My Uncle's Toys

AIRFIX HO-OO ( 1/72nd) Scale Figurines

My fascination for Airfix figures began when my Uncle John, bought 2 boxes of 1/72^nd figures for my birthday when I was in Primary School. It was WW2 British Paratroopers and WW2 Japanese Infantry. I had great fun “fighting” them in trenches (huge hairline cracks on our cement floors) and landing them on beaches from landing barges ( old cassette covers).

The next time I saw Airfix kits for sale was when I went shopping with my mum was at CK Tangs along Orchard Road during the 1970’s.

CK Tangs Departmental Store (pic.taken from Skyscrapercity.com)

She will let me wander in the Toys section which was located at the basement. I recalled there was a bin/shelf for “Special Offer” toys. I am sure anything on sale will be approved by my mum . Whilst rummaging through, I saw a box of Airfix figurines. They were the Waterloo Highland Infantry. There was a “window’ at the back of the box and the figure on the sprue that caught my eyes was the Flag bearer. Of course, I raced to find mum and she bought it ( possibly at half the price and I can’t recall how much was it – neither did my mum)- Unfortunately , when I took the figures out, they crumbled easily… it was a real disappointment. Nonetheless, I was truly excited to have a unit of highlanders on guard—but was losing men quickly as they were coming off their base fairly quickly. Unfortunately, I cannot reconcile waterloo units with WW2 ones for my battles.

First box of Waterloo figurines mum bought for me.

The back of the Waterloo Highland Infantry box has a window and picture of selected poses of the figurines contained in the box similar to the French Artillery Box pictured on the 4rth Quadrant above. ( Sample of the back box of Waterloo French Artillery taken from smallscalwrold@blogspot.com )