Hi Gang,

Here is my Kit Form Services 1/24 L118 105mm Light Gun. This is modelled as near as I could ascertain to how they would have looked during the Falklands War. This is a resin, white metal, etched brass and various rods and tubes kit, described on the box as 'for the experienced modeller'. While it wasn't too difficult there were some sticking points. It was great fun to build though, something very different for me. I know the square root of bugger all about artillery so I hope I've got it right. I had planned on adding some more weathering (just shades of soil / mud on the tyres really) but my order of materials went awry and I'm still waiting for them. I'll finish it off when they arrive, or maybe leave it as is?

It's a weird shape for a model, and doesn't fit my soft box very well, so I've got a bit creative with the angles and crops. The last one is a hand held phone shot.


















Thanks for looking in,
Gareth

Quite a jump in size from the beer run, bet it felt good to build with visible parts.
You will probably not be able to resist adding some wear and tear to it.

Great model! But as to your musing regarding weathering; according to a mate who has done a tour there (post conflict), for authenticity it requires a curious sheep and a constant drizzle from a spray nozzle above the display perhaps.

Now I really I want to see Goon genetically engineer a 1/24 scale sheep. Scary thing, he just might, given his attention to detail.

Goon, not sure if you maybe answered this before - do you have a personal connection to the Falklands war? I find it interesting how you bring out so many different aspects of that conflict in your models.

Thanks for the comments. My interest in the war comes from being 12 when it all happened, and it being the first time I was old enough to understand a global event. At the time it was the first occasion I remember 'live' reports from a conflict on the news. (A long time before the 24 hour news culture of today.) They weren't live of course, usually phoned in and broadcast, but for the time it was so (relatively) immediate it felt real time. I followed every bulletin very closely. Names of the mountains and hamlets that were fought over were seared in to my memory.

Having a life long interest in military history I sought out books when I was older and soon learned what fascinating little bubble of time it was. Ranging from the politics of Argentina's invasion and then the UK's response, to the logistical nightmare of a seaborne force 8000 miles from home and the totaly uneven match of 3000 professional volunteers against 10,000 laregly conscripted dug in troops and an amphibious invasion, from the David V Goliath nature of the air battle to the controversial events such as the Belgrano, there's so much to read about and consider. I could go on, but won't because it would be boring. In short, the whole story is fascinating, and the relatively short time period and small force sizes means it's relatively easy to read deeply about all the aspects without becoming bogged down in one or two.

GAreth

For us Brit Civvies, who had no friends or family involved in the conflict, the war had little relevance on our daily lives.
The reality was impacted on me on visiting one of the Group of Chain Stores I was Visual Marketing manager of at the time.
On arriving at the Hereford Store, I noticed that the store next door had a Rolls Royce in the parking bay. i commented to one of the chaps working the loading bay: "you poor sods... having a Flying Seagull visit today?", (this was a term used for unexpected top management inspections: "fly in, crap all over you and fly out again"). "No, we have three widows here this morning, the Chairman has driven from London to express condolences and offer support" was the shocking answer.
Marks & Spencer had a scheme in which they short-term employed the wives of Servicemen who moved around a lot due to posting. In the case of Hereford it was wives of SAS personnel, and a Chinook on a covert mission had gone down in Chile due to adverse weather conditions, killing a number of troopers.

Hereford was hit again later when HMS Sheffield was sunk. Many generations of Herefordians had traditionally served aboard on the ships that bore that name down the years.