Hi all
I'm looking for information on the uniform mix British/American or both worn by NZ troops serving in or around Monte Cassino.

I'm wanting to do a figure based upon my Grandfather who served as a driver with 2 NZEF 2/3 RMT .

I'm wanting to use Tamiyas' ITEM 35223 British Infantry On Patrol as the base figure is this appropriate.

I have goggled but haven't found any sites to confirm.

Can you help??

Cheers

Chris

I would suggest having a look at the Dragon sets - The produce a Commonweath and Cassino set. Uniform colours a pretty generic. Others will be able to give better description of colours. What type and make of paint where you thinking of using.

Hi Chris

I've only seen one pic of 2 Div troops with any US uniform items, that's a pic of 28 Btn troops in Italy (on bikes!) where two of them are wearing US issue helmets.
Lots of pics around showing 2 Div troops with strange mixtures of uniform/equipment/weapons though. Dispatch rider helmets are common, also troops wearing '37 pattern cartridge carriers instead of standard Ammo pouches. Plenty of pics show troops in the line wearing a mixture of standard helmet, Don R helmets, Berets and Cap Comforters.

Also at least one pic of 28 Btn (6th Reo) troops in Italy shows one wearing '37 Pattern Cartridge carrier (or possibly 1911 NZ Pattern) carrying a .30 M1 Carbine and another also with Cartridge carrier carying a 1928 Model Thompson (forward grip and cutts compensator). It's interesting that the '37 Pattern Cartridge Carrier is too small to fit either .30 Carbine or Thompson magazines so I'm guessing these guys just used their pockets.

Two good websites are Maori Battalion (28maoribattalion.org.nz) which has a good photo section and karkeeweb.com which is a great ref site for British web patterns (including NZ patterns).
Also if you can get a copy of Jeff Plowmans book "4th NZ Armoured Brigade in Italy" it's packed with really useful photos of 2 Div troops - most public libraries in NZ would have a copy (at least I know Napier, Hamilton and Wellington libraries do)

Cheers

Brent

Hi Chris,

a couple of useful resources and time consumers

1. Timeframes includes selected New Zealand and Pacific images from the collections of the Alexander Turnbull Library , and

2. The New Zealand Electronic Text Centre NZ War Histories, most of which are downloadable as e books

cheers
David