King & Country Falklands Prototypes

" ‘YOMP’ is Royal Marines slang to describe a long-distance, forced march carrying full kit, ammunition, weapons and other supplies.

During the Falklands War of 1982 it became famous for depicting the epic tramp across East Falkland by Royal Marine and Parachute Regiment units moving towards Port Stanley after disembarking at San Carlos Bay on 21 May 1982.

The Marines and Paras ‘yomped’ and ‘tabbed’ with all their fighting equipment across the damp, frozen, windswept island, covering 56 miles (90km) in three days carrying loads of 80 pounds (36kg) and sometimes even heavier packs.

Originally they were meant to move forward by helicopter, but after the container ship ‘Atlantic Conveyor’, (which was carrying their helicopters), was sunk by an Exocet missile the ‘Bootnecks’ and ‘Cherryberries’ had to march across land and fully depend on ‘Shank’s Pony’.

You may already have seen K&C’s initial tribute figure of the classic Royal Marine ‘Yomper’ which we posted some time back.

Here now are 3 more ‘Booties’ yomping their way across East Falkland and carrying an assortment of weaponry including the classic L4 Bren Gun, the 7.62mm chambered light machine gun converted in the late 1950’s to fire the new NATO rifle round. The L4 is easily recognized by the straighter 30-round box magazine and cylindrical flash hider.

Another Marine humps the L7A2 General Purpose Machine Gun (the GPMG) better known as the ‘Gimpy’, again a 7.62mm machine gun, this time ‘belt-fed’ and a much favoured support weapon for the Marines and Paras for decades since its first introduction in the late 1950s.

Our third ‘Bootneck’ carries the venerable L1A1 Self Loading Rifle. Designed by FN in Belgium and modified and manufactured by Britain’s Royal Small Arms Factory. It began to be issued to the British armed Forces in the late 1950s and served until 1991... A great self-loading rifle and virtually ‘idiot-proof’... I should know, I carried one in the UK back in the ‘70s and in Hong Kong throughout the 1980s up until 1995.

All of our Falkland Marines are wearing standard British DPM (disruptive pattern material) field uniform specially adapted for the Royal Marines who had a major part of the responsibility for NATO’s northern flank facing Russia where they would be operating in extremely cold conditions... Perfect for the Falklands at any time of the year!

Later I will post painted versions of these lads as they become ready to go off to the factory.

In the meantime... “Per Mare Per Terram’ (By Sea and By Land)... All the best!