Scale: 1/35 | Model used: Tamiya – British Universal Carrier Mk.II (Nr. 35175), base by DioDump

This ‘Bren carrier’ is part of the British 3rd Infantry Division, which took part in operations in the Netherlands during the later part of the war. The crew is taking in the sight, enjoying a little bit of peace before moving on with the patrol.

The Universal Carrier, a development of the earlier Bren Gun Carrier from its light machine gun armament, was one of a family of light armoured tracked vehicles built by Vickers-Armstrongs and other companies.

The vehicle was used widely by British Commonwealth forces during the Second World War. Universal Carriers were usually used for transporting personnel and equipment, mostly support weapons, or as machine gun platforms.

Bren Carrier No.2 traverses the terrain. Collections of the Imperial War Museums.

The initial reason why I built this model was because of a Group Build where you needed to complete the largest scale model in your collection. In my case it was this 1/35 scale Universal Carrier from Tamiya. Just like the Ferret Scout Car from Airfix that I’ve made, this is one of those kits that you want to have in your collection. It even comes with three figures and plenty of accessories, like helmets, weapons, fuel cans, you name it.

The baseplate comes from DioDump, which I then painted and provided with grass and some iconic Dutch flowers. If you ever need a base for your model tank or vehicle, feel free to explore the website of DioDump, maybe they have something that suits your ideas.

This diorama now resides at a military museum at Fortress Buursteeg in Renswoude.