Gary's Albert Ross M42 Uniform Page

Welcome To My Albert Ross M42 Uniform Page.

This is my third page based on the DiD Albert Ross figure, this boxed figure amazed me when it was released because of the amount of pieces that have been supplied with it. I have a review page which I made up with some excellent help from other modellers, which I feel will help us all with this model. With this figure I am going to make him into a pre-jump US paratrooper. Note: The problem that arose with making this figure, is that now that he is finished I have the equivalent of a DiD Soldat 2 airborne paratrooper.

Headsculpt

The headsculpt for this figure had the same treatment carried out on it that I did with my Class A figure. The only extras that I have tried to do to it, was that I painted some Flesh Tint acrylic paint onto the nose and cheeks to add highlights, but this was lost when I did the drybrush of the face with some cream pastel chalk.

M42 Uniform

This section is about how I do my first steps to make sure that the M42 uniform looks right on all my figures, especially with the trademark baggy trousers for the US paratroopers. In the last two pictures below it shows the shoulder and collar detail of the uniform, the shoulder rank insignia I am not sure of as I have heard that it is not correct. Note: The collar is very tight if you wish to fasten the clip, I found that by pushing on the loop side with some tweezers and pulling on the hook side with my fingers the collar can be done up.

This is how I have made sure that I have both the trousers ready to blouse over the boots, plus I have also made sure that the waist is tight so the trousers stay up. I have found that with the waistbands and how loose they can be on most 1/6th figures, I usually find that by putting some string thorough the waist loops and tie it off tight I can keep them in place. Note: Another thing I do with the waistbands is, I cut off as many of the buttons as I can and keep them in a small bag as spares, since they won't be seen plus it is almost impossible to get replacements in this size.

The pictures above show in the top row how I have again used the small rubber rings as shown on my Blousing section, to make sure that the trousers hang correctly over the boots. Note: With my US paratrooper figures I like to make sure that the rings on the inside of the trousers legs are as low as possible, this way when I fit the boots and slide the trouser legs up to the tops of the boots. I get a nice baggy look to them and lots of nice creases as well. With the string tied around the waist as above (which won't be seen) I don't have to worry about the trousers falling down.

.30 cal cartridge belt

I remember reading somewhere on the Sixth Army Group forum, about how someone changed the belt that came with this cartridge belt for the other standard waist belt. So I got to wondering if I could do it as well? Mainly because I am always thinking how I can make my figures equipment look different.

The first thing I did was to take the normal belt apart as above left, I then took out the strap from the cartridge belt and swapped them over, it was a bit of a tight fit to get the belt in place with the grommets but as above right it can be done.

The pictures above show the belt in place which has the ends overhanging, these will be folded over later back into the first of the three canvas straps for the cartridge pouches. The final picture above show the belt in place which I will adjust so that I can hang the first aid pouch in the middle at the back.

The first two pictures above show how the clips for the belt equipment are too small to fit onto the .30 cal ammo pouches, the third picture above shows the wire cutter pouch with a new clip I made from 30 amp fuse wire. The pictures below show the bayonet fitted to the belt, the other pictures are of all the equipment attached.

Making a DiD Soldat 2 Figure

After completing this figure I again realised why I seldom make fully loaded paratroopers for my collection, as I had almost forgotten just how much they can really try my patience. To make this figure I have to build it up in layers with the first thing I put on it was the shoulder webbing and the ammunition belt, over the top of this I then put the shoulder holster.

The gas mask case came next, the top strap I adjusted out almost to the full length so it will go around the figure's waist, this was then adjusted for tightness, the bottom strap was put around the leg again adjusted for tightness.

Over the top of these items I then put the GP bag over the shoulder, which is on the left hand side as the figure is facing you, and the despatch bag was placed on the right hand side again facing you, both were adjusted to sit right against the belt equipment. I also fitted the musette bag onto the shoulder webbing straps. Note: The straps on the musette bag I found were too short for what I wanted to do with it hanging down in front, so cut them off and replaced them with some longer webbing material. These were then adjusted so that the bag would sit lower down under the reserve parachute.

Note: I don't have a photo of this stage as I may have deleted it, during the photo session. Although the straps can be seen in the centre pictures above. The parachute and reserve that I have use for my figure came from my last boxed Corbin Black, the instructions on how to fit this are on my Jeb parachute page. Important Note: The only parachute straps that need to be fastened are the centre clip above and the leg straps, as you still have to fit the Mae West vest yet.

Note: The vest I used for this figure is from Dragon as it has the inflation pipes, unlike the DiD vest which has them missing

This I feel is the most stressful time that can come from this hobby, because the Mae West vest has to be placed over the head, the top strap has to fed down the back of the figure under the rear parachute straps so it hangs down to connect up with the waist strap. The centre waist strap has to go over or around the belt equipment, under the parachute side straps and connect up with the strap loop from the neck. Also you have to bring up the lower strap loop through the legs, through the two parachute straps as shown in the middle picture above, under the main parachute bottom strap, this again has to allow the centre waist strap to go though it to hold it in place.

Note: Some adjustment may be needed on the top and bottom looped straps to get the centre strap to go through them. In the final picture above I have connected up the centre strap with the other side of the vest. Important note: Don't pull too hard on the straps as they are only plastic and they can break, if the strap will not reach make sure that you have gone under all of the belt equipment as this can cause problems. If necessary undo the centre vest strap and put it under any equipment or parachute straps to give you more room.

The last strap that needs to be fastened on the parachute is the belly band as shown below, it is here that my patience really started to wear thin. Note: Because after I have done some research on how the Mae West vest was worn, I found out that if the straps are placed over the vest then it cannot be inflated in an emergency. So the centre lock and the belly band straps have to be put on under the vest. For these steps with all of the other straps fastened, I pulled the band forward and placed the reserve chute loop through it as shown above left. The belly band was then threaded though under the vest, over the belt and parachute straps until it came out the other side as in the centre picture below.

Note: Make sure that both sides of the belly strap are under any of the belt equipment, as this can affect how much strap you have left to fasten into the buckle. Also you may find as I did that there may be only be a little bit of the strap left to do up, just re-adjust the parachute slightly also the straps and you should have enough to fasten the belly band. The only other thing to do was to connect up the reserve chute hooks to the main parachute webbing, and the figure was almost finished. Note: I also made sure that the white cords from the Mae West vest were attached under the elastic on the reserve parachute, as these are used to inflate the vest if needed.

Remember that the belly band has to go under any belt equipment such as the water bottle and the shovel.

Once I had everything fastened and connected it was just a case of adding the final pieces to the model, on the shoulder I added a gas detector brassard, a rifle in a drop case, a knife and Hawkins bomb to each leg and a Soldat 2 leg bag. The helmet is from DiD with a spare net covering on it, the insignia is a pair of water slide decals from CVI.

Update

I have been supplied with the following excellent information from Kevin, courtesy of the Screaming Eagles Re-Enactment group, and I would like to say a very big thank you to him for the details. As he has answered a lot of my questions that I asked of the group, regarding how the equipment was worn by the soldiers and I just had to pass it on to my fellow modellers. Note: A very interesting part of the text below is about how the Mae West vest was worn if you are left handed, this has surprised me as I have never thought about that before, and I assumed that the vest could only be worn one way.

If your Paratrooper is wearing a M42 jump suit then he should be jumping into Normandy with a T5 parachute. Not a T7 quick release box type. The way that this would have been worn was to put on all your equipment first, with the musette bag clipped on to your webbing and hanging down in front of the crouch buckles facing towards the crouch so that the bag can just be thrown over the head upon landing and will be facing the correct way. (Note: See the picture right)

Then the parachute goes on, but do not buckle up yet. Now put on the Mae West this should be a B4 life preserver with only 2 straps. The front strap goes between the musette bag straps and under the crouch and underneath the parachute not over it. The side strap goes around underneath the parachute from the left and buckles up on the right, if you are left handed put the Mae West on backwards as it has a rubber pipe on both sides to inflate it yourself.
The top of the vest should stay over your parachute harness.
Now buckle up the parachute harness across your chest over the Mae West and clip on reserve chute to chest harness over Mae West. Now pass the belly band through the straps on the back of the reserve chute and buckle up on the left hand side over the Mae West.

Some paratroopers would sling their weapon and pass the belly band over it.
Next take the static line over your left shoulder and tuck behind reserve chute ready to hook up.
The reason why you jumped rigged up this way is if your main chute failed then you could still use the reserve. If you landed in the drink then you cut off the chute with the M2 switch blade carried in the pocket on the neck of your M42 jump suit.
Unfortunately this set up was not a great success as the Germans had opened the locks and flooded the fields in Normandy and a lot of Paratroopers drowned tangled up in their canopy's. But having said that my uncle was a Sailor on the HMS TarTar on D-day and they picked up the 506th's Pathfinders out of the Channel who had been shot down, so it worked for others.
Hope this has been of some use.

Update

I have had a reply back from another re-enactor, regarding the type of knife which would be used to cut the parachute's canvas straps in an emergency.

The M2 was merely used to cut any entangled parachute cord or chute material. The M3 was to be used to cut the actual harness. You would be there all day cutting through the canvas with a M2.