Hello
Surely the most impressive example of the military's predilection for TLAs (that's Three Letter Acronyms), the Canadian built CMP Heavy Utility truck.

I first became aware of the type through the late lamented editor of 'Wheels and Tracks' magazine, Bart Vanderveen. Though his interest and knowledge of military vehicles stretched broadly across most types, his favourite was always the CMP HU. And you can see why. This boxy purposeful 8-cwt vehicle really looks the part, like a 1940s Hummer. It was used for all manner of purposes from troop carrier to workshop. It became ubiquitous, serving wherever Commonwealth troops were and could be described as emblematic of the

Bart's enthusiasm for the beast was infectious. After his death in 2003 I began work on creating a model of the type with the intention of representing each of the major types. With the help of the folk at Milicast, we now have five versions:- HUP (Personnel) early; HUP late (with spare tyre in a recessed panel on the side); HUA (Ambulance); HUZL (Workshop); and HUW (Wireless).

It is the last of those listed which is my favourite, the HUW. Those of you who have read the article on the Bedford QLR may have noticed a common theme. Though I never had a connection with the Royal Signals, the business of their existence has always fascinated. In my frequent trawls through the British National Archive at Kew, one of the key points of reference is the signal traffic recorded, usually at Division or Corps level. Where unit War Diaries are often vague about timings, the wireless logs were kept immaculately, recording exactly when an order was given or when an objective was reported taken. So, in a continuing 'homage' to the work of the Signalmen, here is my rendition of the CMP HUW.



The wireless operator was adapted from the figure from my MT Drivers. It is a wonder I have any left to sell. I also added wires, a microphone, a mug of tea, a battledress blouse sculpted from epoxy putty hung up on the wall, and some oddments of paperwork.



Having put so much effort into the interior, it s proving impossible to put the roof on. One day...

Hope that was interesting.

You can look at this and other vehicles here:
http://www.dantaylormodelworks.com/british-softskins-21-c.asp

All the best
Dan

www.dantaylormodelworks.com

Another superb effort, Dan. Your attention to detail is outstanding. Please keep them coming.

Cheers,

Neil

Especially all the small details, gives it a lot of life.

Hi
Good to hear that the effort is appreciated.

Thanks
Dan

Which unit will it be? I wouldn't want to put the roof on either
beautiful work you have put into that.

The HUA would be my pick, I want to do a 3rd ID one off Sword
with infantry walking bikes, a jeep with snorkel & Bren with waders

Though of doing another book? love to see a British army support vehicles of WWII
from someone like Concord with artwork by Dennis Oliver?

Cheers Elliott

Hello Elliott
It sounds like we may be working with similar reference books. Recognize these?




Let me know what you are intending. Half my current production centres on items based on Jimmy Mapham's photographs.

I've been working on three books which seems an effective way of not finishing any of them. One on Op Crusader (Western Desert 1941), one on Landing Craft in British Service, and one that's a follow up on the Villers-Bocage book. There seems a missmatch between the number of hours available and the number required to finish anything.

All the best

Dan

Hi Dan,

I've been following your recent posts and admiring your work - but this diorama is just stunning! I'd love to see some more pictures if you have them.

I'm also very interested in the Mapham photographs. I've often thought there's scope for a book showing the whole series, together with colour plates, background notes etc.

Still hoping you'll come out with an LCS (M) one day

All the best,
Andrew

Hello Andrew
Thanks for the comments. As you suggest, Mapham's pictures give an excellent narrative of D-Day. They are perfect for model makers because he tends to take a bunch of pictures in a single spot before moving on to the next.

Here are some more pictures as requested:





It needs a lot more dirtying up and I'm working my way through the figures in the photographs, adding them to my range as I go. If you look at the illustrations for the figure sets on my website you can probaly work out where they are meant to be placed. The buildings are (with minor alteration) still there and so I was able to fully survey the site and create plans of each of them. I have somewhat over produced the vehicles so that all of the ones depicted in the photographs are available in order that I can choose the precise moment at a later stage.

Though there is still some work to do, you can get a pretty good idea of the scope of the model from this aerial view:



A couple more test layouts:





This is the third of three dioramas depicting 'Jimmy Mapham's D-Day'. The first is based on the pictures taken in Shoreham on either 4th or 5th June; the second shows the scene on the beach at about 10am on 6th June, approximately when he landed; and the third scene shows the junction at Hermanville-la-Breche, the first lateral road off the beach an hour or so later.

Though the Hermanville diorama is the furthest developed, the first is coming along fairly well too. It depicts two landing craft of 41 LCT Flotilla as they are being are loaded with 13/18 Hussars and various units of 3 Inf Div. When I built the LCT4 for Accurate Armour about ten years ago this scene was the intended conclusion:




This is just a basic layout and requires a lot of work to finish the sea, the hard and the myriad figures. There's going to be a jetty running out between the two craft and a number more vehicles in LCT 789. You can probably tell, it is a labour of love.

The plan is to have the three dioramas completed next year so that they can be displayed for the 70th Anniversary of D-Day.

The LCS (M) is still on the cards and I have the basic hull built. My problem is that there are not enough of me to go round all of the projects I have on the go and I can't afford an assistant as yet. If you happen to know of any funding angels, their telephone numbers would be appreciated!

Hope that was interesting

Regards
Dan

www.dantaylormodelworks.com

What a work of art Dan!

Everything is so life-like, you're recreating the "feel" of these photos so well!

And of course every detail is beautiful, down to the 3 Br Inf Div shoulder patch!

Do you mean that all the figures in the diorama wil be your own production?

I really love the small group of soldiers standing by, with the Beach Group guy in the background marching resolutely towards them and looking like he's going to to tell them in no uncertain terms to move on rather than look at the cameraman!

The LCT are superb, just like the rest!

Michel


remove "truck" from email address

Hello Michel
Very glad to hear you like them. Most of the figures you see in the pictures are already in the range. Have a look athttp://www.dantaylormodelworks.com/british-infantry-44-set-1-65-p.asp andhttp://www.dantaylormodelworks.com/beach-group-re-67-p.asp. I have some carrier riders and dispatch riders which are close to being sent off for moulding and who are also from the same photographic source. Some of the other sets also have figures which will be incorporated into the LCT diorama.

Thanks very much for your message.

Regards
Dan

Those are awesome,
I thought it was a colourised version of the well known photo's at first.
The photo's I have are in the first 'After the Battle' mag Normandy 73.
Is there any other publications that have more James Mapham's photos per chance?

All your books sound like interesting,
loved your ATB VB book, I think you had even signed mine

What style books would each be? ATB or Osprey for Op Crusder?,
LC a "in Action" with Squadron type?

Cheers Elliott

Hi Elliott
The ATB magazine is a good starting point and mine is in tatters from over-reading. Another good (and more recent) publication is 'Gold Juno Sword' byt Georges Bernage. It is published by Heimdal with French and English text. ISBN number 2-84048-168-5. The set are available from the IWM. You really can't beat the quality of an original print so, if you can, I would go there but at £6 ish each, that will mount up. If you would like to go that route, let me know via e-mail and I'll send you the IWM reference numbers.

The Crusader book is specifically based around 22nd Armoured Brigade as it marked their first action in the desert and they were an entirely territorial brigade. I believe this was the first example of an armoured territorial brigade being employed en-masse during WWII. All the action of the other units, Axis and Allied are also mentioned and this is what is taking the time. I'd like it to be well illustrated with the various vehicle and weapon types. Without the possibility of a before and after photograph format it does not sit well with ATB so I am undecided where I would like to take it for the time being.

The LC book is simpler and the Squadron format would seem to suit it. Illustrations of landing craft tend to be wide and low so landscape is ideal. I have about half the various craft I want drawn up so it is a question of finding time to plug away at the rest.

All the best
Dan

Great, I have that book on my Amazon wish list along with his Omaha & Cobra
(on a US 2nd AD late July 44 kick right now re reading Mark Bando Cobra Breakout book)
Have enjoyed is 'Panzers in Normandy' & Normandy Pictorial book (actually I think there is some in that too!)

Cheers Elliott

Fantastic work my friend

Elliott

I haven't looked at it closely yet (as my wife is keeping it for my birthday present), but Tankograd's new book on British Softskins of WW2 by Les Freathy could be what we are both looking for!

Chris

I've got one of those in my stash Dan. Now I have the inspiration I need!

Cheers

David

Hello David
I'd like to hear how you get on.

Regards
Dan

Not much else to say really!

All the best
Andy S.

Hi Dan great build with your CMP HUW the detail is really something...I love the book case! your diorama's are certainly something! I'd love to know where you keep them...As for an assistant I'd do it for free! (if my skills were good enough)I've got something similar in mind for the Dieppe raid using a combination of Churchill's and various other vehicles...Where can I find out some more details about the diorama, i.e how you made the buildings and painting and weathering techniques?

Your a real inspiration!

Jaymes

A twenty year old in shock

Thanks Jaymes
It's good to hear we are not all 40+!

Dieppe
After the Battle do a good book on the Dieppe Raid by Hugh Henry. It is an analysis of the photographs taken by the Germans after the battle. If you haven't seen it already, it is a good starting point. I've built some Churchills for Milicast appropriate for the raid (and can supply them if needed). Another thing that may be useful: I've been building a master for an LCT Mk II/MkIII which will be released next year (subject to distractions). So help is at hand.

Hermanville
Here are some photographs taken during the build as requested:



I'm fortunate to visit Normandy fairly regularly and have made two stops to survey the site and measure the buildings. This is the building just right of centre at the bottom of the aerial photograph in the post above. I'm making up the fret work for the veranda across the front but it gives an idea of the starting point. Although the buildings are still there, a number of minor changes have been made like window frames and other architectural bits so the plans had to be adapted for the correct period.


This is a brass etch fret I made up of the window frames. This method has the big advantage that everything can be painted before attaching to the model. It contains windows, doors, shutters and some wrought iron window railings. The keen eyed among you might also spot two engine decks suitable for M10 TDs. Another story.



This is the basic build of the ornate building in the north-east corner of the diorama. The shell is made up of 40-thou plasticard and then detailing layers of textured plasticard added. The coloured card is mainly brickwork with a stone wall for the garden surround. Notice that the floors have large holes in the middle so that I could place the windows from the inside and add some interior detailing after that. This meant that I could spray paint the exterior without having to mask:



These pictures were taken after the base level of paint had been finished, before weathering. Each wall panel was pre-shaded a little to make them more interesting to look at. One thing I've done here is the textured surface for the large wall panels. After the base coat was applied and cured, I masked the narrow surrounds and stippled the surface with a PVA/plaster mix. This was airbrushed and the masks removed.

To paint the bricks you need a steady hand and lots of time. As they are textured, if you get the right angle with a smallish (No.00) brush, you can get into a rhythm where it doesn't seem too hard or boring. Even then I did it over about a week of small sessions whilst waiting for other jobs to dray or before the school run. I had a three slightly different coloured tins of enamel paint on a palette and so could vary the specific shade of brick. Notice also that I've added some varied tomes tot he stonework to make it look a little more natural too.

My background is in architectural modelmaking with some film work thrown in. The first has advantages when making structures, the second has taught me to create colour charts to give character to the scene and give it the correct 'aged' feel.

Another useful feature of surveying the buildings is that it was possible to identify where repairs had been carried out on the stonework. This suggested where they were damaged during the war. Notice the broken stonework near the chimney above the bay window. You may also notice the way the building has a foundation which projects below the line of the bottom of the walls. My base is made up of loft insulation foam board (great for cutting and sanding to shape) which, after appropriate contouring, has the shape of the buildings cut into it so that they sit in the landscape.

On the picture showing the rear of the building you can see that I have begun to install the etched windows. Hopefully you can also see the broken glass?

The weathering is essentially what I would do with a tank. Discreet amounts of well thinned oil paint: browns and blacks. It is easier to add than take away so I tend to build it up in layers

Storage
Larger models like this usually get a large plywood carrying box so that they can be taken to shows and kept reasonably dust free. The box has holes so that the model is screwed down to the box. Details such as vehicles and figures travel separately.

There's nothing over complicated about the process, it's mainly attention to detail and time. If you would like to have a go at this sort of thing, pick an interesting small building in your area and make that. A shed or electricity substation is ideal as a starter project and see how much detail you can add.

Hope that inspires you to have a go.

Regards
Dan

www.dantaylormodelworks.com

HI Dan, thanks for the help regarding the buildings..I've brought the book so I will get to work when It arrives..Do you ever have problems with the forty though plastic card warping? I need a few Churchill's so I'll contact you as I want some figures too..I am looking forward to seeing the LCM Mk. II/III aswell. I've got a couple of structures from the Heritage railway I work at to have ago at.. so fingers crossed...

Jaymes

Hi Jaymes
40-thou will warp if used by itself. However, there are two things that fix this tendancy. If you fix another piece at righ angles to your original sheet and glue it well, it will not warp. To be on the safe side, I would place side walls and floor/ceilings (even if they are just a beam) to the wall you don't want to warp. The second is laminating: placing a second sheet (even of 20-thou) over the first will prevent warpage.

If that isn't clear let me know and I'll find a way of illustrating it.

Regards
Dan

Many years ago now I bought a book called Plastic Structure Kits (Making the Most of the Wills Scenic Series) by Ian Rice. It was aimed at railway modellers but contained lots of useful information on modelling techniques - including the brick painting technique that Dan employs - along with helpful sketches and photos of model buildings and related structures under construction. It was published by a company called Wild Swan Publications. I don't know whether it is still available, but given the popularity of railay modelling I would be surprised if there weren't other books on modelling small scale buildings. My copy came from Motor Books in London.

(Just did a Google search for Wild Swan Publications and came up with this link which includes a number of books that they have published relating to modelling buildings -http://britishrailwaybooks.co.uk/books/wildswanmodelling.php )