AL039 King & Country catalog image
King & Country product image.

The Operation ToyBox catalog · AL039

The appeal of AL039 is straightforward: horse, rider and bayonet all contribute to a strong forward movement. This is one of the AL range’s overt action pieces, the sort of figure that can establish the direction of a display before any scenery has been added.

King & Country AL039 The Charger. Set reference photograph from the Operation ToyBox media library; image © King & Country.
King & Country AL039 The Charger. Set reference photograph from the Operation ToyBox media library; image © King & Country.

A requested addition to the mounted ranks

The product description presents “The Charger” as another bayonet-forward trooper produced in response to requests for that pose. It is a useful collecting detail because it explains the release as an expansion of a visual theme already central to the series.

More charging figures do not necessarily require a bigger diorama. A few riders with varied arm positions can create a more natural group than repeated copies of one sculpt. AL039’s projecting weapon gives the group a clear leading edge, especially if the surrounding figures are set slightly farther back.

Why a bayonet appears in the rider’s hand

At Beersheba on 31 October 1917, the men of the 4th and 12th Light Horse Regiments made their mounted attack without standard cavalry swords or lances. Bayonets became part of the improvised mounted assault. The Australian War Memorial’s retrospective describes the different ways riders carried their weapons.

That background makes the miniature’s equipment more than decoration. It points toward the unusual character of the attack while leaving room to remember that mounted charging was only part of the Light Horse’s wider service.

A practical place on the shelf

I would position AL039 where the bayonet has protection from passing hands and where the horse’s outline remains visible. The outer edge of a busy shelf is tempting for such a dramatic pose, but a slightly recessed position often gives a better view and more clearance. Its collecting role is movement: use that quality deliberately rather than burying it in the middle of a tightly packed row.

Release record and collecting notes

Sager’s archived AL039 product record lists November 2012 as the release date and July 2021 as the retirement date. Those are catalog dates, rather than a statement about today’s secondhand availability. Compare the seller’s actual photographs with the reference image here, including any projecting equipment and the base; a familiar box title alone is not a condition report.

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King & Country AL039 set reference photograph

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