Military Model Scene

Title: La Waffen-SS, Les Grenadiers 1939-1945, Tome 1
Author: Jean-Francois Pelletier
Publisher: Heimdal
ISBN: 978-2-84048-423-3

A French Language book from publishers Heimdal, the first volume covering in detail the uniforms worn by officers and troopers of the Waffen-SS during WW2. A 256-page hard-cover book.
Even if you are not fluent in French, the photo content of this book will grab your interest anyway. I don't speak French fluently, but my reading is much better. Again, not fluent but enough to be able to understand it well enough, and if I get stuck, I can either look it up, or check with our daughter who is fluent as she lives and works in France. This contains a very detailed examination of the many different styles and variations on the uniforms worn by Waffen-SS Grenadiers, both the officers and their men. They include jackets/blouses with designs from different years, along with shirts, trousers, great coats, hats and caps. These include their rank badges, Waffenfarbe colours and eagles plus some other specialist badges. With jackets, there is even the detail of the supports sewn into the structure of the jacket to support belts which can then carry the weights of canteens, pistol holsters and the like. While there are a lot of archive photos which provide great details the real highlight are the detailed modern pictures of surviving examples of the many different items. Many even include the lining and makers marks which will be a great benefit to militaria collectors as well as historians and modellers alike. As this is only volume 1, the content covers what I'll describe a service uniforms, so nothing about helmets, webbing or any of the camouflage clothing items. One thing I'd point out in particular for modellers, is the obvious variation in colour of the many shades of field grey to be seen among the images. I should add there are also the black uniform pieces as well.
While there is still great controversy over the Waffen-SS there is no politics in here other than the history behind these uniform items. Militaria collectors, historians, modellers and perhaps those who sculpt model figures as the detail to be found here is, in my view, unbeatable. I am a fan of the various books on WW2 uniforms published by Heimdal and this one is no exception.
Thanks to Casemate UK for the review copy, as they are UK distributors for the series.

Robin