ANZAC DAY 2011

Here are a couple of 54mm figures I made a few years ago as a tribute to the blokes who fought on the Kokoda Track in 1942. The figure on the left represents a typical militia man of the 39th Battalion. These blokes were citizen soldiers literally dropped in the way of the Japanese with minimal training and antique weaponry. Their job was to hang on and slow the Japanese advance until the experienced soldiers of the 2nd AIF, returning from Africa and the Middle East, could get to them. The figure on the right is a typical soldier of the 2nd AIF one of the battalions who trekked up the track in appalling conditions and reinforced the militia in a series of brutal battles with the advancing Japanese. We owe a lot to the actual blokes who did this and to all the other soldiers, sailors and air force personnel who served in all the wars Australia has been involved in over the years and are currently involved in. On this ANZAC day 2011 I hope that my small offering here goes some way towards commemorating their service.