Toy Soldier Collector Magazine

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A dream realized

A fond look back at how a young boy first started collecting W. Britain toy soldiers in post WWII America

Around Christmas time in the 1940's, before and after WWII, the American New York City toy store F.A.O. Schwarz printed a fabulous catalogue. In addition to all the ‘ordinary’ toys the catalogue had several pages devoted to toy soldiers. These were not toy soldiers one bought in Woolworth's 5 and 10 Cent Store, but German Heyde figures (before the war) and the hollow cast W. Britains. When the catalogue arrived at our house in late November I was quick to grab it, open it to the soldier pages, and literally devour the photographs of contingents of toy soldiers marching about in formation. To this day I have fond memories of what I saw in those long disposed of catalogues. And yes, I even sometimes dream of the contents of those pages.

When the war began I was too young to have any of the soldiers found in the catalogue. The Britains and Heydes disappeared from the pages as the Britains company turned to making war goods and the Heyde factory in Germany was bombed. By the time the war was over, however, I had accumulated American made paper, composition, and plastic soldiers along with some metal Tootsie toy tanks and half tracks.

Immediately after the war, 54mm scale models of armored fighting vehicles began to appear in the stores on American military installations called post exchanges, or PXs for short. These were models of US Army vehicles such as light and medium tanks, self -propelled artillery pieces, half-tracks, jeeps, as well as scout and armored cars. Originally the wheeled vehicles had no turning parts, but soon after the jeeps, armored cars, and half tracks appeared with rotating wheels and rollers. Although expensive in monetary terms of the day, it was possible to add several models to one's budding collection.

As industry returned to peace time production after the war, the F.A.O. Schwarz catalogue once again began to display the Britains toy soldiers. The Britains company quickly resumed producing toy soldiers although the selection was not as great as it was pre-war. In addition, much of what was being produced was being sent to the United States. For me the arrival of the catalogue once again became a glorious event, but at age ten the Britains figures still seemed to be out of my reach. I was able to assemble an army of ‘dimestore’ soldiers but they were really too big to be compatible with the few vehicle models already in my collection.

Now, just as the war in the Pacific was coming to an end, my mother contracted the dreaded disease of polio which permanently paralyzed her legs. My father was commanding an infantry regiment (British brigade) in Germany when he was rushed home to be with my mother. I was too young to realize the magnitude of my mother's illness, but even at my age I did know that life was never going to be the same again. Luckily my mother was a stout soul and although she could never walk again without the aid of crutches she was not one to allow herself to be handicapped by legs which did not "work."

While my mother's condition was stabilized in a local rehabilitation hospital, my father went back to teaching the Spanish language at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. A grandmother and nannies took care of me and my three younger sisters. We lived on the military post and went to school there which made life for all of us relatively easy. In the meantime, living in a military community produced a great environment for ‘playing soldier’ both in miniature and with mock guns in the surrounding woods.

It was not until May of 1946 that the F.A.O. Schwarz store catalogue became more than a bunch of printed pages for me. And it happened in a strange, but wonderful way.

My mother had an old friend who was confined to a wheel chair and always sent my sisters and me presents on our birthdays. One year I got a comb and brush which I probably needed, but the gift was not particularly welcomed. I do not remember other presents except for one in that May when we were living at the Military Academy. Promptly on time a box arrived from F.A.O. Schwarz. I do not know what I was expecting, but it was not soldiers. And of course, it was not.

What was in the box was a musical typewriter. I cannot imagine what got into this woman's head that an eleven year old boy would want a musical typewriter. Did she think I was a three year old? I guess she had just run out of ideas. In any event, on opening the present I noted that something was wrong with it. Closer examination revealed that the typewriter had become broken in transit. What a potential disaster, but maybe a glorious opportunity. Obviously the present would have to be returned and exchanged. But for what? Would F.A.O. Schwarz only offer a direct replacement, or were there other possibilities? The only way to find out was to drive the sixty miles to New York City and visit the store.
My father took a day off from teaching and we drove into the city. The weather was cloudy with rain expected. It was a dreary day except for one thing. There was a remote possibility that the trip might turn into something special. The road was long and we could not drive fast, but it mattered little as we approached the city. To this day, when the clouds are grey and I drive into New York City I still experience the exhilaration I felt as a youth of eleven years on that day in May.

My father was never big on toy soldiers. He was a golfer and preferred outdoor activities. When we arrived at the store in the city we first went to return the broken typewriter. There was no question about its condition and the store gladly took it back. Then came the first break, it was not necessary to get a new typewriter in exchange! Instead I was given a voucher which could be used at any department within the store. My father steered me towards the sports section of the store, wouldn’t a new fishing rod be great? He and I could go to one of the numerous nearby ponds and catch fish together. My dad was an impressive individual and his suggestions carried a lot of weight. I had to build up a great deal of courage and tell him, no! I would like to go to the toy soldier counter. Then came the second break when he said, "all right." And so we headed to the department of my dreams.

The sight of box upon box of Britains toy soldiers behind the counter was astonishing. Here was what I had dreamt of for so long, those gorgeous sets that were so wonderfully displayed in the Christmas catalogue. The question now was, not that I was going to be able to spend the broken typewriter money on soldiers, but instead, how many boxes could I buy with twelve dollars (about three British pounds in those days.) The answer was, a lot.

I cannot remember just how I went about choosing the sets, but I remember what they were. And they are still in my grandchildren's collection. I could buy five sets of Britains toy soldiers at $2.00 (ten British shillings) a box and a cannon for the amount of money retrieved from the broken musical typewriter.

The cannon was the pre-war Britains set number 1725, the 4.5 inch howitzer with an elevating rod which moved freely back and forth, and was secured with a vertical screw. Unfortunately, as an inquisitive boy I fiddled with the firing mechanism which rendered it inoperative. Over the years, however, the howitzer has been replaced with post-war versions.

The one mounted set was the US Cavalry, Service Dress at the walk, set number 229. The five troopers were mounted on brown horses. Although the brown color is rather dull today, the troops still serve.

Two sets of soldiers in WWII battle dress were the next acquisitions. One of my favorite pictures in the F.A.O. Schwarz catalogue was of a large formation of British infantry marching, and carrying their rifles at the trail. This was set number 195 with seven soldiers wearing steel helmets led by an officer carrying a knobbed baton. Its title was Infantry, Service Dress, Steel Helmets. Of all the sets in the entire army, this has to be my favorite if for no other reason that it was an important dream realized.

The second set in battle dress was Britains set number 1612, consisting of British Infantry in Action with Gas Masks. Seven soldiers were all throwing grenades led by an officer wielding a sword. It might be said that set number 1612 was a predecessor to sets 1614 and 1615 which included a variety of gas masked soldiers and were produced after WWII. My set 1612 was evidently manufactured around 1940.

The last two sets were the Black Watch, Britains set number 11 without the piper and the Grenadier Guards, standing, kneeling, and lying firing, Britains set number 1283. The Black Watch was produced after 1946 with a piper, so I evidently got one of the sets packaged in the same manner as those produced before the war. There were any number of sets of British Guards in firing positions before the war, but it appears that the only eight piece set of firing Grenadier Guards in 1946, and after, was set number 1283.

It took many years before I realized that my purchases were rather unique. There was no post-war set number 1612 but some pre-war packaged sets were evidently still available in 1946. The post-war set number 11 had a piper, but the pre-war set had only charging Black Watch Highlanders. As for the Grenadier Guards, the numbering of set 1283 places it later than other sets for sale such as number 41 with Grenadier Guardsmen in action but combined with other regiments. Yet, at the time of purchase with all the excitement, proper categorizing was not a factor when I was buying the sets.

It does not take too much imagination to picture that sixty mile ride home, I don't even think I realized I was in a car as we drove back to West Point. And then was there the possibility that my treasure trove was really just a dream? Many years later, however, these same soldiers - the cannon excluded - still answer the roll call. They are no longer a few figures here and there, but now organized into battalions and brigades. They have been joined by hundreds of others in similar uniforms but also in different poses. There is now extensive transport, even heavy armor and numerous artillery.

So how fortunate it was that a broken musical typewriter should lead to toy soldier bliss. I am so glad that my mother's friend's imagination was rather limited. She could never have guessed that she was enabling a dream to be realized.

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