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LEAD & PLASTIC SOLDIERS, BOOKS,
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Britain's

Britain's Lead Toy Soldiers

Original Britain's figures, medical corps, mule teams, 4.7 howitzers, naval field guns, Grenadier Guards, Seaforth Highlanders, Zulus, Bombay Lancers, Skinner's Horse, Bikanier Camel Corps, French Foreign Legion, Zouaves, American Civil War, West Indians, South Australian Horse, Scots Greys, Hussars, Lancers, Fusiliers, Life Guards, Imperial Yeomanry, City Imperial Volunteers, and many, many others.

HER ARMY

Between 1880 and 1914 the British Army, and the British Army in India, as well as the Commonwealth forces of the Crown underwent several reforms, in organisation, in tactics, in weapons and in uniforms. These reforms were brought about by a series of "small" wars fought between the expanding British Empire and those Kingdoms and Dominions that we, the British people, wished to dominate.
Soldiers' Soldiers 54mm lead alloy figures reflect this period, the first of the "new" toy soldiers to be made, in the 1970's, after the demise of the Britain's lead figures, in the 60's. These fine military miniatures, soldat di plomb, blei soldaten or soldatini in piombo, reflect the last full-dress period of the armies of the British Empire, which ended in the mud of Flanders in the "War to End all Wars", the First World War.
Details taken from the Navy and Army Gazette, Her Majesty's Army, His Majesty's Territorial Army, Soldiers of the Queen, Soldiers of the King, Military Modelling and others.

Britain's Lead Figurestoy soldiersmilitary printslead soldiers

wargame figurinestoy soldier figures

Military Prints

Blei Soldaten

Sketches, drawings and illustrations by Simkin, Payne, Marrion, Fosten, Stadden, Mattania, Burnett, Caton Woodville, Lovett, Stansell, Lady Butler, Elizabeth Thompson, Gibb, Charlton, Holloway, Feller, Stewart, George, Charlton, Ward and others, all taken from contemporary sources, books, magazines, music sheets, postcards etc.

Origins of the Species

Britain's Toy Soldier Figures

The first examination of the illustrative evidence used by William Britain and his workforce when creating their famous range of figures some hundred year's ago in North London. Each figure and accompanying artwork, taken from original contemporary sources.

"A unique addition to the fascinating study of the original toy soldiers".

VICTORIA's WARS

HER SOLDIERS

Details of the troops involved, the uniforms, the battles and the tactics of the period 1880 - 1915; those years covered by the lead soldiers produced by Soldiers' Soldiers some thirty years ago; will include the 2nd Afghan War, the Zulu War, the Egyptian War, the 1st Boer War, the 2nd Boer War, the Delhi Durbar, the Boxer Rebellion, the 3rd Ashanti War, and the parades, presentations and funeral processions of the time, will be entered onto this site.
Those figurines that were made in 54mm lead and tin alloy some 30 years ago to represent the soldiers of these times are now approaching vintage status. Their prices increase annually, their investment potential is outstanding and their interest to any military historian is obvious. The figures will never be re-made, stocks are therefore limited and diminishing with each sale.
Details taken from Armies of India, Bands of the British Army, Soldiers of the King, Illustrated Histories of the Scottish Regiments, Our Armies, British and Native Cavalry, Artillery and Infantry, British Army of the Past, Life in the Army.

Uniforms, Battles and TacticsEgyptian WarFirst World WarBoer War

Militaria and Medals

Military Decorations

Military objects, Second World War gas masks, First World War lancer belts, badges, buttons, military decorations, from a variety of conflicts, WW2 arm bands, webbing, haversacks, helmets, caps, berets etc.

Vanity Fair Prints

Vanity Fair Prints

HER REASONS

The War in Egypt
The British and French governments perceived an Egyptian threat to international and British investments in the Suez Canal. Riots were fermented in Alexandria, Egypt, by a popular leader, Ahmed Orabi where foreigners were killed. The Egyptian authority's reinforcement of the coastal batteries guarding the entry to the Suez Canal, created a threat to British communications with India. This show of "hostility" could only be resolved by military force, and the redcoats were despatched from England and India.
The Brits eventually stopped the slave trade in the area, kept the Canal open and stayed in Egypt until 1956; during which time they fought the Mahdi with his Dervishes in the Sudan, at Omdurman, and later Rommel, and his Afrika Korps in the desert at El Alamein.
Details taken from His Majesty's Territorial Army, His Majesty's Navy, The War in Egypt, Souvenier of the Royal Naval and Military Bazaar The History of the Dress of the Royal Regiment of Artillery and Following the Drum.

Armies of IndiaWar in EgyptMilitary FiguresNapoleonic Figures

Lead Soldiers

Books and Magazines

Military History

Military Modelling, Airfix, Navy and Army Gazette, Toy Soldier Newsletter, Old Toy Soldier News, BMSS Bulletin, Guidon, Texas Military History, Soldier, The Great War, World War II, Arquebusier, Agrupacion, Sword and Lance, Spartan, etc etc.

Soldiers' Soldiers

Lead Soldiers

Full listings of Tunstill's range of Soldiers' Soldiers figures produced between 1977-1986 in Lambeth, London. Several hundred figures of the Victorian full dress period. Including Foot Guards, Highlanders, Line infantry, Royal Marines, Corps and Artillery.

World of Model Soldiers

National Army Museum Figures

The book, almost published in 1979, is now on this site. History and details of the Soldier Shop in Lambeth, London, near the Imperial War Museum. Details of figures made for the National Army Museum as well as the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood.

Chapter 1. Early Model Soldiers

Soldier Collection

Lead and Toy Soldiers Museum

Lead soldiers, military figures, soldier books, battle prints, uniform postcards and militaria, are now on display at La Preghiera, situated in Calzolaro, near Umbertide, just north of Perugia, Umbria, Italia.

Latest News - Soldiers Blog

Weblog, webdiary, news, views and messages about lead soldiers, toy soldiers, military miniatures and model soldiers.

Send in your wants / sales, with pics / offers, with picsĀ / for free inclusion. Buy, sell, swap, exchange, question, query, complain.

Click the link below to view the entire blog or the highlighted titles for individual articles.