The Parachute Regiment at Arnhem WWII & Gordon Highlanders circa 1936

[Arnhemjim]

This is what can happen if you are patient in the care and feeding of toy soldiers over a 40 year plus growing period.

[JBinIll]

LOL As the the boys get bigger so do the toys.Nice display.

Do I detect a PIAT and projectile in the picture?

[John Sukey]

I see there is an "Instrument of War" on the wall. It got that name when the Scots lost a battle and the English were hanging the ones they captured. The piper claimed he was only a musician and not a soldier.
The English disagreed as "No Scottish unit has ever marched or fought without a piper.
The British army in WW1 even assigned pipers to non-Scottish units.

I assume that SA80 is an airsoft as the gorvenment hasn't released the real thing.

[Arnhemjim]

John,
Sir, you are absolutely correct regarding the pipes being a legally decreed 'instrument of war' by an English court of law. Amazingly even some of the English Regiments from south of the Tweed acquired pipers to put 'some brass up their backside'. Unfortunately, even though of Scottish ancestry, I'm not nearly as proficient with the 'weapon' as I am with some of the others you see in the other picture. That does not, however, prevent me from keeping it in 'fully operational status', just like the rest of my weapons. With regard to the L85A1(SA80), airsoft is the best I can do to represent the British Army's current rifle. I'm sure you can recall that either a semi-automatic or single shot 'Cadet' version was on the drawing boards for the potential civilian market when in 1989 one of the 'fruits and nuts' cut loose in a Sacramento schoolyard. I am able to better represent its predecessor (in many ways superior IMHO) with a competition grade FN/FAL LAR (Model 50.00) fitted with a Leatherwood ART/MPC scope. Like you, but of much shorter tenure, I am an 'entrenched' proud citizen(armed and permitted), vice slave(unarmed), of the reclaimed Arizona Territory.

[John Sukey]

actualy I also have an airsoft SA-80 but the sling is the real thing! LOL Got it to pad out the collection since I start with a Long Land Service musket and go up to a Australian L1A1. Have a Suit sight for it and what appears to be an experimental scope with a tip over mount so the iron sights can also be used. (never seen another) scope is marked Avimo Ltd.
Of course both scope mounts are part of the top covers.

What's like us? Damm few an ther'e all deid!
also have a PIAT and a 2 inch mortar, but yours appears to be the para version. Missed out on a heilograph years ago, lack of money.

I assume you have black buttons on the gaiters?

[Arnhemjim]

John,
Spot on regarding the black gaiter buttons, to commemorate the death of Gen Sir John Moore at the Battle of Corunna 1811 (if you look carefully you can just barely make them out at the edge of the gaiters). One item you may have overlooked is the RG Receiver ( 0 Generation IF Night Scope, aka ‘Tabby') used by the COPP’s and SBS. Looks like a water bottle with an off-set black top (eye-piece). If you should ever venture out of ‘Fortress Sukey’ to the north as far as the second line of defense in the Phoenix (Sun Lakes) area would certainly welcome a visit.