US WW2 Paratrooper Advice Please

[SJWi]

Hi, I've just come back from a week away in France, and after visiting St Mere Eglise am quite tempted to build a platoon or two of US paratroopers in 20mm. My limited research indicates that the guys who dropped on D-day were in a quite different kit from that used later during Market Garden, being dressed in the M42 and M43 uniforms respectively. Looking at the various manufactures I see that Adler and I think Battlefield produce nice ranges in the later M43 kit but I am hard pressed to find any dressed for D-Day.

Help? Can anyone point me at someone who produces D-Day US paras?

Thanks.

[Don McHugh]

I think the Britannia ones are D-Day.

Don

[Greebs]

https://www.elhiem.co.uk/ourshop/cat_81 ... opers.html

[SJWi]

Chaps, thanks for the advice. Although I usually like some of the Britannia stuff this doesn't appear to be their best range.....or maybe the photos on the website just don't do them justice.. I don't usually associate Elhiem with WW2 so thanks for the tip. They look really nice figures and seem to be a pretty complete range for a platoon. Job done!

Simon

[7dot62mm]

More possibilities:

SHQ
ESCI/Italeri
Caesar
Battlefield miniatures (not sure which uniform these have)
Fantassin/Warmodelling (OOP, beware pirates)
FAA (not sure which uniform these have)
Mercer
Sojers

[SJWi]

Thanks 7dot62mm. I find SHQ too small for my liking, and haven't used plastics for many a year. I have never hear of Sojer or Mercer and can't find any websites when I use Google. I love the old FAA models but when I tried to order from them in the US a few years ago they never answered any e-mails and the P&P was prohibitive. The Fantassin/Warmodelling are great figures but seem difficult of impossible to track down.

I'll probably settle on the suggestion of Elhiem but thanks for everyone's suggestions.

[dead1]

I will +1 on the Elheim Airborne - superb minis!

[RichardM]

Does Grubby have some D-Day airborne troops?

[Don McHugh]

Does Grubby have some D-Day airborne troops?

I think the Kelly’s Hero ones are from the Ardennes period.

Don

[7dot62mm]

Does Grubby have some D-Day airborne troops?

I think the Kelly’s Hero ones are from the Ardennes period.

Yes I think they're mostly in greatcoats? I intend to get some.

[John Green]

I think the Kelly’s Hero ones are from the Ardennes period.

Don

Not all of them, or at least most would work, and you can see which before you buy.

In 20mm, there is very little difference in the M42 and M43 uniform worth fretting about. Any 20mm US Airborne painted a pale shade of OD could see use from D-Day to Berchtesgaden (that's what I do).

[RichardM]

Does Grubby have some D-Day airborne troops?

I think the Kelly’s Hero ones are from the Ardennes period.

Yes I think they're mostly in greatcoats? I intend to get some.

Mine are buried somewhere - but he had two groupings in the range. There are definitely the ones in greatcoats etc -bit there were also a whole range in a ‘summer’ uniform. I can’t remember which one though.

I’ve just looked at his site - the early code numbers are not for Ardennes - but while not clear look like the later unifmro. He has painted them green in any case on the website

Richard

[Don McHugh]

From my Kelly's Heroes 2010 catalogue

There are 26 different packs in the American para range, the last 6 packs are in greatcoats. Hence why I think they are for the Ardennes.

The Britannia range includes Lt Col Vandergroot on his cart, so very much aimed at D-Day.

Both from memory are good ranges, but you will have to check them, as quality has become an issue recently.

Don

[ray]

They are both,The figures in jump suits wear the M42 Jump uniform used in Sicily and Normandy, I use a mix of these with Elhiem for my Normandy US AB. Andy also has a good range of GI's wearing great coats,these are perfect for the Ardennes .
TQD make a superb,but small range of AB in the M43 uniform,I use these for Market Garden. And the new range Leon now has is superb.