My dear friend Jamie Stokes invited me to participate in creating a diorama. The idea is to have a ambulance jeep running through a muddy, end of winter, track with a medic treating a man in one stretcher on the back, while trying to keep the balance.Well! Pretty much this is the script.
My part in this job was to build the vehicle.
In this case I used the awesome Tamiya kit No.219 Jeep Willys MB 1/4-ton 4x4 Truck.
The kit is very nice and detailed but it doesn't have the accessories to make an ambulance version. So I decided to scratch-build the missing parts.
The kit was made basically out of the box following the instructions except, of course, to the ambulance conversion.
This model has such a beautiful engine included that I could not just close the bonnet off. Apart from some detailing as the spark plugs cable that I did, everything else is out of the box (It's a shame that the bonnet will be closed for the diorama).
Here some photos I've used as reference.
Searching on the internet I found a lot of pictures of ambulance jeeps during the WWII, and one thing is for sure, there was no standardisation.
I also find a sketch of what is suppose to be a try to create a standard for an ambulance conversion. So I decided to use this as my template.
And here is a photo of a wreckage jeep that looks like using this configuration.
Overall the jeep was painted with Tamiya Acrylics (XF62 Olive Drab). I have used Vallejo washes and pigments to weather and create the muddy effect.
I also did scratch-built the mud chains for the rear tires. If you look closely to the photos above, you'll notice that wasn't unusual for them to have the chains fitted only on the rear tires. I did mine using jewellery necklaces chain.
For the decals I've used I mix from my spare parts box, since the Tamiya model doesn't have an option for an ambulance vehicle. The red crosses came from an Italeri model and I used the Tamiya markings for a vehicle belonging to US Army 2nd Division, 38th Regiment HQ Company No.17, in Czechoslovakia beginning of 1945.
Here are the photos:
That's it! Until the next project.
