Hawker Hurricane

After a sterling service during the Battle of Britain, the Hawker Hurricane was then adapted for a number of different roles. One of the most crucial was the conversion for use on-board merchant ships as a catapult fighter and conventional aircraft carriers as a naval fighter. The Sea Hurricane Mk.IIC was the ultimate development of the naval Hurricane. Armed with four 20mm cannons it packed a powerful punch and was easily able to deal with the Focke-Wulf Fw200 over the Atlantic.
835 NAS was predominately equipped with Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers, with a flight of Hurricanes added in late 1943 to provide some form of air defence. Operating from the escort carrier HMS Nairana, the squadron was involved in patrolling the Atlantic convey routes as well as the Gibraltar run.

1/72 HAWKER AUDAX, K4853, NO.28 SQN, KOHAL, INDIA, 1941 NEW TOOLING

Developed in the early 1930s from the already proven Hawker Hart light day bomber, the Audax was a dedicated army co-operation version. With this new role in mind it incorporated a message hook under the fuselage and lengthened exhaust pipes to reduce glare for the crew as they flew close to the ground. Although the aircraft entered service with the RAF in January 1932, the Audax was still to be found flying with the RAF during the early years of the Second World War, mostly in the Middle East. 28 Squadron, based in India, was one such Audax unit. Flying from Kohal, the squadron used the Audax for reconnaissance work and general army co-operation duties before replacing them with Westland Lysanders in 1942.

the american civil war PART 1

1861: The Civil War Began

Following the election of Abraham Lincoln in November 1860, southern states, outraged at the election of someone with known anti-slavery views, threatened to leave the Union. At the end of 1860 South Carolina was the first slave state to secede, and it was followed by others in early 1861.
President James Buchanan struggled with the secession crisis in his final months in office. As Lincoln was inaugurated in 1861 the crisis intensified and more slave states left the Union.

• The Civil War began on April 12, 1861 with the attack on Fort Sumter in the harbor at Charleston, South Carolina.
• The killing of Col. Elmer Ellsworth, a friend of President Lincoln, in late May 1861 galvanized public opinion. He was considered a martyr to the Union cause. Col. Elmer E. Ellsworth rocketed to fame at a young age, befriended Abraham Lincoln, and became a very early casualty of the Civil War. His violent and newsworthy death only weeks into the conflict made him a martyr throughout the North.
  Countless printed images of him, along with cries to "Avenge Ellsworth," helped to spur recruitment for volunteer regiments in the summer of 1861.
  While not widely remembered today, Ellsworth received a funeral service in the East Room of the White House, and when his body was transported to New York City he was honored with a lavish tribute at the City Hall.
  Ellsworth died shortly after returning to Washington. On May 24, 1861 (the day after Virginia's secession was ratified by referendum), President Lincoln looked out from the White House across the Potomac River, and saw a large Confederate flag prominently displayed over the town of Alexandria, Virginia.
  Ellsworth immediately offered to retrieve the flag for Lincoln. He led the 11th New York across the Potomac and into the streets of Alexandria uncontested. He detached some men to take the railroad station, while he led others to secure the telegraph office and get that Confederate flag, which was flying above the Marshall House Inn. Ellsworth and four men went upstairs and cut down the flag. As Ellsworth came downstairs with the flag, the owner, James W. Jackson, killed him with a shotgun blast to the chest. Corporal Francis E. Brownell, of Troy, New York, immediately killed Jackson. Brownell was later awarded a Medal of Honor for his actions.
  Lincoln was deeply saddened by his friend's death and ordered an honor guard to bring his friend's body to the White House, where he lay in state in the East Room. Ellsworth was then taken to the City Hall in New York City, where thousands of Union supporters came to see the first man to fall for the Union cause. Ellsworth was then buried in his hometown of Mechanicville, in the Hudson View Cemetery.
  Thousands of Union supporters rallied around Ellsworth's cause and enlisted. "Remember Ellsworth" was a patriotic slogan: the 44th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment called itself the "Ellsworth Avengers", as well as "The People's Ellsworth Regiment."
  
  Elmer Ellsworth’s life began in obscurity, in 1837, in the village of Malta, New York. He received a minimal education, which thwarted his ambition to attend West Point and become an officer in the U.S. Army.
  Educating himself, Ellsworth eventually became a law clerk in Illinois. At a time when American towns often had local militia companies, which were essentially drill teams that performed in parades, Ellsworth became the commander of a militia based in Chicago.
  Learning what he could about military tactics and discipline, Ellsworth became fascinated with the French Zouaves, elite infantry soldiers who had fought in the Crimean War. The Zouaves wore elaborate and garish uniforms consisting of brightly colored baggy pants and short jackets. The distinctive uniforms had been adapted by the French from local fighters in Algeria in the 1830s.
  Ellsworth reportedly ordered books from France so he could learn everything about Zouave regiments, uniforms, drills, and military tactics. He became convinced that the American military needed units of Zouaves.
  
  Ellsworth turned his militia company into a precision drill team dressed as Zouaves. Billed as the "The U.S. Zouave Cadets" they toured 20 American cities in the summer of 1860.
  The tour by the Zouave Cadets made Ellsworth a celebrity. With the threat of war hanging over the country, the public became fascinated by the showmanship of the 23-year-old Ellsworth and the dazzling military precision of the Zouaves.
  A dispatch in the New York Tribune on August 6, 1860 noted that the Zouaves and Ellsworth had visited Washington's Tomb at Mount Vernon. And while visiting the White House, President Buchanan had invited the Zouaves to perform their precision drills on the south lawn.
  By the autumn of 1860 Ellsworth had returned to Chicago, and newspapers were reporting that he was planning to organize other regiments of Zouaves. With war on the horizon, Ellsworth was trying to get the North ready.
  And Ellsworth's fame was spreading. A New York Times article in November 1860 noted that Ellsworth had received hundreds of letters asking for information about Zouaves, and to accommodate his fans he had lithographs made detailing the elaborate uniform The first major clash took place July 21, 1861, near Manassas, Virginia, at the Battle of Bull Run.Balloonist Thaddeus Lowe ascended above Arlington Virginia on September 24, 1861 and was able to see Confederate troops three miles away, proving the value of "aeronauts" in the war effort.

• The Battle of Ball's Bluff in October 1861, on the Virginia bank of the Potomac River, was relatively minor, but it caused the U.S. Congress to form a special committee to monitor the conduct of the war, a minor affair when compared to later battles in the Civil War. But the disaster for the Union, which took place on the Virginia bank of the Potomac River about 40 miles from Washington, D.C., would have major consequences on the conduct of the war.
  A Union colonel killed in the battle, , happened to be a popular United States Senator as well as a longtime friend of President Abraham Lincoln. The Battle of Ball's Bluff, also known as the Battle of Harrison’s Island or the Battle of Leesburg, was fought on October 21, 1861, in Loudoun County, Virginia,
  
  as part of Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's operations in Northern Virginia during the American Civil War.
  While a minor engagement in comparison with the battles that would take place in years to follow, it was the second largest battle of the Eastern Theater in 1861, and in its aftermath had repercussions in the Union Army's chain of command structure and raised separation of powers issues under the United States Constitution during the war.
  In the weeks preceding the battle, McClellan had been promoted to general-in-chief of all Union armies and, now, three months after the First Battle of Bull Run, was building up the Army of the Potomac in preparation for an eventual advance into Virginia.
  On October 19, 1861, McClellan ordered Brig. Gen. George A. McCall to march his division to Dranesville, Virginia, twelve miles southeast of Leesburg, in order to discover the purpose of recent Confederate troop movements which indicated that Col. Nathan "Shanks" Evans might have abandoned Leesburg. Evans had, in fact, left the town on October 16–17 but had done so on his own authority. When Confederate Brig. Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard expressed his displeasure at this move, Evans returned. By the evening of October 19, he had taken up a defensive position on the Alexandria-to-Winchester Turnpike (modern day State Route 7) east of town.
  McClellan came to Dranesville to consult with McCall that same evening and ordered McCall to return to his main camp at Langley, Virginia, the following morning. However, McCall requested additional time to complete some mapping of the roads in the area and, as a result, did not actually leave for Langley until the morning of October 21, just as the fighting at Ball's Bluff was heating up.
  On October 20, while McCall was completing his mapping, McClellan ordered Brig. Gen. Charles Pomeroy Stone to conduct what he called "a slight demonstration" in order to see how the Confederates might react. Stone moved troops to the river at Edwards Ferry, positioned other forces along the river, had his artillery fire into suspected Confederate positions, and briefly crossed about a hundred men of the 1st Minnesota to the Virginia shore just before dusk. Having gotten no reaction from Colonel Evans with all of this activity, Stone recalled his troops to their camps and the "slight demonstration" came to an end.
  Stone then ordered Col. Charles Devens of the 15th Massachusetts Infantry (stationed on Harrison's Island facing Ball's Bluff) to send a patrol across the river at that point to gather what information it could about enemy deployments. Devens sent Capt. Chase Philbrick and approximately 20 men to carry out Stone's order. Advancing in the dark nearly a mile inland from the bluff, the inexperienced Philbrick mistook a row of trees for the tents of a Confederate camp and, without verifying what he saw, returned and reported the existence of a camp. Stone immediately ordered Devens to cross some 300 men and, as soon as it was light enough to see, attack the camp and, per his orders, "return to your present position."
  This was the genesis of the Battle of Ball's Bluff. Contrary to the long-held traditional interpretation, it did not come from a plan by either McClellan or Stone to take Leesburg. The initial crossing of troops was a small reconnaissance. That was followed by what was intended to be a raiding party. To make matters worse, Stone was not advised that McCall and his division had been ordered back to Washington
  
  On the morning of October 21, Colonel Devens' raiding party discovered the mistake made the previous evening by the patrol; There was no camp to raid. Opting not to recross the river immediately, Devens deployed his men in a tree line and sent a messenger back to report to Stone and get new instructions. On hearing the messenger's report, Stone sent him back to tell Devens that the remainder of the 15th Massachusetts (another 350 men) would cross the river and move to his position. When they arrived, Devens was to turn his raiding party back into a reconnaissance and move toward Leesburg.
  While the messenger was going back to Col. Devens with this new information, Colonel and U.S. Senator Edward Dickinson Baker showed up at Stone's camp to find out about the morning's events. He had not been involved in any of the activities to that point. Stone told him of the mistake about the camp and about his new orders to reinforce Devens for reconnaissance purposes. He then instructed Baker to go to the crossing point, evaluate the situation, and either withdraw the troops already in Virginia or cross additional troops at his discretion.
  On the way upriver to execute this order, Baker met Devens' messenger coming back a second time to report that Devens and his men had encountered and briefly engaged the enemy, one company (Co. K) of the 17th Mississippi Infantry. Baker immediately ordered as many troops as he could find to cross the river, but he did so without determining what boats were available to do this. A bottleneck quickly developed so that Union troops could only cross slowly and in small numbers, making the crossing last throughout the day.
  
  Depiction of Ball's Bluff by Alfred W. Thopson
  Meanwhile, Devens's men (now about 650 strong) remained in its advanced position and engaged in two additional skirmishes with a growing force of Confederates, while other Union troops crossed the river but deployed near the bluff and did not advance from there. Devens finally withdrew around 2:00 p.m. and met Baker, who had finally crossed the river half an hour later. Beginning around 3:00 the fighting began in earnest and was almost continuous until just after dark.
  Col. Baker was killed at about 4:30 p.m. and remains the only United States Senator ever killed in battle. Following an abortive attempt to break out of their constricted position around the bluff, the Federals began to recross the river in some disarray. Shortly before dark, a fresh Confederate regiment (the 17th Mississippi) arrived and formed the core of the climactic assault that finally broke and routed the Union troops.
  Many of the Union soldiers were driven down the steep slope at the southern end of Ball's Bluff (behind the current location of the national cemetery) and into the river. Boats attempting to cross back to Harrison Island were soon swamped and capsized. Many Federals, included some of the wounded, were drowned. Bodies floated downriver to Washington and even as far as Mt. Vernon in the days following the battle. A total of 223 Federals were killed, 226 were wounded, and 553 were captured on the banks of the Potomac later that night. It is interesting to note that the Official Records incorrectly state that only 49 Federals were killed at this battle, an error probably resulting from a mistaken reading of the report of the Union burial detail which crossed over the next day under flag of truce. Fifty-four Union dead—of whom only one is identified—are buried in Ball's Bluff Battlefield and National Cemetery.
  

  Aftermath

  This Union defeat was relatively minor in comparison to the battles to come in the war, but it had an enormously wide impact in and out of military affairs. Due to the loss of a sitting senator, it led to severe political ramifications in Washington. Stone was treated as the scapegoat for the defeat, but members of Congress suspected that there was a conspiracy to betray the Union. The ensuing outcry, and a desire to learn why Federal forces had lost battles at Bull Run (Manassas), Wilson's Creek, and Ball's Bluff, led to the establishment of the Congressional Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War, which would bedevil Union officers for the remainder of the war (particularly those who were Democrats) and contribute to nasty political infighting among the generals in the high command.
  Lt. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., of the 20th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, survived a nearly fatal wound at Ball's Bluff to become an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in 1902. Herman Melville's poem "Ball's Bluff - A Reverie" (published in 1866) commemorates the battle. Holmes' great friend and role model, Lt. Henry Livermore Abbott also survived the battle but did not survive the war. In 1865, Abbott was posthumously promoted to Brigadier General. Another outstanding young officer named Edmund Rice also eventually reached the rank of Brigadier General, was awarded the Medal of Honor and was fortunate enough to survive the war by near a half century. John William Grout was killed in the battle; his death inspired a poem (and later a song) titled "The Vacant Chair".
  The site of the battle has considerably overgrown today, though ongoing efforts by volunteers have thinned out the overgrowth and made interpretation of the battlefield much easier. It is preserved as the Ball's Bluff Battlefield and National Cemetery, which was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1984. The park is maintained by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Au
  

revell german

instr. sheet

360°-View

Model details
Scale	1:32
Release date	09/2012
No. of parts	261
Length	524 mm
Wingspan	578 mm
Skill Level	5

Original details
Type description	Combat plane
Year/Period	1943
Origin	D
Engine capacity	2 x 1398 kW
Speed	670 km/h

04666 Heinkel He219 A-7/A-5/A-2 late "UHU"
The Heinkel He 219A was the first German fighter plane to be designed from the outset as a night fighter. No other aircraft throughout the world, is shrouded in as much mystery and accompanied by so many myths as the He 219. The maiden flight of the He 219V1 on 6 November 1942 was followed by a whole series of further prototypes prior to the first production aircraft - an He 219A-0 - being delivered in June 1943. Further development eventually led to the He 219A-2 series in July 1944. In the meantime the He 219 had long since passed its "Baptism of Fire" with flying colours. During the night of 11th / 12th June 1943 Major Werner Streib in a He 219A-0 of No1 Night Fighter Wing was able to shoot down 5 enemy bombers. During succeeding night missions the He 219A proved to be an excellent, but still far from perfect fighter aircraft. A request to add one additional crew member for aerial observation was followed by a series of prototype He 219A-5's which were tested by No1 NFG. An increasingly long list of complaints led to a fundamental revision based on the A-2. Mass production was planned under the designation He 219A-7. The DB 603G or ultimately the Jumo 222 were envisaged as power units. Since neither of these engines were however available, it was decided to start mass production using the DB 603AA in order to later upgrade to the A-7 standard when the new engines became available.

New mould
- Finely embossed details and recessed panel joints
- Detailed cockpit with instrument panel
- Detailed ejector seat
- Side instrument panels and controls
- Front aiming units
- Radio Operator panel and Aiming Unit
- Fuselage position for imitation MG "Schrage Music"
- Separate flaps and rudders
- Landinglight
- Detailed Undercarriage bays
- Tail Unit with separate control surfaces
- Front Cylinder Ring with Radiator
- Flash Hiders
- Detailed Undercarriage
- Emergency Exit Ladder, extended or retracted
- Moving Propeller
- Antennas for the FuG 220 Radar System
- Alternative antennas and devices for the FuG 350 "Naxos" Radar System

Decals for the models:
- Heinkel He 219A-7 of 3./NJG 3 at Grove, Denmark, April 1945
- Heinkel He 219A-2 of 1./NJG 1 Westland/Sylt, Germany, April 1945
- Heinkel He 219A-7 of 1./NJG 1 Westland/Sylt, Germany, April 1945
- Heinkel He 219A-5 of Stab I./NJG 1 Münster-Handorf, January 1945

Colors: 2 5 8 9 15 36 40 45 47 48 49 50 77 83 89 90 99 302 382 712

instr. sheet

360°-View

Model details
Scale	1:32
Release date	09/2012
No. of parts	261
Length	524 mm
Wingspan	578 mm
Skill Level	5

Original details
Type description	Combat plane
Year/Period	1943
Origin	D
Engine capacity	2 x 1398 kW
Speed	670 km/h

04666 Heinkel He219 A-7/A-5/A-2 late "UHU"
The Heinkel He 219A was the first German fighter plane to be designed from the outset as a night fighter. No other aircraft throughout the world, is shrouded in as much mystery and accompanied by so many myths as the He 219. The maiden flight of the He 219V1 on 6 November 1942 was followed by a whole series of further prototypes prior to the first production aircraft - an He 219A-0 - being delivered in June 1943. Further development eventually led to the He 219A-2 series in July 1944. In the meantime the He 219 had long since passed its "Baptism of Fire" with flying colours. During the night of 11th / 12th June 1943 Major Werner Streib in a He 219A-0 of No1 Night Fighter Wing was able to shoot down 5 enemy bombers. During succeeding night missions the He 219A proved to be an excellent, but still far from perfect fighter aircraft. A request to add one additional crew member for aerial observation was followed by a series of prototype He 219A-5's which were tested by No1 NFG. An increasingly long list of complaints led to a fundamental revision based on the A-2. Mass production was planned under the designation He 219A-7. The DB 603G or ultimately the Jumo 222 were envisaged as power units. Since neither of these engines were however available, it was decided to start mass production using the DB 603AA in order to later upgrade to the A-7 standard when the new engines became available.

New mould
- Finely embossed details and recessed panel joints
- Detailed cockpit with instrument panel
- Detailed ejector seat
- Side instrument panels and controls
- Front aiming units
- Radio Operator panel and Aiming Unit
- Fuselage position for imitation MG "Schrage Music"
- Separate flaps and rudders
- Landinglight
- Detailed Undercarriage bays
- Tail Unit with separate control surfaces
- Front Cylinder Ring with Radiator
- Flash Hiders
- Detailed Undercarriage
- Emergency Exit Ladder, extended or retracted
- Moving Propeller
- Antennas for the FuG 220 Radar System
- Alternative antennas and devices for the FuG 350 "Naxos" Radar System

Decals for the models:
- Heinkel He 219A-7 of 3./NJG 3 at Grove, Denmark, April 1945
- Heinkel He 219A-2 of 1./NJG 1 Westland/Sylt, Germany, April 1945
- Heinkel He 219A-7 of 1./NJG 1 Westland/Sylt, Germany, April 1945
- Heinkel He 219A-5 of Stab I./NJG 1 Münster-Handorf, January 1945

Colors: 2 5 8 9 15 36 40 45 47 48 49 50 77 83 89 90 99 302 382 712

french india war release 10 pounds

Westland Lysander Mk.IIIa V9289, 357 Sqn, Burma 1945

Famed for its very short take-off and landing (STOL) capabilities, the Westland Lysander proved itself to be a capable and dependable machine across all allied fronts during the Second World War.
One of its lesser known theatres of operation however, was in the so called ‘forgotten war’ –the conflict in Burma.  During the opening stages of the war in Burma, the Lysander had been used for bombing duties.  However, by 1945 the aircraft was being used to drop covert forces behind enemy lines.  The Lysander was ideally suited to this very risky job, blessed with such good STOL capabilities.
While 357 Squadron only operated the Lysander for a brief period of time, from March to November 1945 the squadron flew countless operations and dropped many agents, sometimes deep behind enemy lines.  It was in this theatre that the Lysander last saw operational service with the RAF, thus ending its distinguished frontline career.corgi

• Scale:  1:72
• Wingspan:  203mm
• Era:  World War II

captain miniatures 28mm brunswickers

pasck sysyem bags for wargamers

the british fighting in secret in vietnam

bsm models
This is positively the most exciting book on any operation in Southeast Asia I have read. It was recommnended to me by a friend who explained the book was declared a work of fiction because the publisher refused to publish it as non-fiction because there is no proof the operation exsisted. After reading the book, I have no doubt it has to be true. Gayle Rivers' first peson point of view is detailed and precise. His writing style make accounts of training, living in the jungle, and guerilla tactics used in the field come to life while at the same time give the words a flow that is easy to read. I highly recommend to anyone interested in works concerning the war in Southeast Asia but want something different than the typical line infantry, Ranger, SEAL, or Green Beret accounts to read this book then reread it again. For myself, I ask anyone with more information concerning The Five Fingers (authenticity of the story, other points of view, etc) to e-mail me.This is positively the most exciting book on any operation in Southeast Asia I have read. It was recommnended to me by a friend who explained the book was declared a work of fiction because the publisher refused to publish it as non-fiction because there is no proof the operation exsisted. After reading the book, I have no doubt it has to be true. Gayle Rivers' first peson point of view is detailed and precise. His writing style make accounts of training, living in the jungle, and guerilla tactics used in the field come to life while at the same time give the words a flow that is easy to read. I highly recommend to anyone interested in works concerning the war in Southeast Asia but want something different than the typical line infantry, Ranger, SEAL, or Green Beret accounts to read this book then reread it again. For myself, I ask anyone with more information concerning The Five Fingers (authenticity of the story, other points of view, etc) to e-mail me.A lot of folks in Vietnam bought locally made knives that were the inspiration for the original SOG Bowie model. The were mostly not very faithful copies of the Randalls. A number of American troops carried Randalls. That was the most desirable knife for most people. For a few years in during the war, pretty much all of Bill Moran's knives were going to soldiers. I have a beat up old Airman fighter from that era. A very popular choice was the basic Buck stainless steel bowie/hunter. The Gerber Mk2 also came out in around 1968. I recall that most guys who had the Buck knives had to have them sent from home or trde for them because the PX didnt have any.what was a common fighting knife carried by the british in vietnam? also what was a common fighting knife for the australians? i had some family in that war and they had kabar style knives not sure what brand. Britain sent a very small contingent of Special Forces "Advisers" to Vietnam.I can assure you that the Brits were there, as mentioned, as "advisers", and they did carry their own choice of kit, rifles and edgeware included...
I had a long conversation with one, a sergeant, who has since passed away...
He was there in 1973/4...and he intended to write a book, but Sir Peter's book and the drama caused, prevented him from ever doing that.
He carried a US requested and supplied M16, Browning P35 9mm, and a Randall Model 14 with black micarta scales...

I hope someone does come out and write something for us, as it is a forgotten and rather unknown past of history...
I saw him only once again, and shortly after that, he drowned...  the ausse knife industry was pretty much buggered up by the 1960s.. 
lots of cheap junky english, german and japanese knive simported at very low prices.....
and lost of higher priced german and amriecan hunting knvies, so there was no room for the local makers...... 

some of the australian soliders has issued the saliors rope knvies...... 
also ww2 machetes were issued, 2 types, one longer and thinner and one shorter and fatter, both with bakerlite handles, and canvas sheaths.... with brass throats. 
aslo the lithgow made goloks were also issued, i think the vietnam war ones have bras rivets, ( i think this si one of the best quality cutting tools issued in the modern era to the militery. the smatchets and the very old brass guarded bolos the amriecans got in ww1 were proably better quality, but they mostyl dated from the turn of the centuary.... and the smatchet was far form general issue, and not so well made either)

there goloks had a tapered blade, with a black coating , a full tang, a compressed wood handle and a razor sharpe edge..... not like the thing you britts got,, the sheath was oiled canvas with a sharpening stone. 

now there was no isue as such of knives to the australians, i think some wilkinson sword MOD knives were issued to the airforce..... 
i think soliders took what knvies they could buy with them or got kabars form the yanks when they were there,

now from what i understand the brittish only numbered some 200 or 300 guys , mostly jungle warfare advisors who had some experience in malasia...... 
so i guess they woudl have had what they wanted...... 


now,, the british were in vietnam some 20 years before.... 
and did do quite some figthing. 
........
originaly coming with indian troops to disarm the japanese and vietnamese nationalists. 
and to set up for the french to re establish control over their colony..... 
but later using the japs to helf them fight various independence groups in vietnam trying to throw out the french,........ ( but i understand form the start the french made dicks of them selves and didnt learn a thing

the conflich and intervention of the british was caused partyl because of fear of communist insergents,,, .. although they were rather keak at the time as the japanese have them in check.. but actualy more becuase of the amrican attempts to destabilise the colony for thier own ends, (like giving weaponry and advisors to anti french groups , including the communists.). the amriecan presedent of the tiem even protested the british invasion of the south .. saying it effected thier interests yep, when I was in Singapore with my Father in the late 60's the SAS did a lot of training from R.A.A.F Butterworth, before going out to Vietnam Worked with a bloke in the 70s....he was a colonel in the Aus Army.
Was on exchange to the Brit army. That army sent him to VN as "an observer".
I guess it was because he had fought in Malaya during "the Emergency".
He showed me the private purchase Case Bowie he carried in both theatres. There were apparently 6 bars to the GSM awarded with the legend "South Vietnam". That would suggest at least 6 British soldiers did serve there.

Speculation has been that they were attached to the Aussie or Kiwi SAS in a training role, and ended up "in country".

Not sure how you would find out though.all fiures eureka

foundry 40mm