Everything they’ve said & I’m still having a hard time remembering this isn’t 1:35 scale. AND it was a great dio before the tanks arrived. AND the tanks are superb. Random thoughts; In tight lanes like this (and if confident of not being ambushed) did they ever turn the guns round over the engine deck? I know it would look a bit weird but…and maybe a 3rd vehicle might be an MP jeep in the driveway directing traffic? Or some local Maquis if anyone makes a clapped-out Citroen in 1:72? 
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There is a 1:72 scale Citroën Avante by Ace models.
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Thanks to Gil, John, and Tim for both their positive and supportive feedback, and their ideas relating to figures and vehicles, as always they’re much appreciated, 
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I did like the idea of ‘Partisans’ as it would have allowed the use of different colours, however, the few sets I could find were very ‘combat’ orientated.
I have been looking for options relating to a third vehicle parked in the gateway and am leaning towards a Daimler Mk.II Armoured Car, they appear to have been used in North-West Europe, but not sure if they would have been used in the ‘bocage’ region, and were they used purely for scouting, or might they have been used as a command vehicle…any views, 
?
G
The Mk. II armoured car, the Daimler one was used in Villers Bocage by both the 11th Hussars and Derbyshire Yeomanry as a reconnaissance vehicle, so these cars were used in Normandy. As mentioned earlier there was also the Dingo armoured car which was also used by reconnaissance units and if I’m not mistaken was used by commanding officers.
The Dingo is made by S-models from Chine and thre are two kits in the box. Ace also have a Dingo or the Italian knock-off but these are rare as white crows.
The Mk. II Daimler is made by Hasegawa. AGGB makes the Humber Mk. I scout car which is a very good kit although not cheap
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Thanks Gil for the information regarding the Daimler, Dingo, and the Humber. I had been checking out the Humber as it’s a Dan Taylor kit, however, I think the cost is a tad steep, plus I don’t think my ham-fisted modelling skills would do it justice, 
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So I’m leaning towards the S-model Dingo(s) you suggested, even though they don’t have any internal detail…I’m sure I can hide that, 
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Thanks again for your help, 
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G
Hi all,
When to stop tinkering, ? I decided that the field/hedgerow needs a bit more colour, and then I decided that the ‘crossroad’ area looked a bit bland…
As the roads/tracks all seem to come together at this point in a sort of depression I thought it likely to be an area where water collects and creates a muddy area, so I have added a couple of puddles. I have also started added some dandelions and more brightly coloured wildflowers…making and installing these will keep me quiet for a few days, .
A question, …I’m also thinking of adding a couple of telegraph poles, is it likely that a Normandy farmhouse of this sort of period would have a phone, and, if so, how would it be connected to the building…any ideas or pictures, ?
Cheers, 
,
G
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@G-man69 As for hiding the bare interior you can go in either of two ways. One is by keeping all hutches shut, or you can use the half figures from the HaT British tank riders set and place them in an open hutch.
To connect the farm house with a telephone line you can look at period photographs (didn’t need to tell you that) and also look at a diorama kit accessory by MPK link follows
https://www.onthewaymodels.com/reviews/MK72/AlMagnus_MK72_Dio7220_preview.htm
This house is indicative of a Normandy house and the kit has a telephone or electricity connection
Those extra details like puddles and dandelions look really good and add do much more to the realism… What did you use for both ?
@G-man69 The S-model Dingo kit has the top closed, so you’d need to perform a little minor surgery to reveal the interior and rebuild the cover. The DanTaylor kit for the interior fits nicely and has good detail - the photo etch is very good. With the exception of the nonexistent suspension detail (only a stub axle and a spring) the S-model kit is nicely molded and fits together with a minimum of fuss.
If you need a Mk2, the recommendation practice seems to be using the louvres from the 1/76 Dingo in Revell’s “Monty’s Caravan”. I tried that and couldn’t get it to look right. If you go down that road, hopefully you’ll have better luck.
The Ace Dingo kit incorporates a lot more detail than the S-model but it is very poorly molded. By the time you reworked the parts to bring it up to the standard of the other vehicles in your diorama you’d be effectively scratchbuilding 90% of the model. Not recommended. On the plus side, the Ace kit radio and fuel tank are nicely done and the wheels are more accurate than those in the S-model offering.
A Recce unit in the field or elsewhere in the dio might look very good. If not, it’s a great start on your next creation.
Order of march…recce - first in, last out - I have a bias.
If your troops are moving into contact with a suspected or known enemy position, reconnaissance elements could be observing the target or guiding friendlies to the target. Maybe some arty setting up for spec or supporting fire. Perhaps an ambulance preparing to receive casualties. Abandoned/destroyed Axis equipment might imply how close the enemy is.
If it’s more of an administrative movement…anything goes. MP’s directing traffic, owner of the farm looking to sell a chicken or a pig, SSM looking for misplaced cases of wine.
All that being said, you’ve got a great build going. If your existing work is any indication, anything you decide to add will be “that nice little touch that brings it all together”. (Wish I had that problem** 
*)
Cheers,
Colin
When to stop tinkering? The little box at the top of the page says “7 months”.
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Thanks Colin for all the very useful information relating to the S-model’s ‘Dingo’, good to know it’s got a roof, especially as I’m no good at scratch building, and I run a mile from any use of photoetch, .
The intention has always been to have this as a non-combat scenario, the tanks just passing through a relatively quiet sector…hence my problem finding suitable figure sets, the majority tend, maybe understandably, in ‘firing’ positions. I had looked for some ‘civilian’ sets to occupy the farm, but again the figures tend to be resistance fighter, so action roles again…have started scouring ‘railway’ figures.
One idea I had was based on a 1/35th conversion set I saw recently on here, it was a conversion turning a jeep in to a stretcher carrier, I think I might get a cheap jeep and some plastic strip and have a go at cobbling something up to sit in the gates to the yard.
I do like your suggestion of artillery, maybe a mortar team setting up in the field, or breaking down, with a Universal Carrier parked in the gateway, .
Thanks again for your help, much appreciated,
G
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Thanks for your kind words of support John, they’re much appreciated.
I’ve done a bit more work on the muddy area, adding imprints left by the tank that has just passed through.
The ‘puddles’ were made by gouging out some of the road surface, cutting some clear plastic packaging to roughly the same shape and then painting one side (this will be the face down side when used) with some muddy brown acrylic paint. This leaves the non-painted side face-up, so it is very flat and reflective, unlike varnish or clear ‘water’ products which tend to shrink and sink in the middle as they dry.
The ‘mud’ was a pure accident, I coloured some PVA glue with the same colour paint as used on the ‘puddles’ and then added some very finely sifted ash from the wood burner. I’m not sure whether it was the wood ash or the smokeless fuel ash, but it sort of reacted with the PVA glue and it became slightly rubbery, more like copydex, but without the stale p155 smell, . The consistency was easy to work with, dried really quickly and kept a sheen that I feel, imho, passes for wet mud.
I have also added some additional types of ‘flora’, e.g. poppy and clover, .
The ‘dandelion’ is just individual tiny bits of yellow scatter stuck to a blob of PVA glue, the ‘poppy’ is just individual tiny bits of red scatter stuck to thin bits of black rigid nylon, and the ‘clover’ is purple scatter ground down as finely as I could and sprinkled over and pressed in to the grass.
In reality, the ‘puddles’ and ‘mud’ should have been done at a much earlier stage, I would have had better access, and could have made it look better, but hey, ho, ever day is a school day, . This was always an experiment, but olenty of lessons to take through to the next build.
Hope that helps answer your questions, .
G
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Yes G thanks. Very clever method for the puddles. It looks great and as you said, gives a nice flat reflection… Also the mud… Very nice again and looks like a wagon has indeed just gone through it, churning it up and out over the old dried areas
Good use of the scatter for the flowers… Adds a nice bit of late summer colour to it all.
I finally got my Orion German figures. They are set 2 from the Panzer crew .
The setting will be out of combat, so hopefully there will be enough poses to have about 15 or so figures scattered around the scene. I have also got 2 types of 1/72 stowage gear on order, boxes/ fuel drums and cans etc
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That’s a good set of figures John, I checked them out on PSR, they also do a ‘Set 1’ to go with them that has a good number of casual poses, it’ll be good to see them in situ.
G
Well now you’re just showing off
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They have some nice poses for sure and I should be able to double up on a few and spread them throughout the scene and maybe will try and adjust a few if needed.
One drawback was they have an awful lot of flash on probably have the figures per sprue ( 3 altogether giving 39 figures)
I did look around for non combat figures and there just aren’t many about. I couldn’t find the set 1 (which is probably better for poses) in UK and wasn’t going to spend a load on p&p so will make do with these and fight my way through the flash… And being soft plastic it’s a pain lol
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The only hard plastic German tank crew in non combat poses is made by Preiser 72507, butvis very hard to come by. These are made as kits, that is to say some of the figures are in 5 or 6 parts with torso, legs and arms seperate. Very good kit but rare
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Just did a quick search for those Gil and they do look really nice and would of been perfect but as you said very hard to find and everywhere was out of stock … Shame
@Johnnych01 Have found what you seek. An online store from Texas so if you are in the States you can by these
https://models11.com/Military%20Figures%201:72%20Scale/preiser-72507-grm-tank-crew-resting-20
Nice progress Mr. G! As for my 2 cents: I think a 3rd vehicle in the convoy would be too much. In the field, yes… Also, if it is a non combat situation, the barrel of the firefly should definitly not point into the field, as it soon will get jammed into the hedgrow when it drives on…
I guess 1:87 (H0) figures will be too out of place???
1:87 (HO) scale figures will be too small, particularly if placed with 1:72 scale figures, they will look like children (a thought- an 1:87 civilian figure will give the apeatance of a youth, watching the soldiers).