will need 12 when my LCMs arrive. I think the Shapeways ones will do initially - USN with Mae West but I might get the Foul Weather ones as well.