Title: French (British) SAS raider , south-east France, 1944
Scales: 1:32, 1:35 und 1:48
Resin
Sculptor: N. N.




Cheers

Nice figure.

So good I posted 3 times.
Fat fingers and slim keyboard

Lots of visible flash, and wonder how many attempts to get the sling intact..physiology of a renanctor. Not the best ever at all

Yes great figures, ut looks to old for a simple soldier (The middle age of French SAS was around 20/21 years)
For memory :
In the night of 5 june 1944, 4 sticks of 4th S.A.S were dropped on north and south Britanny to prepare S.A.S bases (Samwest, Dingson, Grog), to take contact with local Resistance and established D.Z and L.Z for the Battalion. The mission of french S.A.S was to destroy all communication ways, to get ambushs and sabotages to prevent all ennemies movements toward Normandy. These men were the first allied soldiers to come and fight in France for D-Day. This fact was a decision of General Montgomery.
Immediatly after his landing a stick (LtMarienne) was obliged to fight with a troop of Nazi, and Corporal Bouétard was wounded and killed by a german n.c.o. It was the first allied soldier K.I.A in D-Day operation.
One night after the D-Day, 18 french S.A.S teams known as "Cooney parties" were dropped on all parts of Britanny to accomplish sabotages on railways, roads etc.. in the way to cut all possibilities for ennemy to go to Normandy beachhead. At this time in Britanny about 150.000 ennemies (Infantry, Paratroopers, Engineers, Artillery etc...) are ready to go on Normandy landing areas...
Night after night, sticks of french S.A.S -4th Battalion- and containers were dropped in the area of St-Marcel (Morbihan)-"Baleine D.Z" to accomplish ambushs and sabotages and all actions were successful.
The 18th june in the villages of Saint-Marcel and Serent an epic fight was realized by 200 S.A.S, 4 jeeps and 2.500 men of french Resistance (F.F.I) against more than 5.000 nazies with heavy artillery. Along the day, french resist to attacks of germans helped in the afternoon by "straffing" of an air closed support of U.S Air Force but when the night comes they were obliged to leave the battle area and get back the maquis. Today a Resistance Museum with a S.A.S display is located in the village of Saint-Marcel. After this combat, the S.A.S were strongly hunted and many acts of violence were realized against the civilians and them. They came in different maquis areas.
During all july the S.A.S could realized many important missions in the way to stop and destroy the german forces. Less than 500 men were opposed to very big ennemy forces.
In August, the U.S Forces (3rd Patton Army) came in Britanny and 2nd Squadron of 3rd S.A.S was dropped in britanny to reinforce 4th S.A.S. Also a lot of armed jeeps were dropped or landed by gliders (the only one glider S.A.S operation of WW2).
At the end of Britanny campaign french S.A.S have lost more than 65% of their men. Immediatly, the S.A.S wings worn directly on left breast were awarded to 4th S.A.S renamed 2nd R.C.P (Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes).
At this time, many volunteers from maquis have taken an enlistment in S.A.S regiments.The 3rd S.A.S became 3rd R.C.P. At the end of the Britanny campaign the french S.A.S have received for the first time the red beret. It is worn with the Para cap-badge but without the lion and the crown.
From 1942 to September 1944 the french S.A.S have had the black beret of R.A.C with the same insignia. Only on 11th november the 2nd R.C.P french regiment will worn the red beret with the S.A.S winged dagger embroidered cap badge to parade in Paris on "Champs Elysées". A few time after the 3rd R.C.P will receive also the red beret with S.A.S cap-badge.


Brigadier Mike Calvert, Commandant SAS Brigade, at the ceremony marking the passing of 3 and 4 SAS (2 and 3 Regiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes) from the British to the French Army at Tarbes in southern France. 1945

French SAS

You would not be able to paint this one as British as the beret is pulled over the left eye, Brits have it pulled over the right with the cap badge over the left eye.
Nice bit of history ZC

Exactly, the beret although of French tradition, coming from Béarn and not from the Basque Country was adopted by almost all the armies of the world to copy the ... English. British tradition of taking an element of uniform to an opponent (or for the beret) to an ally, France after 14/18. In addition, all NATO berets are manufactured by a small factory in Béarn (BEATEX-Oloron Sainte Marie).
In the French army the beret leans on the left except for the Commandos of the Fusiliers Marins, there, the beret is worn in English.

French 1er RPIMa (1er Régiment Parachutiste d'infanterie de Marine) Fench Special Forces, they belong to the army, despite the name, their ancestors were the colonial troops.
The peculiarity of the 1st RPIMa is to be the holder of the traditions of the SAS, it is a regiment as strong as the SaS, their motto is well known: "Who dares Wins", and their badge must remind you something:


Fusiliers Marins Commandos ancestor Commando Kieffer and commandos of Lord Lovat, they belong to the French Navy

You see my point that the face is way porky for the slim men of the time, or the tough guys of late. I lived in Pau and Paris and Hold the French parachutist regiments in high regard

Not quite right, British army berets are made by Compton and Webb limited in England

Exactly the company "Beatex" won the tender for the berets of 28 nations belonging to NATO. There are normally 29 of these organizations.
Perhaps one of these 29 countries wanted to do otherwise!

Rivet counting anyone?

I was honored several years ago to meet the now late Andre Bagot on more than one occasion. He was one of the 177 Free French of No. 8 Commando that landed at Sword Beach on D-Day. There is a small museum in Ouistreham that tells the unit's story as well as displaying Monsieur Bagoy's medailles. He was a Capitaine in the French Navy in 1940.