'Classic' US paratrooper-Normandy (UPDATE)

Hello all...
I first saw this photo MANY years ago as a kid...a 101st AB paratrooper capturing a German soldier somewhere in normandy on D-day...
I remember being impressed with the 'toughness' of this guy...the look on his face, his baggy uniform,the high ankle boots with fighting knife, the fixed bayonet pointing right at the chest of the surrendering soldier...it was my first impression of the US paratroopers, and everything about the trooper in the picture screamed BAD ASS!...
Many years, books, films, and references later, nothing has changed about my impression of the trooper in tis photo...of course, I came to find out that the action in the photo was 'staged' by a photographer...but the spirit of the photo still rings true in my psyche...the tough, no-nonsense, ''we're the BEST' attitude...the collection of wae 'souveniers' hanging from his uniform (I see a German canteen, bayonet in scabbard, and a stick grenade in his pants pocket), the cigarette dangling from his lip...
This pic has come to symbolize the US paratroopers duing and after the Normandy campaign; nothing I've learned in all my research since then has changed my opinion...only re-inforced it!



Since getting involved in the 1/6th aspect of military modelling, I always knew I would eventually try to duplicate the action depicted in this photo...many US paratrooper bashes later, I feel satisfied that I've found the right combination of uniform, gear, and hesdsculpt to finally start to bring this scene to life in 1/6th...
IMO, the secret to bashing a great US paratrooper 'post-jump' is to use the EXCELLENT DML 'Dan Summers' M42 jump jacket and trousers (the DML 'James Gordon' M42 can be used to represent an un-reinforced version)...this uniform was, just about, the best piece of 1/6th work that DML ever did...the tiny zipper and pull, the cut of the cloth, the color, the detail...(I'd sure love to see this uni again)...IMO, no other Manufacturer's M42s come close...although I tend to use the DiD version for my paratrooper bashes in 'jump' status (with parachute attatched)...
The recent releases of HS's from DiD and DML have been excellent, the DiD one's in particular being 'factory' painted VERY well-the longer necks look great as well...
Gear is a combination of DML (gas mask bag, M6 knife, etool and cover w/CVI lift-the-dots, M1 rifle(detailed and 'weathered'), 'liberated' German stick grenade, canteen, and bayonet...
DiD repainted helmet w/ Zand netting and custom 502nd 'heart'decals, 'Stiner' rigger pouches, first aid pouch, and canteen...
BGT suspenders w/ 'Stiner' felt pads, and HS from one of their new carded sets...
NLM corcorrans
CVI insignia
one of my custom gas detection btrassards, suitably weathered...
As the original photo had been censored, it's hard to tell exactly which unit this guy represents...is that a 'circle' on his helmet?, a 'heart'?...
and is that a 'censor' mark on the front of his helmet?...or an 'assault' first aid pouch tied to the netting? (You see a lot more pics of the first aid pouch attatched this way in later operations...but, apparently, some troopers did wear theirs this way in Normandy)
I've taken some artistic liscence and depicted him as a 502nd trooper, but I'd really appreciate any more info as to the identity of the unit-it's easy enough to change out helmets...
Also, it's hard to tell, but it does appear he has a GP ammo bag slung around his neck as well (I'm awaiting delivery of the excellent new BGT ammo bag for this guy)...the only other item that is in doubt for me is the strap hanging in the center...perhaps someone on this board has some more info about the discrepencies I've noted...
Slimming the DML chest allows him to 'strike the pose'...kind of a confident swagger...
I'm going to model his prisoner as well...so I'd appreciate any help in identifying the trousers that this guy is wearing...it appears he's wearing an officersbelt...
again, thanks for looking,
Bruce

one of my custom gas detection btrassards, suitably weathered...

i'm interesting for this gas detection brassards.

how did you do?
Thank you

Here is a link to the original posting...showing the evolution of the manufacturing...I now paint the completed brassard with acrylic gloss clear....it soaks into the paper and gives it the 'waxy' look of the original...it also allowa the brassard to 'crumple' like the originals...

http://www.sixtharmygroup.com/portal/viewtopic.php?t=17631&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0

Bruce

thanks,
for this link.

Very nice

Okey dokey !
Great job cousin !

Bravo.

But eyes are too big, would need to repaint them..

Otherwise very beautiful detail(room).

J'aime ! très bien à part les mains qui font plastoc sinon à part ça, j'aime la pose, réaliste. bravo ! en plus avec la photo d'époque sympa.

GREAT !!!!!! NICE JOB !!!

Juste, ce n est que mon goût, j aurais patiner la tenue coude, genou, manches....chaussures, il a sauter en Normandie, c est sans aucun doute battu, ça "marque" un tenue de para !!!

Very good job
i love it

Superbe!!! Je connaissais la photo mais j'avais pas remarqué que notre para avait largement fais ses "courses" côté Allemand !!!!!

AH il en jette moi j'aime bien ce côté chibani qui fait de la recupération Allemande à toi c'est la classe
Avec une petite patine la dessus et il sera TIP TOP

Oh great great job !!!!! I rather like it !!!

You have do a good reproduction of the famous picture of this paratrooper !!!

And thanks for the link about gas brassard !!



Just one thing : you figure represents a soldier of 502nd PIR, but the real is the soldier Don Burgett of 506th PIR ...

The soldier is named Wilbur W. Shanklin 101st airborne and was dropped far away from his dropzone.
He landed near Ste Mere Eglise and fought along with 82nd airborne paratroopers.
He's seen on this picture threatening (for the picture) a Georgian soldier at Turqueville, on the road Ste Mère église Turqueville at the roadcross near Audouville-la-Hubert.
He was considered as a brave soldier but later during the battle of the bulge he shooted himself in the foot to leave the frontzone.

On the picture he seems to have an HBT jacket under his M42 uniform, he was known by Jake Mc Niece who's talking about him in his book so I think (but can"t remember) that he was a 506th paratrooper.


Le para s'appelle Wilbur W. Shanklin de la 101eme airborne et a été largué assez loin de sa zone de saut prévue.
Il a atterri près de Ste Mere église et a combattu avec les gars de la 82eme airborne.
On le voit sur cette photo menaçant (pour faire une belle photo) un soldat Géorgien près de Turqueville, la photo a été prise au carrefour menant à Audouville-la-Hubert sur la route Ste Mere-Turqueville.
Il a été considéré comme un bon soldat mais il s'est quand même tiré de lui même dans son pied pour quitter la zone des combats pendant la bataille des Ardennes.

Sur la photo il a l'air de porter une veste HBT en dessous de sa M42 et étant connu par Jake Mc Niece qui en parle dans son livre je crois (mais je ne me souviens plus) qu'il faisait partie du 506th PIR.

http://www.6juin1944.com/album/thennow/index.php?id=97


Edit : I got it 506th PIR demolition platoon, j'ai retrouvé c'est bien 506th PIR peloton de démolition.

VERY GOOD "POSTE":une figurine personnalisé sur une photo d'époque, des menbres qui font part de se qu'il savent ,je trouve qu'il faudrai garder cette habitude de présenter la réference d'archive (photo dessin gravure ) quand elle est a l'origine du travail de "customisation". Merci a nos fréres d'amériques qui nous montrent le chemin...

Le club des chats a écrit:

Le para s'appelle Wilbur W. Shanklin de la 101eme airborne

Il me semblait que Don Burgett c'était reconnu comme étant le protagoniste de la photo !?????? Enfin bon c'est pas grave

Pour le fun, une autre avec le même para :

Great photo!...
I haven't seen this one before!
Thanks,
Bruce

Citation :

Il me semblait que Don Burgett c'était reconnu comme étant le protagoniste de la photo !?????? Enfin bon c'est pas grave

Non c'est certain que c'est Shanklin parce que sur une photo de meilleure qualité comme dans le livre de M. De Trez on voit son nom marqué sur la housse en cuir du KBar qu'il a sur la cheville, pas moyen de faire mieux pour l'identification

Ah ok pas de prob'

J'ai fait une photo de la photo pour ne pas pulvériser mon livre en le scannant donc ça n'est pas super mais on devine quand même le nom (en tout cas on voit le SHA..)

Effectivement, bien vu, avec ça : ce ne peut être être que shanklin ...

Hello all...
I just saw the pic of the 'SHA' initiald on the scabbard...so I'll definetely want to add that to this trooper...
Here is how he looks so far...
I added a wonderful Battlegear Toys US GP ammo bag (mustard/khaki color), a machete (from DML's 'Dewey'), and the nice US first-aid kit (from the new DiD pilot/crewman 'William Bowman') tied to his left boot...(quite frankly, this is the nicest first aid kit out there-DiD improved their previous versions-long tie straps, khaki colored, and 'stuffed' better)
also he now sports a correct helmet, with 506thPIR 'spade', hand/stencil painted per an earlier post.
I'm waiting on the last piece- a musette bag strap-(thanks for the heads up!), then I do believe, outside of a little weathering, I'll call him 'complete' and move on to his 'captive'...still looking for comments and advice on what, exactly, the POW may be wearing...HBT'S?
as always, Thanks for looking!
Bruce

No HBT for the the POW is a Georgian he's wearing an old 1936 jacket and old dirty pants with 2 pieces of sewed cloth of different colors from the original pants (a rond one on his right leg and a square one on the left one) and also a Russian belt.
For the name of the paratrooper sorry for the poor quality of the pic but instead of scanning it from the book I made a picture of it, on the original pic you can see the full name.
You are talking about an HBT but I think that Shanklin is wearing the HBT jacket under his M42 jacket.

Non pas de tenue HBT pour l'Allemand qui est en fait un Géorgien il porte une vieille veste 1936, un pantalon tout pourri avec deux pièces de tissu de couleur différente pour cacher les trous (une ronde sur la jambe droite et une carrée sur la gauche), il porte aussi un ceinturon Russe.
Shanklin porte bien son nom complet sur la couteau, sur la photo dans le livre on le voit bien mais étant fainéant je me suis contenté de prendre une photo du bouquin au lieu de scanner.
Shanklin par contre, à mon avis, porte bien une veste HBT en dessous de sa veste M42.