15mm Wargaming Figures for the 14th Army

This post is for anybody interested in collecting 15mm wargaming figures to use for the 14th Army, which fought in the Burma Campaign of WW2. The figures will work for British, Indian or African units. At least those that wore either helmet or slouch hat. It won’t work for Gurkhas (except British officers/NCOs) because of their size. It will only work for Indians wearing turbans (e.g. Sikhs) and Scots wearing the tam o’ shanter during the earlier period.

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1941-42: Khaki Drill

In the initial invasion and retreat from Burma, the Anglo-Indians would have worn the older style tropical uniform. Basically this is what the 8th Army wore in North Africa: Shirts, shorts, and helmets. Discard any figures with a greatcoat.

Peter Pig Range 8 WW2 – British – 8th Army

Peter Pig Range 8 WW2 – British includes some specialist 8th Army figures.

8th army in helmet:

• 155. 8th Army rifles firing
• 531. 8th Army rifles advancing
• 532. 8th Army rifles charging
• 156. 8th Army brens
• 157. 8th army platoon command
• 158. 8th Army dead
• 159. 8th Army gun crew (standing)
• 160. 8th Army MMGs (2 teams)
• 161. 8th Army 3″ mortars
• 162. 8th Army Boyes AT Rifles
• 163. 8th Army SMG/ NCO
• 260. British desert drivers
• 505. 8th Army 2″ mortars
• 534. 8th Army surrendering
• 535. 8th Army higher command
• 536. 8th Army AT gun crew
• 539. 8th Army greatcoats advancing
• 540. 8th Army engineers (Flame, shovel, mine detector)

Scottish in tam o’ shanter

• 541. 8th Army Scottish riflemen
• 542. 8th Army Scottish SMGs
• 547. 8th Army Scottish Characters (Piper, Colonel,NCO)

Sikh in turbans:

• 537. 8th army Indian riflemen
• 538. 8th Army Indian brens
• 543. 8th Army Indian SMGs
• 544. 8th Army Indian MMGs(3)
• 545. 8th Army Indian Riflemen kneeling
• 546. 8th Army Indian 3″ Mortars (2 teams)

Skytrex / Command Decision – British – 8th Army

The Skytrex – British includes some 8th army packs. These are the same figures as Command Decision which are available elsewhere. I like Skytrex has they offer small packs in addition to the normal giant packs of 50 figures.

Small Packs

• CDDRS01 Officers – 8th Army
• CDDRS02 Desert Rats Riflemen (Pack 1)
• CDDRS03 Desert Rats Riflemen (Pack 2)
• CDDRS04 Desert Rats Bren Gun Teams
• CDDRS05 Desert Rats Vickers Gun Teams

Large packs:

• CDDR01 Desert Rats Command Figures
• CDDR02 Desert Rats Riflemen (Pack 1)
• CDDR03 Desert Rats Riflemen (Pack 2)
• CDDR04 Desert Rats Bren Gun Teams
• CDDR05 Desert Rats Vickers Gun Teams

Also consider their equipment.

• CD120 2pdr A.T. Guns (x2)

Forged in Battle – 8th Army

Forged in Battle – 8th Army. Generally I quite like Forged in Battle and they now tend to be my go to place before I look elsewhere for options.

• B-8TH-01 British Army Rifle Platoon
• B-8TH-02 British Army Mortar Platoon
• B-8TH-03 British Army HMG Platoon
• B-8TH-04 – 8th Army British 2 pdr anti-tank guns + Crew
• B-8TH-05 – 8th Army British 6pdr anti-tank guns

Flames of War – 8th Army

Flames of War had an older range of metal 8th Army figures, now discontinued.

• BR741 Company HQ (8th Army)
• BR742 Rifle Platoon (8th Army)
• BR743 Motorised Rifle Platoon (8th Army)
• BR744 Machine-gun Platoon (8th Army)
• BR745 Mortar Platoon (8th Army)

They now have a plastic range.

• BR733 8th Army Rifle Platoon (Plastic)
• BR734 3-inch Mortar Platoon (Plastic)

Old Glory 15s / Quality Castings – 8th Army

Old Glory 15s [Returning 503 error at time of posting], as part of their Quality Castings range, also makes a full set of 8th Army. Unfortunately they are having web site difficulties at the moment so I have had to resort to using a web archive of the Quality Castings 8th Army catalogue.

• 2143 4.2″ Heavy Mortars With Crew
• 2135 8th Army North Africa 2-inch and 3-inch Mortars and Crews
• 2133 8th Army North Africa Advancing
• 2138 8th Army North Africa Artillery Crews
• 2137 8th Army North Africa AT Gun Crews
• 2136 8th Army North Africa Command
• 2141 8th Army North Africa Dead
• 2134 8th Army North Africa Skirmishing
• 2139 8th Army North Africa Vickers MG Teams
• 2140 Dug In 8th Army North Africa

They also have an Australian range, and I suspect these will be for the desert but I could be wrong. They probably have bush hat, usable as 14th Army slouch hat, and shorts, but I’d like to get confirmation of that.

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Late 1942-45 Jungle Green

Sometime in late 1942 or early 1943 the 14th Army started dying their khaki drill uniforms jungle green. Custom made jungle greens became available in 1943. The troops of this period had trousers and shirts, often with the sleeves rolled up. The wore either a slouch hat or helmet, unless one of the units with a national headgear (turban, tam o’ shanter)

For the 14th Army in jungle green the 15mm options are:

• Peter Pig Range 8 WW2 – British – 14th Army
• Eureka Minatures – Pacific Australians
• Flames of War British in Italy

Peter Pig Range 8 WW2 – British – 14th Army

Peter Pig Range 8 WW2 – British includes some specialist 14th Army figures.

The range mixes guys with slouch hat with those in helmet, often in a pattern with 2 figure variants in slouch hat and one figure variant in helmet. It is great that we get both options, but it is very annoying that the packs are mixed when planning a wargaming army. This is because entire battalions were either in slouch hat or helmet, they didn’t mix. So having packs of 8 figures, which a mixed composition, really cramps a wargamer’s style. Personally I adopted a middle ground by having companies with either helmet or slouch hat – but it is something you’ll have to make a call on.

Slouch Hat:

• 367. WW2 British 14th Army dead, in slouch hat
• 369. WW2 British 14th Army MMGs, in slouch hat (2 teams)
• 375. WW2 British 14th Army 3 Mules+3 men in slouch hat

Mixed pack with both slouch hat and helmet:

• 363. WW2 British 14th Army Rifles firing (2 variants in slouch hat; one in helmet)
• 364. WW2 British 14th Rifles advancing (2 variants in slouch hat; one in helmet)
• 365. WW2 British 14th Army Thompson SMGs (2 variants in slouch hat; one in helmet)
• 366. WW2 British 14th army command (Officer/NCO with SMG in slouch hat; radio operator in slouch hat; Officer/NCO with rifle in helmet)
• 368. WW2 British 14th Army Brens (2 variants in slouch hat; one in helmet)
• 370. WW2 British 14th Army 2″ mortars (crew of 2 lying down with slouch hat; crew of 2 walking with gunner in slouch hat and assistant in helmet)
• 371. WW2 British 14th Army 3″ mortars (2 teams) (2 crew variants in slouch hat; one in helmet)
• 372. WW2 British 14th army crew (2 crew variants in slouch hat; one in helmet)
• 373. WW2 British 14th army Sten SMGs (2 variants in slouch hat; one in helmet)
• 374. WW2 British 14th army Sniper/Piat/Flame (Piat gunner in slouch hat; Flame thrower operator in helmet; sniper in cap comforter)

But there are a few other infantry of the Peter Pig Range 8 WW2 – British that can do duty in Burma if you don’t look too closely:

• 5. WW2 British command (Early war), in helmet
• 115. WW2 British Late War PIATs, in late war helmet
• 255. WW2 British engineers (flamethrower, mine detector and detonator), in helmet

And some equipment that is universal:

• 17. WW2 British Bedford light truck
• 22. WW2 British 2 Pdr (deployed) (2 barrel variants included 2pdr and Littlejohn)
• 354. WW2 British 6pdr AT gun

Eureka Miniatures – Pacific Australians

Most of the “Pacific Australians” from Eureka Miniatures can serve in the 14th Army. Avoid the “Bardia” range as they are in greatcoats. Also avoid the guys with the unique Australian Owen submachine gun.

I get my Australians from Eureka UK but also consider directly from the parent company Eureka Australia.

I find the range is more convenient than the Peter Pig range because it has separate options for helmet and hat. Admittedly some figures only have the bush hat option.

Bush Hat (use for 14th Army Slouch Hat):

• 300WWT60A Pacific Australians with rifle in bush hat
• 300WWT62a Pacific Australians, with Thompson SMG, in bush hat
• 300WWT63a Pacific Australians, with Bren LMG gunner, in bush hat
• 300WWT64a Pacific Australians, Vickers MMG and two crew, in bush hat (2 figures)
• 300WWT65 Pacific Australians, 2-inch mortar and No. 2, in bush hat (2 figures)
• 300WWT66 Pacific Australians, PIAT A/T weapon and No. 2, in bush hat (2 figures)
• 300WWT67 Pacific Australians, Boyes A/T rifle, in bush hat
• 300WWT68 Pacific Australians, with flame thrower, in bush hat
• 300WWT69 Pacific Australians, heavy mortar and three crew, in bush hat
• 300WWT71 Pacific Australian radio operator, in bush hat
• 300WWT72 Pacific Australian gun crew – for artillery, mortars etc, in bush hat

British Helmet:

• 300WWT60b Pacific Australians, with rifle, in tin helmet
• 300WWT62b Pacific Australians, with Thompson SMG, in tin helmet
• 300WWT63b Pacific Australians, with Bren LMG gunner, in tin helmet
• 300WWT64b Pacific Australians, Vickers MMG and two crew, in tin helmet (2 figures)

Officers peaked cap:

• 300WWT70 Pacific Australian officer, in peaked cap

Flames of War – British in Italy

Flames of War had a great range of British Infantry in the Mediterranean. Unfortunately they discontinued it. You can sometimes get packs for highly inflated prices on eBay.

Most of the range is wearing the British helmet. There are the odd antipodean in there, wearing a New Zealand Lemon squeezer hat – just discard those. Berets are okay. What makes them suitable for Burma is that they are in light order with shirt sleeves and no pack.

The range included:

• BBX04 Rifle Company (Italy)
• BR761 Company HQ (Italy)
• BR762 Rifle Platoon (Italy)
• BR763 Motor Platoon (Italy)
• BR764 Machine-gun Platoon (Italy)
• BR765 Mortar Platoon (Italy)
• BR766 Field Platoon, Royal Engineers (Italy)
• BR768 Commonwealth Rifle Platoon
• BR769 Heavy Mortar Platoon (Italy)
• BSO111 Command Team (Italy)

Also consider

• BR511 6 pdr gun (late)
• BR410 Jeep
• BR277 Quad tractor

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Conversions

If you are into converting figures then consider Peter Pigs range 6 Heads. These are useful for either phase of the Burma Campaign:

• 31. Colonial British
• 37. WW1 British sun helmet
• 40. WW2 British helmet
• 26. Australian/Gurkha hat
• 116. Australian/Gurkha hat with side up
• 34. Sikh turban
• 35. Indian pointy top turban
• 79. WW1/2 Tam O’shanter heads (Scottish)

Some troops in the early Burma campaign (e.g. 1st Glosters) wore a tropical sun helmet. Both the Colonial British head (31) and WW1 British sun helmet are British tropical headgear. I’ve included 31 as it is the classic British Pith helmet, but it is more likely that WW2 British wore the WW1 sun helmet.

All the figures with built in slouch hats or bush hats have the brim down, like head 26. But some units wore the slouch with the side up, like that in head 116.

Most 14th Army Indian infantry would have looked just like their British peers, although the skin colour probably differed. If you want uniquely Indian looking infantry, then consider head 34 (Sikh) or 35 (non-Sikh wearing a turban).

Some 14th Army Scots wore the Tam O’shanter (head 39)