MODELLING CHALLENGE 2023 - TECHNICALS !

We're a long way from Hereford 1938, Dorothy.....but anyone with an interest in the African Wars of the 1960s - 1990s or the Middle East Wars from the 1970s to the present (or indeed anyone with a passing interest and a television) will be only too aware of that favourite "warlord military vehicle" - the "Technical".

A typical "Technical" - Toyota with AA weapon.

Strictly, a "Technical" is a "type of improvised fighting vehicle, typically a civilian or military non-combat vehicle, modified to provide an offensive capability similar to a military gun truck". Apparently "Technicals" obtained their name as a euphemism - unable to fund the purchase of offensive weaponry, Western Nations (or others in a similar PR bind) provided "Technical Assistance Grants" instead, which were promptly re-cycled into the purchase (notoriously) of that most reliable of gun carriages, the Toyota Hilux:

Spoof advert for the Toyota Hilux

But of course, as with so many military innovations, "the Technical" originated in the Hereford VBCW. The only valid historical argument is which faction thought of the idea first:

"Technicals" produced by the Presteigne Motor Works ("PMW 1.5 ton trucks")
with Oerlikon 20mm conversions. Part of the new "Shock Armies" raised by Comrade Colonel Professor Winters, with more PMW conversions on the way, including HMGs and AT Cannon.
(Troops - 28mm Plastic Soldier Company Soviets)

Herefordshire Police "Technicals" in the background - Rolls Royces
with 20mm Vickers Naval pom-poms. (Police Infantry Section in foreground,
Lledo plastics; Rolls Royces Lledo, drivers/gunners Redoubt Colonial British)

And so on to the Modelling Challenge 2023 - and yes, this time, it's "build a fully crewed and armed Technical" (or two)!

Now, it's impossible to go "cheap plastic tank/boat/plane/toy soldier" hunting on Ebay (as we've done these last few years for previous Modelling Challenges) without picking up along the way a horde of unwanted out of scale plastic jeeps. They tend to get thrown into "joblots" with total abandon, being one of the favourite "Army Men" type vehicles of the last few decades. And thus we can present one of the cruddiest collections of down at heel, malformed, cheepy cheep and frankly juvenile "plastic models" ever to grace a Modelling Challenge - but they're FREE...

The Jeep  PMW 1.5 ton truck garage park. Although superficially similar, there are many differences;
some have footings for guns in the rear, some rounded bonnets and some flat, some longer, some wider,
some with decent front seats and some with just malformed "buckets". But all of them are completely "out of scale" for any kind of Jeep. Choose carefully, chaps!

And yes, we know that the actual Jeep didn't go into production until 1941, and then in the USA, rather than Herefordshire. But such time restrictions clearly don't apply to its forerunner, the famous PMW 1.5 ton truck, which was being churned out in numbers in Presteigne from 1938 onwards. Unfortunately for Comrade Colonel Professor Winters and his Communist forces, and such was the need for 'convertible currency' (or even a living wage) in Presteigne, as many trucks were going out the back of the factory as the front...

Hence, any faction (or any independent) can legitimately travel around in a suitably painted "PMW 1.5 tonner." Ideally, of course, its more "Jeep like" features might be disguised by camouflage, spare wheel or tarpaulin additions (just in case any American might get the wrong idea), but that's entirely up to the individual modeller.

And thus to the the usual technical rules of the Modelling Challenge (which may or may not be adhered to), special points being awarded (apart from painting and modelling brilliance, obviously) for:

• snazzy 1930s three colour camouflage schemes (any three colours);
• eccentricity;
• Herefordshire connections, real or persuasively imagined;
• a fun backstory to your PMW 1.5 ton crew (and weapon);
• a truck mounted weapon just the right side of ludicrousness (see the Hilux ad above);
• faction specific or a new introduction wholly independent of established factions;
• anything that makes the Umpires quietly giggle.

So - can you use your "cheep plastic Jeep" model (or models, there may be enough for two each for some) to produce a VBCW Technical with added crew and "truck mounted weapon"? Or indeed anything that looks even vaguely roadworthy? Collect at the Spring Big Game 2023 and have a go - all finished products can be played as a FREE "Umpires' Bonus" addition to your usual VBCW Forces for the Autumn Big Game 2023! Hurrah!

PS. For previous Modelling Challenges and their results, see the "Modelling Challenge" annual labels to the right.....