"The Beret Is Often Called The Red Beret..."

"...And the Parachute Regiment is known as the red berets, red devils, or (within the Army) the maroon machine".

Inspired by repeated viewings of the 1977 film “A Bridge Too Far”, I've 'converted' a second British infantry blister from “West Wind Productions” “Secrets Of The Third Reich” range into soldiers from the British Parachute Regiment. The Bren light machine gun carrying company are part of a mini “Unternehmen Seelowe” project I've 'on the go' in order to paint a contingent of the First Airborne Division. As a result the models join a unit of four ‘Red Berets’ armed with carbine rifles, and a Recon Airbourne Transport (complete with Red Beret driver) that I painted in 2009.

The 28mm metal models are from the ‘Secrets of the Third Reich’ ‘blister’ B-SOTR01 “Heavy Section Assault Bren (SHS) Gas Mask Heads”. However four heads from the ‘Separate Head System’ ‘blister’ SHS-SOTR09 “British Para Heads In Berets With Gas Masks” were used instead of the models’ accompanying gas mask heads. Twenty of these heads are reasonably good value for £3.50.

All of the models were initially treated to an undercoat of Chaos Black, before their uniforms were painted with Dark Flesh and Devlan Mud. To make them stand out even more from regular infantry, their body armour was not painted the ‘usual’ Calthan Brown but Knarloc Green. These areas were then treated first to a wash of Thrakka Green, and then Devlan Mud. The Bren light machine guns were left Chaos Black, with the exception of the weapon’s butt and carrying handle. These areas were painted Scorched Brown and Devlan Mud. The gas mask filters were painted Knarloc Green and Devlan Mud, whilst the eye filters were simply ‘picked out’ with Boltgun Metal and Badab Black.

In order to make their famous berets especially red, the models’ headwear was first painted with Mechrite Red, before receiving a couple of generous coats of Blood Red. A strong wash of Baal Red was then applied to really make the parachute regiment stand out on the battlefield.

I've already started painting my next planned “SOTR” unit. Two of the four models comprising ‘blister’ G-SOTR24 “German Mech Grenadier SMG” have been given initial coats of Tausept Ochre, in an attempt to give their uniforms a camouflage pattern as opposed to the usual Adeptus Battlegrey and Badab Black.