First appearing in 1/72 scale in the late 1970s, this diorama product was always intended to be an accessory for the figure sets, particularly for World War II. Although it is they that were supposed to give the model life, Airfix still threw in a handful of extra figures to get things started. The first figure is sitting at a bench and operating a radio - he has headphones on, although he is otherwise in a generic pose. If you are using the ruined building as an HQ or communications hub then that is great, but you could also use it as a first aid post, in which case the figure lying on a cot bed would be useful, although one patient hardly makes a first aid post. Returning to the communications theme, the last figure is of a despatch rider, and you may recognise him as the same figure that appears in the
RAF Recovery Set.
The radio man seems to wear battledress, although this lacks some pockets, and the uniform of the casualty is hidden from us. The despatch rider has the standard motorcyclist’s helmet and goggles, but the way in which the figure is moulded means there is little detail on his uniform, so he could be wearing ordinary battledress or perhaps some form of short jacket. He does wear long boots, and generally looks authentic for a British despatch rider, so none of the figures present any accuracy problems. The sculpting is pretty good, but there is some flash and, on our late example, some sink holes. The motorcycle stands thanks to a bar under the riders feet, despite him not having either foot on the ground.
These are not figures to get excited about, but at least Airfix made the effort and the results were worthwhile.
Although this product appears in a number of Airfix catalogues, it was never made up and photographed, so the above artwork was always used in one form or another.