1/6 UJINDOU UD9015 Chindit (Burma, 1944)

[Asta]

UJINDOU 1/6 “Chindit” Long Range Penetration Groups, Myanmar 1944

NO.UD9015

Slouch Hat x1
Indian Made British Pullover Jumper x1
1943 Jungle Green Airtex Bush Shirt x1
Jungle Green Trouser x1
scarf x1

37-Pattern Waistbelt x1
37-Pattern Braces x1
37-Pattern General Purpose Pouches
P37 Backpack Large Expeditionary Backpack（Chindit version） x1
P37 Pack with shoulder strap Marke
Japanese Soldier's Comfort Bag x1
British Water Bottle w/Strap x1
37-pattern Cloth Anklets
British Boots

Lee Enfield No.5 wood Mk I Rifle x1
Bayonet x1
British machete x1

Chindit badge

NEW BOND HEAD SCULPTURE
BODY W/ RELAXED HANDS
GUN HOLDING HANDS

 

[Asta]

The BBICN forum went down while I was uploading the photos.

Haven't had a chance to look the images over, but the hat strikes me as a bit wonky. Nevertheless it's another interesting subject from UJINDOU, and the tropical aspect plays to the spirit of adventure in exotic locations that's driving my choices for WW2 figures.

 

[Asta]

So, the Enfield No. 5 Mk. I 'Jungle Carbine' was never used in Burma during the war.

The experience of jungle fighting in the Pacific lead to the requirement for a shorter, lighter rifle, but it wasn't used operationally until post-war campaigns where it got it's nickname, 'Jungle Carbine'.

The rifle was officially introduced into service in September 1944, and was first issued to British airborne forces in Norway towards the end of the Second World War.

So it's anachronistic for a Chindit, which is a bit of a let down.

However, Lend-Lease Thompson submachine guns were used by the British in Burma, and the 1937 Pattern General Purpose Pouches could take their 30-round magazines. The pouches were also used for 32-round Sten magazines, even though they didn't fit properly.

Therefore Hot Toys' Captain America can save the day and donate his Tommy gun!


Shame about the Enfield though, as I don't know what use I can put it to. It's sending me down a rabbit hole of investigation, and so far there isn't a lot of information.


Found some service history here:



He says the first official use of the No. 5 Mk. I was in field trials conducted in the Netherlands during the Battle of the Scheldt (2nd October – 8th November 1944).

The 1st Airborne Division was also issued the rifle as part of the force used to liberate Norway.

 

[FlyAndFight]

Very cool looking figure. They should have called it "Burma", as that was the name of the country at that time.

 

[Asta]

Very cool looking figure. They should have called it "Burma", as that was the name of the country at that time.

It's funny they opted for Myanmar, because I'd have thought all the texts on the subject would've referenced Burma.

 

[Asta]

One other thing of note.

I went through Osprey's Chindit 1942-45 and British Infantryman in the Far East 1941-45, and it's apparent that the Chindit shoulder titles and badges weren't worn on the shirt.

So when it comes to assembly those won't need to be attached.

 

[Asta]

 

[Asta]

I don't know if it's a cultural thing, which appears to be Japan via China, but I edited the title to Burma since that's how it was generally referred to at the time. Both names apparently derive from the same word for the majority ethnic group.

 

[FlyAndFight]

Yep, I agree.

 

[Asta]

Ordered from Kit.

https://onesixthkit.com/index.php?r...Ls9aKZ5fi_AITS40VKyuSlSoD_-XCTpp65R5mxctK7oUg

Since a lot of Chindits had beards, even very full beards like Major General Wingate himself, I'll be swapping the sculpt out.

No idea what'll become of Matt Smith.


For original footage, this is a really good documentary from 1945 (the first staged minute is a bit odd though):

Burma Victory has its origins in a project that was conceived in 1944 by Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, head of South-East Asia Command. He desired a full-length film that would tell the story of Allied forces in South-East Asia in World War II. Ultimately this became a film about the Burmese Campaign. Mountbatten's project was complicated by his ambitions. He stated that the film should cover 'all the principal activities of South East Asia Command', adding that 'As such a film will cover Allied troops it should be a joint production – British and American'. Here he faced two problems. First, the US had different military reasons for being in Burma: a wish to reopen the land route to China as opposed to the need to recapture a British colony. Second, they had a specific desire regarding how their actions should be perceived: the US resolutely did not wish to be seen to be supporting Britain's imperial project. © 1945

 

[BuddyGus]

Some great materials there for a GIJOE Recondo custom.

 

[abake]

Great figure.
I have fond memories of reading Argentinian comics about the Chindits. It was an on-going series that followed some unit during their campaign. They had a Gurkha, a Scotsman and some Texan dude, if I'm not mistaken. The scot obviously wore a kilt.
I wish I could find those comics online someday, they were great fun to read.

 

[Asta]

The scot obviously wore a kilt.

Think of the leeches!

Or not!



I watched another more recent documentary with ex-Chindits recounting their experiences.

After being separated from his unit, one Chindit was suffering from beriberi. His feet were swollen and he'd lost "central vision". Stumbling through the jungle alone he eventually laid down by a stream to sleep. When he woke in the morning he was "crawling with leeches", which he shaved off with his knife. However, the leeches' famed medicinal properties had actually started to cure him as his central vision was back to normal.

They suffered badly from malaria and dysentery too, and it was understood before they set out that anyone who was wounded or too sick to keep up would be left behind. But since their comrades couldn't bear to leave them to the mercy of the jungle, so they shot them in the head.

That was in this documentary:

 

[Asta]

I have fond memories of reading Argentinian comics about the Chindits. It was an on-going series that followed some unit during their campaign. They had a Gurkha, a Scotsman and some Texan dude, if I'm not mistaken. The scot obviously wore a kilt.
I wish I could find those comics online someday, they were great fun to read.

I think I found the Argentine comic:

https://luisalberto941.wordpress.com/tag/chindits/

It seems to have been published in Fantasia:

Regarding the Argentine version, let's say that its first part consists of 37 episodes that appeared in Fantasia between June 1977 and May 1980 by Robin Wood and Clemente Rezzonico, episodes that were reissued in the mid-nineties in D'Artagnan. Subsequently, a second cycle begins, composed of thirty episodes written by Gustavo Amézaga and again drawn by Rezzónico, stories that appeared in Nippur Magnum between 1984 and 1990 and were reissued in 1996 in D'Artagnan, according to data taken from the Woodiana Master Book. . (Carlos R. Martinez)

The page also mentions Valiant and War Picture Library, but I think this is just because they also printed stories about the Chindits:

Regarding the Argentine version, let's say that its first part consists of 37 episodes that appeared in Fantasia between June 1977 and May 1980 by Robin Wood and Clemente Rezzonico, episodes that were reissued in the mid-nineties in D'Artagnan. Subsequently, a second cycle begins, composed of thirty episodes written by Gustavo Amézaga and again drawn by Rezzónico, stories that appeared in Nippur Magnum between 1984 and 1990 and were reissued in 1996 in D'Artagnan, according to data taken from the Woodiana Master Book. . (Carlos R. Martinez)

 

[Asta]

I found quite a few contemporary films here:

https://film.iwmcollections.org.uk/...list&sort=Relevance&filterBy=&spellCheck=true
There are four pages, but not all the videos are available. Many of them are footage recorded without sound.

This is the only film in which I've seen the Chinthe badge worn:

https://film.iwmcollections.org.uk/record/2909

The film was made in 1945, and I read somewhere else that the badges were issued to soldiers after the event, and not worn in the field.

 

[FlyAndFight]

Although having nothing to do with this figure, I caught part of an episode of "The Rat Patrol" over the weekend and it reminded me of this figure.

 

[abake]

I think I found the Argentine comic:

View attachment 583017

https://luisalberto941.wordpress.com/tag/chindits/

It seems to have been published in Fantasia:



The page also mentions Valiant and War Picture Library, but I think this is just because they also printed stories about the Chindits:


View attachment 583018


View attachment 583019

Yeah, that's the one!
That Robin Wood guy was genius. He wrote almost all of the recurring stories that came in Fantasia and D'Artagnan, as well as some in another title that was more Rom-Com oriented.

Robin Wood (comics) - Wikipedia

 

[Asta]

Although having nothing to do with this figure, I caught part of an episode of "The Rat Patrol" over the weekend and it reminded me of this figure.

I'd never heard of that.

After a quick search I now have all 58 episodes!


Looking at a few random bits made me think of The A-Team crossed with Sven Hassel, with a dash of Casablanca.

I'm intrigued because I don't know how they managed to make 58 episodes bombing around the desert in a jeep blowing things up.

 

[Asta]

I gave up on The Rat Patrol after skimming through a couple of episodes, but while I was reading about it on IMDB there was a link for The Flying Misfits (aka Baa Baa Black Sheep, aka The Black Sheep Squadron, 1976-78).

This one looks more of a spectacle due to the aerial combat.

 

[FlyAndFight]

There's a television channel down here called "H&I" which stands for "Heroes and Icons". They televise all of the oldies but goodies. Every Saturday night they play back to back episodes of "Black Sheep Squadron", "Tour of Duty", "Combat" "The Rat Patrol" and finally my favorite, "Twelve O'Clock High". With the exception of "Twelve O'Clock High", the others can be a bit cheesey but still fun.

Every weekday evening, they will play in order, "Star Trek", "Star Trek- The Next Generation", "Deep Space Nine", "Voyager" and finally "Enterprise". Each series is in order and so are the episodes. Very cool.