EA019 THE IMPOSTER BY KING & COUNTRY
Overview
Introduction
History of the depicted scenario
Collector notes
This review examines King & Country’s EA019 “The Imposter,” a finely detailed 1:30‑scale miniature depicting deception in the North African campaign of WWII. Released in September 2007, this hand‑painted figure portrays a German‑speaking Allied operative masquerading as an Afrika Korps soldier. The sculpt captures dramatic action and narrative, with a trooper pulling on the captured uniform and a comrade keeping watch. Collectors appreciate the alloy composition, pedestal base, and connection to the British Eighth Army series. The piece remained in production until mid‑2010.
Historical Background
The miniature depicts an Allied infiltration tactic used during the North African campaign (1940–43), where operatives from units such as the Special Air Service (SAS) and the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG)—often fluent German speakers and émigrés—disguised themselves in captured Afrika Korps uniforms to ambush Axis forces. These reconnaissance and raiding operations helped undermine Axis supply lines, gather intelligence, and misdirect convoys. A notable real‑world counterpart could be SAS raids in mid‑1942, when Allied operatives infiltrated German‑held areas, posing as supply personnel or Axis troops to sow confusion among enemy units. These tactics, though risky, leveraged linguistic fluency and knowledge of German procedures to gain tactical advantage.
Across the vast desert theater stretching from Libya to Egypt, such deception contributed to the broader Eighth Army’s efforts to blunt Rommel’s advance and support counter‑offensives such as El Alamein in November 1942. This era, defined by fluid frontlines, limited infrastructure, and extreme terrain, saw both sides employ improvisation and camouflage. The success of such covert operations, though difficult to document fully, played a psychological role in unsettling Axis patrols and protecting Allied convoys.
Collector Notes
King & Country’s EA019 “The Imposter” (British Eighth Army series) is a 1:30 scale, approx. 60mm tall, lead/tin alloy figure on a pedestal base, released September 2007 and retired June 2010 (actionfiguren-shop.com). The dynamic pose—one figure donning an Afrika Korps tunic, another covering him with a rifle—captures a narrative moment often linked in marketing to LRDG/SAS impersonation tactics (actionfiguren-shop.com). Identification is straightforward via the EA019 code on the original packaging or K&C catalogs. Factory‑painted examples include the Eighth Army insignia and desert‑camouflage uniform; repaints are uncommon. Packaging typically featured a green‑lined box with series branding; full boxed condition commands a premium. Common wear includes minor pedestal chips or rubbing on raised edges.
Secondary market pricing ranges around US $75 in excellent condition, though mint in‑box examples may fetch higher. Scarcity due to retirement in mid‑2010 contributes to its desirability among collectors of WWII Allied deception narratives.
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