British Infantry, 1941–1945

Hinchliffe 20 mm Figure Review

British Infantry, 1941–1945, 20 mm Hinchliffe.

Hinchliffe British Infantry officer and NCOs in Battledress, painted Vallejo 70.921 »English Uniform«, with 1937 Pattern Web Equipment, painted Vallejo 70.977 »Desert Yellow«.

Individual Figures in 7 Poses – 23,5 mm equal 169 cm Height

  • British Officer with Webley .38/200 Service Revolver, 20 mm Hinchliffe B5
  • NCO with Sten SMG and Binoculars, kneeling, 20 mm Hinchliffe B6
  • NCO with Thompson Machine Carbine, advancing, 20 mm Hinchliffe B2
  • № 1 Bren with Bren LMG, prone, firing, 20 mm Hinchliffe B7
  • Rifleman with SMLE and fixed Bayonet, advancing, 20 mm Hinchliffe B1
  • Rifleman with SMLE, kneeling, 20 mm Hinchliffe B3
  • Rifleman with SMLE, prone, firing, 20 mm Hinchliffe B4

Evaluation

Excellent choice of subject. When Hinchliffe released their British Infantry in the 1970s they were a welcome addition to Almark and Airfix British Infantry. The relaxed officer and NCO poses were often used to lead mortar teams and Vickers machine gun teams, or staff company and battalion command sections in wargames.

The small number of infantry poses is typical of old school wargaming, where single-figure poses were preferred for ease of handling and identification on the battlefield. When there are few poses, static poses are the most versatile, because they portray what soldiers do most of the time anyway: stand around or walk from A to B.

The officer and senior NCO are wearing their ‘37 pattern webbing in “Skeleton Order”, while the junior NCO and the riflemen in his section are in “Battle Order” with Waistbelt, Braces, Basic Pouches, Haversack, and Entrenching Tool, although they are missing the Water Bottle and Bayonet Frog with Scabbard.

The pockets on the Battledress Blouse and Trousers are not exaggerated like they are on many other miniatures of this scale, making them difficult to see and paint.

Hinchliffe 20 mm British Infantry compared to Airfix and Revell.

Hinchliffe British Infantry are slender enough to be deployed alongside their Airfix 1:76 scale and Revell 1:72 scale brothers in arms.

Historical Employment

  • British and Commonwealth Infantry, 1941–1945

Possible Conversion

  • British Infantry with Small Box Respirator in Alert Position, 1940
  • British Infantry in Khaki Drill Service Dress (KD SD), 1939–1942
  • British Infantry in KD tropical Dress re-dyed Jungle Green, 1942

Hinchliffe British Infantry is a must-have for wargamers wanting to increase the variety of poses in their infantry platoons and companies.

British Miniatures of World War Two