List of WWII figures

Quick and handy reference guide to small scale WWII figures generally available.

Disclaimer: List does not claim to be complete or error free.

BRITISH

Infantry

#1564 Atlantic, available in other box types and numbers

#03 Airfix

#200 ESCI

#5001 Matchbox
Only Revell is missing from this group.

Commonwealth Troops

#1570 Atlantic Hindus - turbans

#50 Airfix Australians - slouch hats

#54 Airfix Gurkhas - slouch hats with kukris

#231 ESCI Commonwealth Infantry - same as #200 with a few Australians thrown in.

#5008 Matchbox ANZAC Infantry - slouch hats

#2501 Revell WWII Australian Infantry - Revell's first from oh-so-many years ago
Proves the Empire is not yet dead (Recent Aussie vote confirms this). Other Empire troops such as Canadians wore British uniforms, so if you really want Canadians just use British troops (with dark olive drab rather than the British khaki).

8th Army

#09 Airfix

#207 ESCI

#5005 Matchbox

#2512 Revell
A sideshow maybe, but desert setting captured the imagination during and after the war.

Paratroops

#23 Airfix

#208 ESCI

#2509 Revell

Commandos

#32 Airfix

#210 ESCI

#5006 Matchbox

Misc.

#47 Airfix RAF PERSONNEL

GERMANS

Infantry

#1563 Atlantic

#05 Airfix

#201 ESCI

#5003 Matchbox

#2502 Revell

#2511 Revell
The Germans seem to be the only troops that all the majors did, Revell twice. It is somewhat surprising that before Revell all companies molded their figures in proper, even prim uniforms. Revell changed that by giving us #2502 Winter Germans as well as #2511 which is essentially campaign dress Germans.

Afrika Korps

#1569 Atlantic

#11 Airfix

#206 ESCI

#5004 Matchbox

#2513 Revell
Another one all the majors did. The 2nd Airfix set probably stand out as the prettiest set.

Paratroops

#53 Airfix

#244 ESCI

#2500 Revell

Miscellaneous

#10008 Atlantic Revolution series, strictly speaking pre-WWII

#52 Airfix German Mountain Troops, very interesting and good looking set, not repeated.

#55 Airfix Luftwaffe/Personnel

#2508 Revell German Pioneers/Engineers - novel

#2515 Revell German Horse Artillery - One of the best sets in plastic.

Russians

#1566 Atlantic Russian Infantry

#17 Airfix Russian Infantry

#203 ESCI Russian Infantry

#2510 Revell Soviet Guard Infantry - Russian Infantry, only better.....

#2514 Revell Soviet Cossacks - Only mounted WWII set

#2516 Revell Siberian Rifleman - Winter Russians
Revell did a lot to fill the gaps in WWII figures, most notably with these Russian sets.

Italians

#1567 Atlantic Alpini - Mountain troops, a very small set literally and quantitatively but with snowmobiles, donkeys, and even a small crag.

#10007 Atlantic, again strictly speaking, pre-WWII

#1571 Atlantic Bergsaglieri - with a feather in their cap. The Italian Alpini and this set are really post WWII figures but can be used in a pinch (no pun intended).

#57 Airfix Italian infantry - well dressed

#211 ESCI Alpini - well fed
It is rather surprising that ESCI as an Italian company did not make more Italian troops. If you look at each company's production you will see that they are somewhat ethnocentric (that's one of the reasons why the poor French almost have no representation in this era). This set is one of ESCI's best.

Japanese Infantry

#1572 Atlantic

#18 Airfix

#204 ESCI

#5007 Matchbox

#2507 Revell
Uh, just disproved above comment. No marines or other special troops ever made.

USA

#1573 Atlantic - Marines, even came with the Iwo Jima flag.

#16 Airfix - Marines

#2506 Revell - Marines

#51 Airfix - US Paratroops

#209 ESCI - Paratroops

#2517 Revell - Paratroops

#202 ESCI - Infantry

#5002 Matchbox - Infantry - small figures

#2503 Revell Infantry

#48 Airfix - USAF Personnel
Quite a lot of choices, 3 sets each of marines, infantry and paratroops to choose from. Sometimes, we get enquiries to make Rangers and such, but their uniforms are no different from regular GI's, except for badges.

French

#57, 87 Atlantic - WWII French (Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade), copies of US Marines in blue

#205 ESCI - French Infantry

With 69 sets of fighting WWII figures to choose from the WWII era is probably the best represented in plastic, especially if you throw in the hundreds of kits available to go with the figures. Except for a few of the early Matchbox sets and the non WWII Atlantic sets (which for the most part are too small), the size of the figures are also very compatible with each other.

Several 1/32 scale playsets and figures were released during the release of Private Ryan a few years ago, but much more could have been accomplished with 1/72 scale plastic. Just the 6 sets of German infantry listed above would total more than 90 poses, each figure could be different in any small part of a diorama. Most seasoned collectors could probably field a German army of 1000 figures and the average collector can probably display a D-Day diorama of 1000 figures, most poses different, wow......

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