The drawn dagger and carried explosives make this Italian subject different from an ordinary rifleman. Del Prado’s assault engineer brings the practical and dangerous work of approaching obstacles into a North African collection.
The covered fez, bandolier and blue puttees give this Egyptian sergeant a distinctive appearance. His standing pose is useful for studying a desert-service uniform without allowing the animal to dominate the subject.
The white kepi is familiar, but the submachine gun and field clothing place this legionnaire firmly after the world wars. The 1957 setting belongs to the Algerian War and deserves its own historical category.
The slouch hat gives this Australian sergeant an immediate national identity, but the date and theatre take the story beyond Gallipoli. This is a figure for the Australian Imperial Force’s fighting in Europe during the final year of the war.
The long grey coat and fur cap make this Soviet infantryman a winter subject before the Stalingrad label is read. His quiet stance offers a contrast to the dramatic room-clearing scenes usually used to represent the battle.
A netted helmet, loaded equipment and jump clothing identify this American airborne subject. The important story begins after the parachute has been discarded: finding other men, reaching an objective and fighting with what arrived on the ground.
A red fez, voluminous trousers and a short decorated jacket make the Zouave one of Del Prado’s most distinctive 1914 subjects. The silhouette introduces the North African connections of the French Army as well as the changing appearance of soldiers in industrial war.
The First Special Service Force is a good antidote to sorting every miniature into a single national box. This Del Prado soldier represents a formation built from Americans and Canadians and equipped along American lines.
This corporal carries his rifle over the shoulder and wears practical khaki rather than the green dress associated with the Rifle Brigade’s earlier history. The figure makes continuity and change visible within one regimental tradition.
The broad helmet, khaki clothing and compact automatic weapon distinguish this lieutenant from the later American infantry usually associated with Europe. His subject belongs to the desperate defence of the Philippines in 1942.
