The Operation ToyBox catalog · AL013
AL013 catches an Ottoman soldier during a change of action. He holds his rifle while reaching back toward the bayonet, creating a pose that is neither a standard firing stance nor a completed close-combat movement.
The hands identify the moment
In the reference photograph, one hand steadies the long rifle while the other reaches behind the belt. The turned head and bent arm make the figure feel occupied with an immediate task. Those details are useful for recognizing the release in a mixed group of loose infantry.
I would position him where the reaching arm remains visible. Viewed only from the rifle side, the distinctive action can be hidden, leaving what appears to be a more ordinary standing soldier.
A sequence within the Ottoman collection
AL013 can be compared with the later thrusting and firing subjects to show different stages of a soldier’s response. The collection need not present every man in the same instant. A reaching figure, a loaded weapon and a soldier already firing create more variety than three matching poses.
The broader campaign included the Ottoman defence of the Gaza–Beersheba line and its eventual withdrawal. The NZ History account provides a useful setting for understanding those troops as an organized force, rather than simply as figures placed opposite Australian riders.
What makes the release worth recording
The appeal of AL013 is the incomplete action. It gives the viewer something to follow from hand to equipment and then toward the implied next movement. That is a useful quality in a small display, where one clearly readable gesture can supply most of the story.
The catalog identifies a representative Turkish soldier, not a named person. Keeping the article focused on the visible pose and campaign context lets the set remain interesting without inventing an unsupported biography.
Release record and collecting notes
Sager’s archived AL013 product record lists May 2010 as the release date and May 2013 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.
Find this set
Currently available on eBay
Matching AL013 listings, lowest displayed price first. Includes shipping when quoted.
Checking available listings…
Find AL013 for your collection
Catalog & listings
AL013 on OTB Companion
Explore the set record and available listings, then browse more of the AL collection.
Explore AL013Find a set
Shop AL013 on eBay
Compare current listings, included pieces and condition photographs. Availability and prices vary.
Find AL013 on eBayContinue exploring the Operation ToyBox AL catalog.