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Re: Not like Strelets Rant - a question of height

Graham Korn
They are too short but I remember Urquart (CO 1st Airborne division)saying that at 6ft he was too big and heavy to be a paratrooper and as I understand it, it was a positive disadvantage to be a big guy as a paratrooper with a much higher risk of injury.
Yes, I remember the late, great Sean Connery in the role of Urquart speaking this line in 'A Bridge Too Far'. I wonder however whether this was another way of saying "I'm getting too old for this jumping-out-of-aircraft-into-enemy-territory game"...?

I have seen many photos of allied paratroops circa 1944/45 where height does not seem to be an issue, some in fact clearly being quite tall.

At risk of using the Strelets Forum to discuss A N Other's set of figures, I think the PSR have clearly identified that the scale is wrong with respect the Mars set, since the weapons are also too small for 1/72.

A quick search of the internet has thrown up the following information about the height and weight of an 'average' US soldier in WW2:

'In the US Army during WWII, logs were kept by the Quartermaster Corps of what sizes of clothes were issued for supply purposes, as well as by the Medical Corps for statistical purposes. It was found that the average male inductee was 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighed 144 pounds; an inch taller and eight pounds heavier than his Great War counterpart. He had a 33 1/4" chest measurement and 31" waist measurement; he could expect to add an inch to his chest and gain anywhere from five to twenty pounds during training. Many inductees were underweight due to insufficient nutrition as they grew up during the Great Depression.'

Re: Not like Strelets Rant - a question of height

'In the US Army during WWII, ....... the average male inductee was 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighed 144 pounds; an inch taller and eight pounds heavier than his Great War counterpart. He had a 33 1/4" chest measurement and 31" waist measurement; he could expect to add an inch to his chest and gain anywhere from five to twenty pounds during training. Many inductees were underweight due to insufficient nutrition as they grew up during the Great Depression.'

Indeed! Ask any militaria collector how rare it is to find original uniforms in sizes bigger than 36" chest, 30" waist. Bear in mind also that almost all combat infantrymen were aged 18-22 years, not the portly middle aged men seen in movies and at reenactments that certain companies seem to style their figures on!:face_with_rolling_eyes:

Re: Not like Strelets Rant - a question of height

I thought I might use them with my old 1/87 minitanks AFVs, which I've hung onto for old time's sake.

Regards,
Andrew