Web stumbling and just following your nose is kinda fun. It takes you all sorts of places you might not otherwise go, right?

It shouldn't have been a big surprise to me that women were active as combatants in the Spanish Civil War. After all, women have been fighting alongside men in every human conflict.

Maybe the difference is the unprecedented and outstanding level of photojournalism that documented the Civil War. Robert Capa, Gerda Taro and David Seymour, were present throughout the duration of the Spanish Civil War from the initial uprisings in the summer of 1936 to the ultimate collapse of the Spanish Republican government in April of 1939. Consequently, the visual coverage of the conflict was unprecedented. As Susan Sontag explains in a recent article in the New Yorker (December 9, 2002), "the Spanish Civil War was the first war to be witnessed ('covered') in the modern sense: by a corps of professional photographers at the lines of military engagement and in the towns under bombardment, whose work was immediately seen in newspapers and magazines in Spain and abroad."

And that being said, they were there to take photos of heroic women soldiers. So a little homage to the milicianas...

Principal reference: http://libraries.ucsd.edu/speccoll/swphotojournalism/
Also check out the Google online Art Project of photos from the Spanish Civil War.

The starting point for this figure was the 1/16th scale Legends aircraft nose art kit. The principal inspiration was the Robert Capa (I think?) photo of a nameless Miliciana, a young shop worker smiling and shouldering an SMLE rifle.

Once again, let me thank my outstanding photographer friend, Patrick Student and my fellow modeler, Charlie Duckworth, for their help and support!

Looking forward to your comments and critique.

All the best,
Dan

Nice subject on this one, too, Dan!

I've been reading quite a bit about the Spanish Civil war recently,a really interesting conflict overshadowed by WW2. This looks great, you were brave cutting that lovely hair off.
Thanks,
Scotty.

Great idea this Dan,
and I am so glad you didn't portray the Kapra 'dying soldier'.

Paul

"I am so glad you didn't portray the Kapra 'dying soldier'."

There are some images you shouldn't mess with, Paul. Just too powerful and I'm not a good enough sculptor.

My one transgression was "Gassed" based on the photo of the 55th division gas casualties. Shouldna gone there...

All the best,
Dan

Very nice concept and excellent conversion/scratch-build.
Looking forward to seeing this progress.

Cheers,
Andrew

Great idea !!

Like the flowers. Very good detail.

A great rendition of a rarely represented subject.I like it a lot.

Oda.

Hi Dan.
That is a great idea beutifully done.
Now the bad news
I was puzzled that a SMLE could end in the Spanish Civil War.
I have made a short search in Google and found that the photo was taken in Haifa, 1951 by David Seymour. So she is an israeli girl.
http://www.revelartfotografia.org/cultura-fotografica/david-seymour/

Diegoff - Thanks for your comment and correction. I don't consider it bad news at all! It just is what it is.

This teaches me a lesson concerning Pinterest. The Israeli soldier photo was posted with a batch of maybe 30 or 40 all related to the Spanish Civil War on Pinterest and it was even labeled to represent a Spanish Miliciana. I should have known not to trust a photo from that web site since I've identified 3 or 4 mislabeled photos myself! I also obtained photos of Miliciana from other web sites, most of them attributable to the well known photographers of the Spanish Civil War, but, as I recall, never saw the photo in question posted on any other site.

My apologies to all viewers and commentators. I was misled myself and had no intention to mislead you or to misrepresent the subject.

If I remove a star (which would have been painted red) from the garrison cap stuck under her belt, I suppose the figure still works to represent an Israeli female soldier in 1951.

Should I correct the posting or ask an administrator to take it down or just leave it? This question is not directed to just Diegoff but to all viewers and commentators.

All the best,
Dan

Yes, I agree that either subject could be done. But I have maybe 3 other Spanish Civil War single figures I'd like to do. Would prefer to stick with the Miliciana.

"...could you not do another weapon..." Good suggestion! Sure - Mauser rifles and carbines were commonly used by both (all?) sides. I have a 98K carbine in parts, so I'll replace it.

All the best,
Dan

Yes, Dan. It is an effect of the net: there are some inaccuracies that are multiplied ad infinitum. It is necessary to be cautious with all that kind of information.
However, it is a nice figure and you just have to change the name.

A rose by any other name mate, change the rifle and you're good to go. She looks Spanish to me.
Scotty.

The 98K carbine was introduced in Spain after the Civil War (1943).
The most usual weapon was the spanish Mauser 1893:
http://svahistoria.blogspot.com.es/2012/11/el-mosqueton-mauser-espanol-modelo-1943.htm

Hope that it helps.

The 98K carbine is already affixed to the young lady. A redo of the rifle sling and I should be good to go!

All the best,
Dan

Sometimes when I post a reply, I have to admit that I don't take enough time. In hindsight, my reply to Diegoff's critique was snotty in tone and technically just flat wrong.

My apologies Diegoff - your patience and corrective critique were spot on and I should have read them more carefully.

I'm replacing the carbine with a Mauser rifle this morning and re-do of the rifle sling.

All the best,
Dan