RPmodels Maj. John Howard 100mm Limited Edition Bust WWII Series.



Catalogue Ref: RPM-B-08-0003.

Number of Parts: 17 resin.

Price: £45.00

Availability: (UK) Historex Agents, El Greco and SK Miniatures.



Forward, A Brief History.

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Major John Howard DSO.


Major John Howard was responsible for leading the attack by the 6th British Airborne Division on what is now famously known as Pegasus Bridge. His objective was to capture the bridge which was a vital link over the Caen Canal.
Major Howard led men from D Company, 2nd Oxfordshire and Buckingham Light Infantry, these men were the first British troops to land in the D-Day landing of June 6th 1944.
They were transported by three Horsa gliders towed by Halifax bombers and released at 8,000 feet over the Normandy coast landing just a few meters from one another at 00.16 on June 6th, 1944. Each of the gliders carried 28 men all of whom were from the 6th Airborne Division. The bridge was taken in just 10 minutes after the landing, a quite remarkable achievement.
There was a counter attack by 21st Panzer Division but this was repulsed by the British reinforcements that had parachuted in to assist Major Howard and his men. Strategically the bridge was vital to both the Germans and British as a supply route, control of the route was crucial.
Major John Howard was awarded the Distinguished Service Order medal (DSO) on the 16th July 1944 as a result of his heroic leadership that day. In 1954 he also received the Croix de Guerre avec Palme from the French for his actions. The original road that crossed the bridge along with its replacement road was renamed Rue Major John Howard in his honour, there is also a permanent memorial to him at that location.
Major Howard was invalided out of the army, the result of injuries sustained in a car crash. He was later to join the Ministry of Agriculture. Major John Howard, DSO, died in 1999 aged 86.

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The memorial to Major John Howard at Pegasus Bridge.



First Impressions.

Presentation is excellent, the kit is well packaged inside a sturdy and practical cardboard box. On the front of the lift up lid is the eye catching artwork of the assembled piece with its title and description. Once you open the box you will find 3 clear plastic re-sealable bags that contain the various resin pieces, these pieces are further protected as the bags are surrounded by polystyrene nuggets. Under all of this you will find your certificate of Authentication which we will see more of later. As you might expect everything arrived in perfect condition with no damage or missing parts.

The Figure.

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The main part on which all of the others are built is the torso seen below. The quality of the piece has an instant appeal setting the standard by which the rest of the kit will be judged. Detailing is sharp and well defined on the Denison Smock with the pattern 37 webbing and belt laying very naturally over the top. The two recess holes seen on the front are for locating the pattern 37 pouches, this method is used throughout the build and offers a very accurate and well engineered fit.



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For reference purposes a photo of typical Denison Smock., the details of which have been captured so well on our figure.



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The recess holes are used throughout the build, here we see the large recess in the back that will accommodate the backpack, the one on the bottom left is for the canteen, the one on the middle of the belt is for the bayonet and the one on the far right of the belt is for the fighting knife, all of which will be added later. The straps and buckles of the webbing look excellent while the smock material looks to have a natural appearance with the creases and folds.



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From the side view we see how the webbing lays very well over the smock in a very realistic way. The smock itself is just full of exceptional quality detail, the pockets, buttons, collar and tabs all ‘pop’ and help bring life to the figure. The right arm proved positive when test fitting, the recess hole seen just below the belt is for accommodating the holster whilst the one on the front just above the belt is for one of the pouches, both offered a superb fit.



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No matter the angle the figure shows exquisite detail with a wonderfully natural pose.



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More convincing detail, this time in the collar, cravat and lanyard. The collar has a great undercut allowing it to sit raised above the in a very realistic way. The lanyard also lays nicely across the smock looping well under the collar and leading down to the holster. The cravat looks brilliant and will add a nice contrast. Just a few nibs to remove and tidy on the collar and also the base of the figure but once those are delt with you will be good to go.



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You can see very clearly from this photo the superb layering and depth of detail involved. Each layer sits very well on top of the other offering a very realistic appearance.



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Beautiful quality to the resin ensures the detail stays strong and well pronounced throughout. Sharp, crisp and well defined detail can be seen in every area.



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The Major insignia on the epaulets is clear and well defined. The epaulets themselves add another depth and dimension laying nicely across the shoulders of the smock.



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Kings Imperial Crown epaulet insignia. Accurately and very well defined on the figure.



Head.

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The face is sublime with detailing that is first class. The resemblance to the Major is breathtakingly accurate as can be seen from the archive photo below, all of the features are extremely well proportioned.



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Archive photo showing the stunning resemblance of the figures facial features.



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The straps and chin guard for the helmet look very convincing in their appearance laying nicely across the face.



Left Arm.

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A excellent fit is assured to the body with the pin and recess system working brilliantly. The material of the smock looks superb with the creases and folds of the material very natural looking while the hand fits snug to the arm in test fitting. Very little needed in clean up before this piece can be added.



Right Arm.

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As you might expect, the right arm holds the same qualities as that of the left, no hidden nasty surprises here.

Left Hand with Sten Gun Magazine.

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The left hand has been sculpted gripping the magazine of the Sten and looks magnificently realistic. Superb detail on the hand with knuckles, nails and fingers very well depicted. The magazine is equally impressive and certainly looks accurate enough compared to the photo of the genuine item seen further below. A few tiny nibs to tidy up but the fit of the hand to the arm and the magazine to the gun is excellent on test fitting.



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A genuine Sten Gun Magazine, the kit part looks excellent in comparison.



Sten Gun MkV with Right Hand.

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Obviously a very prominent feature of the figure that needed to be spot on, rest assured, it is. This is the Mk V version of most historic firearm and the detail captured in the kit part looks amazing. The right hand has been sculpted holding the rear pistol grip with index finger covering the trigger. The hand is well proportioned and realistic in its pose with great detail to the fingers and knuckles. Comparing the kit part to the reference photos below everything looks in order, very well proportioned and beautifully replicated.



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The famous Sten Gun Mk V. What a stunning representation our kit part offers.



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Viewed from any angle the kit part looks sensational. The front and rear pistol grips, the front sights, the stock, everything looks aesthetically correct. The hand detail is equally impressive showing wonderful detail in the fingers and palm. Again just a small amount of clean up to complete but nothing that will tax you.



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All of that awesome detail seen in this authentic Mk V has been duplicated to a high standard in the kit offering.



Bayonet and Sheath.

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One of the most notable differences in the Mk V Sten Gun over its predecessors was its ability to be fitted with a bayonet. This has not gone amiss in our kit as you will see from the photo below. Beautifully detailed and fabulous in its appearance there is just one tiny nibs to clean before the part can be fitted perfectly into the recess on the back of the figure, test fitting as expected proved exceptional.



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A genuine bayonet and sheath for the Mk V Sten Gun. The detailing on the kit part looks every bit like the real thing.



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The bayonet shown out of its sheath.



British Army Pattern 37 Holster.

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Worn on the figures right hip where there is a recess hole allowing for a perfect fit. The stitching looks wonderful while anatomically the shape looks spot on in comparison to the reference photo further down. Minimal clean up required to make good.



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A genuine Pattern 37 holster, excellent sculpting has ensured a totally accurate representation in the kit part.



Hand Grenades.

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These look excellent, both are worn on the webbing belt. Depth of detail is fantastic and in good proportion to the genuine item. Careful tidying of flash and casting blocks will be in order but once complete these will make for a fine addition.



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A deactivated grenade showing how well the kit parts have been sculpted. Superb attention to detail.




Fairbairn-Sykes Third Pattern Fighting Knife.

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This looks impressive, for such a small part the detail has been captured superbly well. In particular the grip pattern on the handle and the hilt look incredible. The leather sheath also shows great accuracy, on the back is a locating pin for a perfect fit to the webbing belt on the main figure. Absolute minimum of clean up is required before fitting.



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A genuine Fairbairn-Sykes Third Pattern Fighting Knife. The kit part mimics this to perfection.



Webbing.

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A reference diagram showing the standard pattern 37 webbing gear, much of which our figure is equipped with.



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A reference photo showing the pattern 37 webbing pouches and canteen, perfectly replicated on our figure.



Webbing Pouches.

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These look very realistic accurately matching the genuine item shown in the reference photo above. Each has a locating pin on the back for attaching to the recess holes on the figure for a perfect fit. The sculpted shape of each pouch gives a very natural appearance with very little clean up required before fitting.



Webbing Backpack.

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A fabulous backpack is included in the kit and boy oh boy has it been very well sculpted. Its hard to show in the photo but there is a texture to this piece that replicates the canvas brilliantly well. The straps and buckles look very good and there is a locating pin on the back ensuring a perfect fit to the figure. The locating hole seen on the left strap is for attachment of the tin mug seen further down the page. Minimal clean up required before fitting.

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A pattern 37 backpack as worn by our figure, the kit part looks perfectly accurate and captures well all of the detail seen here.

Canteen.

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The canteen continues with the quality seen previously. Yet more great attention to detail ensures a wonderful addition that is going to look fantastic fitted. There is a locating pin on the back which gives a perfect fit to the figure, once again minimal clean up required to make good.



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The reference photo seen below gives an indication of the quality of detail that has been captured on the kit part, once more great attention to detail.



Drinking Cup.

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A simple but effective addition is this tin mug very nicely detailed in resin. The locating pin will ensure a perfect fit to the backpack.



Paratrooper Helmet.

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Just superb in every way possible, the netting and scrim material looks incredible with a perfect fit of the helmet to the head assured. Just the one small casting block to remove and tidy but once in situ everything looks spot on with the straps that are moulded to the face. Excellent proportions and appearance when compared to the reference photo seen below.



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A replica helmet shows well the detail that has been sculpted into the kit part.



Certificate of Authentication.

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Included in your kit will be a certificate of authentication. This is numbered from 1-200 and carries details of the figure. A very nice touch for these limited edition kits.



Photos.

I have included reference photos below which include some from the pre launch event with the wording ‘Coming Soon’ The figure is now available for purchase.









The launch video.

I have included a link below that takes you to the launch video of the figure, seriously good and well worth a look, simply click on the link and enjoy.

The Launch Video here.

Synopsis.

Quality is at the centre of everything RPmodels is about, this is clear to see throughout the review, from the presentation and unboxing through to the conclusion. The fact this is such an iconic historical figure can only add to its appeal. The figure has all of the detail you could possibly wish for, beautifully sharp and well defined with accuracy and authenticity to match it should prove a joy to assemble and paint.
RPmodels have produced another winner with this release, I would be more than happy to recommend it’s purchase. Just remember it is a limited edition piece, if you don’t want to miss out get your order in quick, these will not hang about I can assure you.

Author and Publisher – Martin Philpott.

Martin’s Scale Models on Facebook here.

Thanks.

My sincere thanks to Hugo , proprietor of RP Models and official sponsor of Martin’s Scale Models for this opportunity and review sample.

RP Models Media Sites.

Please be sure to click on the links below to keep right up to date with all that happens on the RPmodels website and Facebook pages.

Website: RP Models Website here.

Facebook: RP Models on Facebook here.

Thanks for a great review Of a great product Martin.

My order is going off soon as I've typed this reply.

Reference photos saved as well.
Peter.

Thanks Peter, glad you enjoyed the review, regards,

Martin.

Hi Nap.
Hadn't noticed the beret peeking out of the top of the smock. Nice touch.

Enjoyed your Mad Jack from the same manufacturer on Facebook.

Really nice series developing.

Peter.

Nice one Kevin, look forward to your work, I see a masterpiece in the making ;-)

Martin.

He's going to get a nasty surprise when he realises he hasn't cocked that sten...

If I were a German soldier with a Sten Gun pointing at me I don't think I would ask myself if the thing was cocked, I'm pretty sure I would just surrender.

Martin.

Hello Mr. Martin...

Congratulations for the review... Excellent work... RPmodels work with very profissional people...

Thank you.
With bets regards
Hugo Pereira

Hello Mr. Kevin...

Thank you for your comment... I want to see this bust paint by you... Im shore the final result will be beautifull, as usual...

Regards
Hugo Pereira

Hello Mr. Peter...

Im glad you liked and the beret with patch on is very beautifull... Its a simpl touch but in my opinion, increase the detail of the figure...

Thank you.
Regards
Hugo Pereira

Hello Mr. Nzgunnie...

Thank you for your comment...

With best regards
Hugo Pereira