Hello again! It’s been awhile, but life has finally given me a small opportunity to make some progress on some models! After working on this dio off-and-on for the past few years–in between Bill Mauldin-based dioramas and vignettes an other life events–it’s finally done!
The scene is based on the opening lines of Chapter 14*“Nuts!”* from the book Bastogne: The First Eight Days by S.L.A. Marshall:
At 1130 on December 22 four Germans, a major, a captain and two enlisted men, came up the road to Bastogne from Remoifosse carrying a large white flag. They were met on the road by Technical Sergeant Oswalk Y. Butler and Staff Sergeant Carl E. Dickinson of Company F, 327th Glider Infantry and Private First Class Ernest D. Premetz of the 327th Medical Detachment.
Premetz could speak German. The captain could speak English. He said to Butler, “We are parliamentaires.”
The 101st figures are from the Dragon “101st in Bastogne” kit, slightly modified; the German figures are a mix of Tamiya & Italeri parts and pieces from various kits and my spares box. The flag and the e-tool by the foxhole are scratchbuilt and the groundwork is plaster and Woodland Scenics snow over foam. The trees are also scratchbuilt using a technique I found online (plumosa fern and dowel rods). Some of the smaller saplings are twigs from a bush outside my house.
Hope you enjoy! Thanks in advance for looking! Comments and constructive criticism are welcome as always!
The American perspective:
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The German perspective:
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Overview:
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I like your historical vignette and want to be best friends with it…
I want to buy it dinner and a movie. I would respect it in the morning.
Supurb effort.[snWow]
[Y] very nice build enjoyed the pics.
Ron
Very cool dio, I like the idea, dont see it often, but the guy in the fox hole makes the whole scene, atleast for me.
Beautiful work. [Y] Even down to the Clubs symbol for the 327 GIR. But shouldn’t the Tech Sgt have a “T” beneath the chevron on his stripes?
That’s what I initially thought too, but after doing some research, I realized that the US Army changed the enlisted rank structure back in the 1940’s.
According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_enlisted_rank_insignia_of_World_War_II and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_Sergeant) :
Technical Sergeant insignia, U.S. Army
Technical Sergeant was a rank in the United States Army until 1948. During World War II it was abbreviated as TSgt. or T/Sgt. The rank was above Staff Sergeant and below Master Sergeant. The grade was considered to be grade 2 at the time (the equivalent of an E-6 today). With the addition of the pay grades E-8 and E-9 in 1958, and the addition of a third private grade in 1955, the circa 1948 Sergeant First Class rank was moved to the E-7 pay grade in 1958. By the old scale, the higher the enlisted rank, the lower the grade number. The highest grade was grade 1, while the lowest grade was grade 7.[1] It was replaced by Sergeant First Class in 1948.
I just wish that I realized that BEFORE I put the dry transfers on my figure…I wasted a set of Technician 3rd Grade (SSG chevrons w/ T) chevrons. [bnghead] Then had to peel 'em off and add the appropriate ones after.
Thanks again to all for looking and for the comments!
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