2nd SAS Regiment (France 1944)
Dragon Kit No. 6199
1:35th Scale
Review by Peter Brown

All the figures have the maroon airborne-style berets worn by the SAS at that time, two also wear the Denison smock used by Airborne units. A third wears the widely-worn sleeveless leather jerkin - not the "battledress jacket" the box line drawing terms it - over his Battledress. Final figure wears the "Smock, Camouflaged, Windproof", this lightweight hooded garment came with overtrousers in the same patterned material. The hood for the smock is depicted as a separate part.

Weapons are all automatics, two have the American M1 carbine and one a 1928 Thomson submachine gun which are on the same sprue as the figures. Included in the set is the weapons sprue from the British Infantry set 6509 which has the Bren gun, a Mk II Sten and two No 4 Lee-Enfield rifles. All the figures wear basic 37 Pattern webbing in light order of belt and cross-braces, one figure has a small pouch for his carbine magazines while the others have the larger basic pouches. Waterbottles are not carried but all four have pistol holster and ammunition pouches. These come in different styles, one holster looks to me like a Canadian issue item for the 9mm Browning or .45" Colt automatics and there are two, two-pocket pouches for automatic pistol magazines plus two small box style pouches for loose revolver cartridges. The carbine-arned figures also have knife bayonets in sheaths.

The set is an instant mini diorama showing a patrol moving stealthily forward from their Jeeps. Those who want to convert can use the two figures in Denison smocks as Airborne troops or even Commandos as some units wore them in NW Europe. Leather jerkins was widely used so this figure has the widest potential, the one in the windproof smock could be converted to depict an Airborne Denison or an infantryman from one of the units which wore this smock. Of the weapons, M1 carbines were not widely used in British units and the Thompson was limited mainly to Commando units in Europe, though it was used elsewhere and in earlier campaigns. The rifles and Sten will allow various late-war options.

Page created 17 May 2004