Cheers chaps.
We have been asked by a few customers to show a size comparison for the Vietnam range of the various nationalities.
There has developed a weird belief that people from North Vietnam were a LOT taller than those in the South. We have no idea where this came from specifically however the Vietnam War historian, Gordon L Rottman, explains it very well when he writes;
" Physically, there was little difference between North and South Vietnamese.
The average Vietnamese was 5ft 1in.-5ft 4in. (1.57-1.63m) tall and weighed 110-122 Ib (50-55kg). South Vietnamese often claimed they could identify a North Vietnamese by physical appearance.
Northerners were reputed to have more Chinese-like facial features, were taller, bigger-boned and had fairer
complexions. While these features were slightly more prevalent among northerners, they were by no means widespread and could be found among southerners, albeit less frequently. Also, after the communist takeover, some 950,000 refugees fled the North to South Vietnam between 1954 and 1955. Most settled in the ARVN's northern provinces or around Saigon. Their children were liable to be drafted into the ARVN."
To illustrate this simply Google pictures of Vietnamese standing next to western troops. One way to measure figures in picture is to use the weapon they carry as a measuring stick because although people change weapons do not. To help an M16 is 39.5 inches in length.
Empress Miniatures has scaled their Vietnamese figures authentically smaller than the Free World figures such as Americans, Australians and of course French.
Figures from left to right are USMC - ARVN - ANZAC - VIETNAMESE CIVILIANS X 2 - ARVN - NVA/VC - USMC.