Next pile of metal and wood

[Spasm]

Typical, just start stripping and sanding and the rain comes

Here's the next batch of rusty items

Edited November 11, 2014 by Spasm

[Spasm]

And these have a bit of rot, woodworm and need repairing so that they open and close without falling to pieces. One ammunition and one stick grenade.

Don't know what these will end up with, probably troopers and unit markings

[TacHel]

Looking forward to seeing them again once you've worked your magic on them!

[Laurence Strong]

Ditto

Larry

[Brian Wolfe]

I'm in agreement with Frank and Larry so would that be, ditto ditto.

Your works are always amazing, thank you so very much for posting them.

Regards

Brian

[Spasm]

Getting stuck in....

Here's the WW1 British being filled and then all base coloured up. It's going to be painted to commemorate Dave Gallaher, the Captain of the 'Originals'. The New Zealand rugby team that toured Europe and North America in 1905/6 and was the first team to be known as the All Blacks.

Dave Gallaher joined up again in WW1, having served in the Boer War, when his younger brother Sgt Major Douglas Gallaher was killed with the 11th Australian battalion at Laventie. Dave lied about his age stating he was 41 when, in fact, he was 44.

Sgt Gallaher's helmet was penetrated by shrapnel in the attack on Gravenstafel Spur on 4th October 1917, he died later that day. He is buried in Nine Elms Cemetery. His gravestone bears the famous Silver Fern of the All Blacks and gives his age of 41.

His brother Henry who served with the 51st Australian battalion was killed on 24 April 1917. Henry's twin brother Charles survived after being badly wounded at Gallipoli and died in 1950.

We'll see how it comes out.

The helmet is backed up by a sniper plate, British I believe. It weighs a ton and will also be given a bit of a spruce up.

Edited November 3, 2014 by Spasm

[Hoyden R.]

Paul and I were at a Militaria show and I saw a piece of your exquisite work. I recognized the craftmanship right off that bat as belonging to you. I forgot to take a picture of it, next time I see that vendor, I'll take a picture.

[Spasm]

Wow, that's pretty neat - you recognising it and me realising that it's out there. I post the stuff and then sort of forget that it is still around somewhere. Also good to know that people see my stuff as re-sellable.

Thanks for letting me know.

[Spasm]

A 1939 BMB helmet and liner. Commemorating the air crew in the Battle of Britain.

[TacHel]

[Spasm]

Frank, he he, thank you.

You'll like the next bit of tin I've found. Only very small but very Canadian. I'll need a size 0000 brush and hopefully can do it justice.

[Spasm]

A very small piece (6" by 3.5") of a Spitfire (X4426) which was shot down and crashed on Erriott's Farm at Dadmans, Lynstead at 10.37am on 28 Sept 1940.

The pilot, F/O John "Beryl" Boyle was from Castlemain, Ontario, he was 26 years old. He is buried at Lynstead New Churchyard in Kent.

[Naxos]

Love the FO Boyle tribute - incredible!

[TacHel]

Wonderful tribute!

If I may though... The maple leaf is too modern, only used since 1965...

It should look like this to give it a period look. Your choice though, looks great either way.

[Spasm]

Thanks Hardy was pretty difficult being so small and Frank well spotted

Thanks for pointing that out. It'll be getting changed tomorrow and I'll re-post.

Edited November 12, 2014 by Spasm

[TacHel]

Was he in 242 or 401 sqn?

[Spasm]

F/O John "Beryl" Boyle joined the RAF on a short service commission as acting P/O on probation on 24th October 1937. He was graded as P/O on 23rd August 1938 and rose to F/O on 23rd March 1940. He served briefly with 611 Squadron prior to being posted to 41 Squadron 'Seek and Destroy' at Hornchurch.

Probably claimed by 'the Star of Africa' Hans-Joachim Marseille then flying with I.(Jagd)/LG 2

[TacHel]

Ah ok... Another Canuck lost within the huge RAF. I knew a few who flew in North Africa in 247 me thinks... Thanks!

[Spasm]

All fixed

[Naxos]

Very nice, my friend!

Hardy

[TacHel]

Outstanding!

[peter monahan]

Fabulous! If I sell one of my two blonde daughters, can I make a down payment?

[Spasm]

Thanks Gents

I accept all forms of down payments but prefer wives as they go back home to make the dinner

I've been asked by a few to do a 'how to' so my next project - a 1939 F&L Brodie MK2 - is going to be photographed all the way through with methods, materials etc. So that those, who would like to, can have a bash at bringing those old relics back to life. I'll also be taking you through the 'painting by numbers' methods to get your very own designs/photos onto a helmet so you can have a go at getting your granddad, his unit/regiment and his medals on there as well.

I'm fancying a Dunkirk commemoration one at the moment but may change my mind once I've finished off the few bits still under the paintbrush. So, any old end up, I'm hoping to start in a week or so.

Ideas of what to get onto the helmet - it is going to be British Army brown - would be greatly appreciated (don't suggest Chris helping a crashing train load of nuns while brandishing an FS fighting knife with Rachel Welsh under his arm).

It'd be nice to see some of yours.

[Spasm]

All set to do the instructional thread and will start in another place on the same channel.

Here's the just finished Brodie (Type B as it's non magnetic).

Obviously to commemorate Dave Gallaher who was the Captain of the 'Originals' or the very first team to be known as the All Blacks.

[Spasm]

David Gallaher was five years old when his family moved from Belfast to the Bay of Plenty. He always claimed to be three years younger than he really was and when he enlisted to fight in the Boer war in 1901 he gave his age as 24 instead of 27. His gravestone at Nine Elms British Cemetery gives his age as 41 whereas he was actually nearly 44. (Just as there were very young victims of the war, a surprising number of New Zealand soldiers were in their thirties or forties and one, buried at Messines, was in his fifties.)

Captain of the highly successful 1905 All Blacks (the “originals”), Gallaher married in 1906 and had a daughter (Nora) in 1908. After his younger brother, Douglas, was killed in France in June 1916 he decided to enlist again. He became a sergeant with the 2nd Auckland Regiment on 1 June 1917 and was wounded in the face on 4 October. He died the same day at a field hospital in Poperinghe. In addition to Douglas, another brother of Gallaher’s, Henry, was killed on 24 April 1918. Both brothers were serving with Australian forces. Five Gallaher brothers served in the army: only two survived.