ACTION MAN 1970 - 1977

Action Man Commander (Now with Flocked Hair)

FATIQUES (GREEN)
TALL BLACK BOOTS
GREEN BELT
HOLSTER AND PISTOL
BLACK BERET WITH RED BADGE

INSIGNIA OF RANK
DIVISIONAL FLASHES

THIS FIGURE HAS EIGHT COMMANDS..........

THIS IS YOUR COMMANDER SPEAKING
ENEMY AIRCRAFT,ACTION STATIONS
ENEMY IN SIGHT- RANGE 1000
ACTION MAN PATROL FALL IN
VOLUNTEER NEEDED FOR SPECIAL MISSION
HOLD YOUR FIRE UNTILL I GIVE THE ORDER
MORTAR ATTACK, DIG IN
COMMANDER TO BASE-REQUEST SUPPORT FIRE

THIS VERSION HAD A PLASTIC GREY DOG TAG

ACTION MAN SOLDIER







GREEN FATIQUES (NOTE THEY ARE DIFFERENT TO THE PREVIOUS SOLDIER ISSUES)
STEN GUN AND CLIP
SHORT BLACK BOOTS
BELT (NO HOLSTER OR PISTOL)
BLUE BERET (METAL BADGE INSERTED)

ACTION MAN SAILOR (1ST BEARDED FIGURE)



CAP (NAME VARIATIONS*)
VEST
JACKET
TROUSERS
JACKET (1ST ISSUEE WAS ZIPPED LATER ISSUES WERE POPPERS)
COLLAR
BOOTS




THERE IS FURIOUS DEBATE AS TO CERTAIN NAME BANDS AND MYTHS AND LEGENDS SURROUNDING THEM ALL BUT THERE APPEAR TO BE FOUR DEFINITE NAMES AND THEY ARE HMS DREADNOUGHT,HMS FEARLESS,HMS VICTORY, AND HMS ARK ROYAL.

ANOTHER ONE IS HMS RENOWN, THE ORIGINS FOR THIS BAND IS UNKNOWN BUT A FEW HAVE SURFACED OVER THE YEARS.

THE RAREST ONE TO FIND BEING HMS BELFAST

BOB BRECHIN ACTUALLY ANSWERED THIS RECENTLY BUT IN ALL HONESTY HE SAYS (ALONG WITH THE TOP 4 FROM PALITOY)

"IF THESE WERE PRODUCED THEN THEY WERE FOR THE TOY FAIR HELD ON BOARD HMS BELFAST IN 1970 AND THEREFORE PROBABLY MADE PURELY FOR THIS EVENT. THEY WERE NOT GIVEN OUT VIA GOODIE BAGS OR SOLD ABOARD THE SHIP VIA THE GIFT SHOP WHICH HAS BEEN STATED BY SOME PEOPLE"

ADVENTURER



WHITE JUMPER
BLUE JEANS
SHORT LIGHT BROWN BOOTS

TALKING COMMANDER



ONLY THE UNIFORM DIFFERS THE FIGURE IS THE SAME AS THE PREVIOUS ISSUE AND SAYS THE SAME EIGHT PHRASES


OFFICERS CAP (SKULL)
GREEN SCARF
GREEN JUMPER
GREEN TROUSERS
BLACK BOOTS
PISTOL AND HOLSTER (SOME SAY THE PISTOL IS THE LEBEL REVOLVER)

THE CEREMONIALS

THESE WERE PRODUCED TO A REAL HIGH QUALITY AND ARE A FAVOURITE AMONG COLLECTORS AND IN FACT BOB BRECHINS FAVOURITES FROM THE WHOLE ACTION MAN RANGE. THESE HAD MANY DELICATE PIECES SO TO FIND A COMPLETE VINTAGE EXAMPLE FREE FROM WEAR AND DAMAGE REALLY IS A RARITY. HOPEFULLY WE WILL BE ABLE TO COVER EVEN THE SMALLEST OF DIFFERENCES THAT SURROUND THESE CEREMONIAL UNIFORMS AND HOPEFULLY GIVE YOU THE BASIS OF WHAT YOU NEED TO COMPLETE YOUR CEREMONIALS.

LIFEGUARD

BLUES AND ROYALS

THIS ONE REALLY IS A BIT TRICKY TO COMPLETE AS JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU ARE THERE SOMETHING ELSE POPS UP. OVER THE YEARS COLLECTORS HAVE THOUGHT THAT THESE ARE THE SAME AS THE LIFEGUARD WITH JUST A DIFFERENT JACKET AND PLUME BUT AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS EXAMPLE THE JACKET REQUIRES A SMALL METAL BADGE ON ONE SLEEVE AND THERE WAS A 1ST ISSUE PLUMED HELMET WHICH WAS GOLD PLATED AND HAD THE CROSS PAINTED IN THE MIDDLE THIS IS AN EXTREMELY RARE PIECE TO FIND UNBROKEN. THIS EXAMPLE IS ALSO DISPLAYING THE RARE CHROMED BREAST PLATES AND GOLD STRAPS THE WERE SOLD AS A SEPARATE ACCOUTERMENTS SET WHICH COMPLIMENTED BOTH THE LIFEGUARD AND BLUES AND ROYALS

RARE 1ST ISSUE HELMET

THE CARTOUCHE BELT AND BOX ARE THE SAME FOR BOTH THIS SET AND THE LIFEGUARDS AS IS THE BELT BUCKLE

NOTE THE SPURS WHICH ARE THE SAME AS THE LIFEGUARDS BUT VERY DIFFERENT TO THE LANCER

ARGYLL AND SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS

THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL WORK OF ART SO MUCH EFFORT HAS GONE INTO THIS CEREMONIAL WITH SO MANY DELICATE PIECES THAT MAKE IT A FAVOURITE AMONGST COLLECTORS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE FROG AS IT DIFFERS SLIGHTLY FROM THE DRESS MARINE THEREFORE IS UNIQUE TO THIS OUTFIT.

THE BADGE WAS ISSUED IN PLASTIC AS WELL AS METAL AND THE BAND CAN BE PLASTIC OR MATERIAL THOUGH THE LATTER IS DISPUTED AMONG COLLECTORS

NOTE THE FROG

THIS OUTFIT WAS ISSUED WITH AN ADJUSTABLE WHITE ELASTICATED STRAPPED SLR

17TH/21ST LANCER

THIS AGAIN IS A VERY DIFFICULT UNIFORM TO COMPLETE AS OFTEN THE SPURS ARE BROKEN AND CORD LINES ARE DAMAGED BUT THE ONE THING THAT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND IS THE LANCE UNBROKEN.

A CLOSE UP OF THE BELT

THE CARTOUCHE BELT DIFFERS FROM THAT OF THE LIFEGUARD AND BLUES AND ROYALS AS DOES THE CARTOUCHE BOX

NOTE THE TWO FLAGS FOR HIS LANCE

HERE ARE THE SPURS FOR THIS SET

THE ROYAL MARINES No.3

THIS AGAIN IS A DIFFICULT SET TO COMPLETE AS THE BELT IS DIFFERENT TO THE GRENADIER GUARD AND THE FROG THOUGH PLAINER THAN THE ARGYLL IT IS ALSO UNIQUE TO THIS OUTFIT. THE 1ST ISSUE WAS A THICK BRUSHED COTTON SOMETIMES WITH A MEDAL BAR ALONG THE TOP OF THE LEFT JACKET POCKET THESE ARE THOUGHT TO HAVE ONLY COME WITH THE LOCKER CARD VERSION WHILST THE CARDED JACKET WAS MINUS THIS BAR.

THIS OUTFIT WAS ISSUED WITH AN ADJUSTABLE WHITE ELASTICATED STRAPPED SLR

THE GRENADIER GUARD

AGAIN THE 1ST ISSUE WAS MADE OF THICKER MATERIAL BUT IT WAS RE RELEASED WITH A THINNER TYPE ALSO THIS WAS THE TURNING POINT FOR THE STRAPS ON THE RIFLES TO CHANGE FROM ELASTIC TO RUBBER AND THIS OUTFIT BEING NO EXCEPTION. BY FAR THE EASIEST OF THE CEREMONIALS TO FIND COMPLETE BUT AGAIN THE BELT AND FROG THOUGH THEY LOOK SIMULAR THEY ARE VERY DIFFERENT AND NOT AS SCARCE AS THE DRESS MARINE

ROYAL AIR FORCE


GREATCOAT
JERSEY
TROUSERS
BELT (OFTEN MISSING)
CAP WITH BADGE
BOOTS

PARACHUTE REGIMENT

THERE WERE A FEW VARIATIONS TO THIS UNIFORM. THE FIRST ISSUE CONSISTED OF THE FOLLOWING......

RED BERET WITH BADGE
SCARF
CAMO JACKET
GREEN TROUSERS
FELT PUTTEES
LACE UP BOOTS
KNIFE AND SCABBARD (BLACK)
PISTOL AND HOLSTER
BROWN SLR

THERE WERE COLOUR VARIATIONS TO THE PUTTEES AND SCARVES (PEACH,BROWN OR GREEN) THE SLR COULD HAVE AN ELASTIC OR PLASTIC STRAP AND THE BERET COULD BE CLOTH OR RUBBER

HERE IS A CLOSE UP OF BOTH BERETS

PROBABLY THE RAREST OF ALL WAS THE SHOCK CARD WHICH CONSISTED OF..........

BROWN PARACHUTE
PARACHUTE PACK
GREEN SHOCK HELMET WITH RUBBER CHIN STRAP
BLACK RIMMED GOGGLES

NO.3 COMBAT MARINE

GREEN CLOTH BERET WITH BADGE
JACKET
TROUSERS
LACE UP BOOTS
PUTTEES
SCARF
BELT
POUCH
SUB MACHINE GUN AND CLIP
BAYONET AND SCABBARD

ROYAL MILITARY POLICE

THE EARLY RELEASE HAS A MUCH THICKER MATERIAL.

RED CAP WITH BADGE
JACKET
SHIRT
TIE
TROUSERS
BELT
BOOTS
ARM BAND (RED)
SERGEANT STRIPES
TAN BATON (TRUNCHEON)
STERLING SUB MACHINE GUN AND CLIP

BRITISH ARMY OFFICER

THE EARLY RELEASE HAS A MUCH THICKER MATERIAL.

CAP WITH BADGE
JACKET
SHIRT
TIE
TROUSERS
SAM BROWNE BELT
SOCKS
BOOTS
ARM BAND (RED)
SERGEANT STRIPES
SWAGGER STICK (RARE)

ROYAL MARINES MOUNTAIN AND ARTIC

CAP (BROWN)
JACKET
TROUSERS
BOOTS
BELT
POUCHES
GLOVES
BAYONET AND SCABBARD (BLACK)
GOGGLES
SKIS (1ST ISSUE SPRING LOADED)
SKI POLES (1ST ISSUE SILVER TIPPED)
WHITE SLR( 1ST ISSUE ELASTIC STRAP)

AUSTRALIAN JUNGLE FIGHTER

BUSH HAT
SHIRT
TROUSERS
BELT
BOOTS
AMMUNITION BELT
FLAME THROWER (CAMO)
SUB MACHINE GUN
MACHETE AND SHEATH

FRENCH FOREIGN LEGION

COAST
SASH
SHIRT
TROUSERS
KEPI (WITH COVER)
BOOTS
WEBBING
CANTEEN AND BELT
BAYONET AND SCABBARD
RIFLE

THIS UNIFORM WAS RELEASED 1ST WITH A LIGHT BLUE JACKET AND SASH. WHEREAS THE LATTER ISSUES WERE A DARK BLUE JACKET AND SASH. THERE ARE ALSO DISCUSSIONS THAT THE ORIGINAL UNIFORM ON THE LOCKER CARD CAME WITH BLACK BOOTS AND THAT THE SMALLER CARD WHETHER CORRECTLY OR INCORRECTLY CAME WITH BROWN ADVENTURER BOOTS. ALSO IT IS SAID BY SOME THAT THE KEPI HAT WAS ISSUED IN BLACK AS WELL AS BLUE?? A VINTAGE EXAMPLE OF THE LIGHT BLUE ISSUE IS EXTREMELY HARD TO FIND IN GOOD CONDITION BUT FOR REFERENCE HERE IS A PICTURE.