March 2023


Greetings from the ‘Pearl of The Orient’ and welcome once more to DISPATCHES and a collection of some very special figures which, I hope, will find a place in at least some of your own collections.

So, without further ado, let’s see what King & Country has in store for you this month…

BEING RELEASED THIS MARCH

1. "Outside Tutankhamun’s Tomb"

The discovery of the young pharaoh’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings in 1922 brought many visitors and spectators to the site from far and wide and included some notable characters among them…

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Sir Harry Perry Robinson Adventurer Extraordinaire

AE096 "Sir Harry Perry Robinson Adventurer Extraordinaire"

Harry Perry Robinson’s life story unfolds like a ‘Boy’s Own’ adventure novel from a bygone age.

Born in India in 1859, he was sent off to boarding school in England before going on to Oxford and then devoting most of his adult life to writing and journalism.

Along the way he sailed across the Atlantic and travelled to the American West where he took part in the last great ‘Gold Rush’ of the 1880s.

After that, he ventured into the booming U.S. Railroad business and made himself wealthy before becoming involved in American politics and helping to elect Republican contender William McKinley into the White House.

During this same time he married, divorced, remarried and became, for a time, a U.S. citizen. Throughout this entire period he continued to write and his work appeared in leading journals and newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic as well as elsewhere in the English-speaking world.

By 1900, he decided to return to Britain and move into the book publishing business where he championed, among others, the noted American writer, Jack London.

As before, Harry continued his writing and was widely recognized for his reporting and his ‘ringside seat’ at some of the most exciting and dramatic events of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

For most of his journalistic life his most successful professional partnership was with The Times of London which provided him with a roving commission to write about people, places and events the world over.

During the First World War he was the paper’s premier ‘War Correspondent’ and actually spent more time at the Front than any of his fellow journalists.

For his wartime service he was knighted by King George Ⅴ and shortly thereafter was selected by The Times to report on Lord Carnarvon’s Expedition to uncover Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

Sir Harry was present at the excavation site when Howard Carter, the famed archaeologist and Lord Carnarvon actually broke through into the almost intact burial chamber of the young Egyptian pharaoh.

This newest ‘King Tut’- related figure shows Sir Harry standing next to his camera and tripod as he photographs some of the ancient treasures as they were recovered from the tomb following the excavation.

The Honourable Celia Molestrangler

AE097 "The Honourable Celia Molestrangler"

Another of the spectators observing the events surrounding the discovery of the Pharaoh’s tomb was this young and pretty Englishwoman, the Hon. Celia Molestrangler, the younger daughter of Viscount Nemesis Counterblast one of Lord Carnarvon’s closest friends.

This pretty young member of the Jazz Age’s ‘Bright Young Things’ shields her fair looks and features from the fierce Egyptian sun under a pretty, purple parasol as she observes the events unfolding.

AVAILABILITY: NOW!

2. "HOME ON THE RANGE"

From the dry desert sands of Ancient Egypt to the long dusty trail of King & Country’s ‘CATTLE DRIVE’ series and… a few useful additions…

CD022-027

CD_20230202_02

CD_20230202_01

The Town Sheriff

CD022 "The Town Sheriff"

As the wild and lawless ‘cowtowns’ of Kansas sprang up all along the main routes of the great cattle drives during the 1870s and 1880s law and order became an urgent necessity.

Helping to keep the peace as well as enforcing the law was often a lonely and dangerous occupation and demanded a special breed of lawmen who were as handy with their fists as they were with a six-gun.

In those days there were mainly two types of peace officer… One was a U.S. Marshal, normally appointed by a State or Territory’s Attorney General.

The other, much more numerous, was the Sheriff, commonly elected by a county’s residents or chosen by a local town council.

Many of these same Sheriffs received little or no pay but derived their income from a percentage of any money collected in fines or bounties raised on the heads of any ‘wanted’ criminals and desperados found in their jurisdictions.

In addition to this kind of uncertain income some Sheriffs also took a ‘second job’ or even held a financial interest in certain establishments frequented by the cowboys who drove the great herds passing through their towns. Saloons and bordellos being the most commercial… and profitable.

Our new Sheriff looks both well-dressed and well-armed with a fine shotgun in his hands and a Colt.45 ‘Peacemaker’ on his hip.

Jake Ketchum Riding Drag

CD023 "Jake Ketchum Riding Drag"

This is not, as some might expect, a ‘cross-dressing’ cowboy but a young ‘cowpoke’ who rides at the rear of the herd, always on the lookout for any ‘strays’ that might fall behind or wander off the trail.

He wears his neckerchief ‘bandanna’ up over his nose and mouth to avoid the worst of the thick dust stirred up by the hooves of thousands of ‘Texas Longhorns’.

The Gunfighter

CD024 "The Gunfighter"

Gunfighters, sometimes called ‘Gunslingers’ were men who in the American West of the late 19th and early 20th countries gained a reputation for being dangerous and deadly with a gun.

They participated in all kinds of gunfights and shoot-outs and often found themselves on the wrong side of the law.

Although ‘quick-on-the-draw’ with a pistol most of these gunmen were equally adept with a rifle or a shotgun.

Essentially gunfighters were ‘hired guns’ who made their living in the Old West thanks to their skills and accuracy with all types of firearms.

Our K&C gunfighter might be looking for a fight or maybe he’s just heading for the nearest saloon… you decide.

The Standing Pinto

CD025 "The Standing Pinto"

Although we’ve produced quite a few ‘mounted’ cowboys in this series we’ve also had a number of requests for single, ‘unmounted’ horses that could help populate any ‘Cattle Drive’ scene or accompany any of our ‘dismounted’ or ‘standing’ cowboy figures.

Here is our brown and white ‘Pinto’ still saddled up and ready to go with whichever cowboy or Mexican figure you choose.

Marlin

The Marlin Cowboy

CD026 "The Marlin Cowboy"

Marlin Firearms was founded back in the 1870s and produced a large assortment of firearms including lever-action rifles, pump-action shotguns and single-shot rifles.

For many years it was considered to be the main competitor of the more famous Winchester.

At this time, Marlin produced a series of full-colour advertisements portraying a mounted cowboy with his own lever-action rifle in a ‘heroic’ pose. We thought this would make a great figure to add to our range… and here he is!

Guarding The Herd

CD027 "Guarding The Herd"

Riding the range or patrolling the perimeters of the herd through the night it pays to keep your rifle at the ready.

One more mounted ‘cowpoke’ to add to your crew.

AVAILABILITY: NOW!

3. "THE MIGHTY BISMARCK"

Otto von Bismarck can easily lay claim to being one of the greatest giants of history of the 19th Century.

As the mastermind of the unification of Germany in 1871 he was to go on and dominate European affairs for almost two decades before resigning in 1890.

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Bismarck

Count Otto von Bismarck

TR010 "Count Otto von Bismarck"

Otto Edouard Leopold von Bismarck was born in the year of Waterloo, 1815, as a member of the ruling upper class of Prussian Junker landowners.

Always interested in politics he rose rapidly through the ranks of government and held several of the most senior positions including minister president and Prussia’s foreign minister.

Bismarck also provoked three short, successful wars against Denmark, Austria and France which gained Prussia additional territory and the impetus to finally gather all the minor German states together under one leader with one aim… to be the leading power in continental Europe.

As a personality, away from the political sphere, Bismarck was strong-willed, outspoken and sometimes overbearing but he could also be polite, charming and witty when the situation demanded it.

MEMORIALS

Even during his lifetime von Bismarck was widely recognized for his many achievements.

All over Germany during his life many citizens began to praise him and throughout the country, monies were donated to erect statues and monuments celebrating his work, some of which survive to this day.

This latest TR release is inspired by a statue of the great man which can still be seen in the Tiergarten Park in Berlin and depicts him in traditional German military uniform.

AVAILABILITY: NOW!

4. "ANCHORS AWEIGH!"

A couple of months back we introduced several new US Navy ‘Bluejackets’ including some in ‘parade poses’.

Well, now it’s time to add two more that help bring more than a little extra colour to any parade…

USN030 Group

USN032 Group

U.S. Navy Stars Stripes

USN030 "U.S. Navy Stars Stripes"

A marching ‘Bluejacket’ sailor holding the 48-star national flag aloft.

U.S. Navy Infantry Battalion Flagbearer

USN033 "U.S. Navy Infantry Battalion Flagbearer"

The U.S. Navy Infantry Battalion flag was for many decades, the actual flag of the U.S. Navy as a whole.

The flag design of a navy blue, fouled anchor on a white diamond on top of a navy blue field dates back to the mid-late 19th century.

Although it was superceded by a whole new design in 1959 this particular flag was in common usage throughout the period our K&C ‘Bluejackets’ represent i.e. the 1920s up until the late 1950s.

AVAILABILITY: NOW!

5. "HELICOPTER WARRIORS"

The Vietnam War is often known as the “Helicopter War” as it was the first time in human history large numbers of helicopters were used in all kinds of combat roles and employing many different types and sizes of helicopters.

Of all the different machines operated during the war the vast majority were the several variations of the Bell UH-1 ‘Iriquois’ better known as the ‘Huey’.

In recent years K&C has produced several different examples of these superb hand-carved, hand-painted wooden ‘Hueys’ but until now no suitable figures to go with them.

Well here are the first three…

VN162-163 Group

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Helicopter Pilot & Copilot

VN162 "Helicopter Pilot & Copilot"

Two standing ‘Chopper’ pilots looking over a flight plan. The more senior is shown wearing the famous Stetson U.S. Cavalry hat and is obviously a member of the ‘AirCav’.

The other pilot is wearing his ‘bonedome’ and the standard flight suit complete with some body armour and a side arm.

Sidenote: At present K&C is also hard-at-work on our own mass-production UH-1 ‘Huey’ which we hope to release later in 2023 or early 2024.

Maintenance Crew Chief

VN164 "Maintenance Crew Chief"

Just as important as the aircrew that flew the Hueys were the groundcrew guys who serviced them and kept them in the air.

This Air Cav. Crew Chief is going through a check list on the ground before a flight.

AVAILABILITY: NOW!

6. "BEING RETIRED"

And that my friends is that for this month… apart from a few retirements.

The New Fan Bearer

AE058 "The New Fan Bearer"

A ‘new’ edition of an old favourite.

Chinese Spearman

IC049 "Chinese Spearman"

Chinese officer w/ Sword

IC050 "Chinese officer w/ Sword"

Attacking w/Spear

IC055 "Attacking w/Spear"

Standing Ready w/ spear

IC056 "Standing Ready w/ spear"

Attacking w/Sword

IC057 "Attacking w/Sword"

Slashing w/ sword

IC058 "Slashing w/ sword"

Standing Firing Archer

IC059 "Standing Firing Archer"

Kneeling Firing Archer

IC060 "Kneeling Firing Archer"

Standing Ready Archer

IC061 "Standing Ready Archer"

Horseman charging w/ sword

IC062 "Horseman charging w/ sword"

Horseman Sword Downwards

IC063 "Horseman Sword Downwards"

Standing Guard w/Spear

IC064 "Standing Guard w/Spear"

Marching Guard w/Spear

IC065 "Marching Guard w/Spear"

Marching Flagbearer

IC066 "Marching Flagbearer"

Mounted Officer

IC067 "Mounted Officer"

Kneeling Officer Reporting

IC068 "Kneeling Officer Reporting"

Mounted Lancer

IC069 "Mounted Lancer"

Standing Guard Reporting

IC070 "Standing Guard Reporting"

95th Rifles Officer w / Telescope

NA376 "95th Rifles Officer w / Telescope"

Observing the enemy as his men move forward to take up firing positions.

General Sam Houston

RTA056 "General Sam Houston"

Although not at the Alamo, Sam Houston’s pivotal role in the fight for Texas Independence gives him an honoured role amongst the Alamo’s heroes.

Robert McKinney

RTA059 "Robert McKinney"

Another of Davy Crockett’s fighting Tennesseans, Robt. McKinney perished along with his leader.

John McGregor

RTA072 "John McGregor"

This is the second figure of this Scottish Alamo defender K&C have made and the “first” to show him playing the bag pipes. McGregor born in Scotland in 1808, was living in Texas in 1836 when the Texians rebelled against Santa Anna’s dictatorship. It is said that during the siege McGregor engaged in “musical duels” with the fiddle-playing Davy Crockett to entertain their fellow defenders. Alas, his ultimate fate was the same as all the rest…

Mexican Officer w/ Pistol

RTA089 "Mexican Officer w/ Pistol "

Mexican Drummer

RTA090 "Mexican Drummer"

Mexican Flagbearer

RTA091 "Mexican Flagbearer"

Thanks once more for checking in and hope you find a little something for your collection.


Best wishes and... Happy Collecting!

Andy C. Neilson
Co-founder & Creative Director
King & Country