This last weekend was the SSCC's 11th Annual FIGURECON at Entertrainment Junction in Cincinnati. You can see all the pictures at www.ssccohio.weebly.com
I thought I would share my display here. My theme this year was "COMBAT CORRESPONDENT". The display was divided into four parts. First, was my living history "Correspondent's field desk" assembled from actual artifacts and reproduction items. Second, my story board which featured the stories of four famous WWII Journalists, as well as samples of Yank Magazine from my personal collection. Next, was my own journalistic effort, a story about a Combat Engineer named Woodrow Wilson Wells, pieced together from documents and unit history. Finally, a 1:6th diorama featuring my miniature correspondents and a vehicle and crew from the 37th Tank Battalion.
I thought I would share my display here. My theme this year was "COMBAT CORRESPONDENT". The display was divided into four parts. First, was my living history "Correspondent's field desk" assembled from actual artifacts and reproduction items. Second, my story board which featured the stories of four famous WWII Journalists, as well as samples of Yank Magazine from my personal collection. Next, was my own journalistic effort, a story about a Combat Engineer named Woodrow Wilson Wells, pieced together from documents and unit history. Finally, a 1:6th diorama featuring my miniature correspondents and a vehicle and crew from the 37th Tank Battalion.
Below is a bird's eye view of the diorama. The half-track has stopped on the road so that the officer can interview a couple of locals, seeking intel on the road ahead. My photographer, at the back of the diorama is taking a picture of one of the GIs in the vehicle.
This corporal, carrying a BAR, is covering the road while his LT conducts the interview. Of course with the journalists set up across the road, it is a pretty safe bet that this area is secure.
One of the French farmers points out a possible ambush site ahead on the officer's map.
The tent contains a bunch of details, including a miniature field desk with typewriter and all sorts of other details. The tent itself has a wire frame to support the material. The wire frame makes the structure fairly sturdy. The crates, paper details, field desk and cot are all scratch-built items.
The material I used for the tent is pretty light. I'm going with the theory that it is bleached out from the sun - that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I found some pictures of tents where two different shades of OD material were used in the construction (different dye lots I guess). It was a feature that I wanted to include in my tent.
Here's a peak down into the M2A1. Even though the vehicle is quite a bit bigger than the Hasbro half-track, it is still pretty tight quarters. You can fit six GIs in the back, but it looks a lot better with only three sitting down.
Nothing like the newest edition of YANK to get you through the dull moments of the war. Soon my journalists will be moving up with the rest of the armored column to cover the action on the front, but for right now, they are enjoying a little peace and quiet.
This last year I purchased a collection of war items at an antique story. Included was a Battalion history, but there were enough documents included in the collection that I was able to piece together a rough storyline for a Private named Woodrow Wilson Wells of Ohio. These three pictures show that portion of my display. As a combat engineer in B Company of the 86th Heavy Pontoon Battalion. Among many other actions, he also worked with other engineers to build a Bailey Bridge over the Rhine when the Ramagen Bridge finally tumbled into the river.
The central part of my diorama was to pay tribute to WWII War Correspondents. My storyboard featured four famous correspondents - Robert Capa, who took pictures on Omaha Beach (later killed in Indochina). Ernie Pyle, the GI's favorite correspondent, who was killed at the end of the war in the Pacific. Ernest Hemingway, who in addition to being a novelist, covered WWI and WWII and finally Marguerite Higgins Hall, who covered the war in Europe and continued to cover world events until her death in the 1960's.
The last piece was my field desk, set up for a frontlines War Correspondent. The typewriter is a 1939 Royal portable and was one that was used by some of the journalists in the field. It fits perfectly into the slot below that top drawer. I have three cameras on display, the Ricohflex on the right is like the one carried by Robert Capa. Barely visible on the other side of the desk is a Kodak 35, complete with paperwork and box. This 1940 camera was used by servicemen all over the world in WWII
And that is pretty much my show display. Hope you enjoyed, thanks for looking
- PM
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