Robert Dunlop with miniature tin soldiers, recreates WW1 Battle of the Marne, West Wickham, Kent, England, UK
Inspired by the war stories of his grandfather, Robert Dunlop, a New Zealander living in Britain, has collected thousands of miniature soldiers to recreate the Battle of the Marne 100 years after the first major turning point of the First World War. The battle, which changed the direction of the war, will now be relived in vivid miniature detail by war-gaming enthusiast Robert Dunlop, along with a dozen of his friends and over 10,000 small figures, each only about 6 millimetres tall. A New Zealander living in Britain, Mr Dunlop was inspired to recreate the first great set piece battle of the war in precise detail to commemorate the centenary of the war after listening the memories of his grandfather who had served in the New Zealand Division from 1916. Five years of meticulous research and planning by Mr Dunlop has now brought the Battle of the Marne back to life in a chateau in Dormans – a small French town in the centre of where the original conflict raged for a week in 1914. Spread throughout three huge stately rooms in the historic 17th century chateau the exact rolling topography of the original Marne battlefield, which sprawled across 40 miles of countryside Northern France, was recreated across three huge tables. Mr Dunlop has collected a vast array of figures to fight the battle, each painstakingly painted to represent their correct regiment and role in the British, French and German armies. These include Cuirassiers and French infantry who in the early days of 1914 still charged into battle wearing red pantaloons behind officers with drawn swords carrying unfurled banners with drummers beating time. His forces also include 400 stands of tiny German artillery, which offer a chilling reminder of the amount of firepower that was deployed by both sides. It was the coordinated use of modern cannon firing high explosive shells along with machine guns on an industrial scale during the war, which eventually led to the millions of casualties.
Size: 7200px × 4800px
Location: West Wickham, Kent, England, UK
Photo credit: © Jeff Gilbert / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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