Well,

here's an update on my progress. I'll just post the pics and let you all comment.

Quite nice. Having both eyes open jives with your ealier explanation for the gun not being in the shoulder "pocket": he's raising the weapon to fire, but hasn't gotten it all the way on target yet. Very cool.

I'm pretty pleased with the outcome overall. I think the right hand/ arm could stand some corrective measures, but I'm afraid it's too imbedded to repair at this point. Instead, I'll just resign it to a "first attempt" and be pleased with the overall result.

He's in a sort of "nervous patrol" position. He's a green soldier with no real combat experience, isolated after a night drop gone horribly wrong. Like many on D-Day, he doesn't know where he is or where the rest of his unit are.

Following the photos above, I added charcoal camo to his face and hands to better emulate the situation. I'll post those progress shots tomorrow.

Looks good, perhaps a tad glossy but it's miles ahead of this figure out of the box.
Cheese cloth camo cover on the helmet?

Porkchop, Thanks!

The helmet netting is actually material for bridal veils. I found it at a fabric shop after I saw something similar, but too gappy, at a florist shop.

I decided against cheesecloth because it's too irregular and the helmet netting for GI's was much more regular. There's a huge variation in the size of the openings in helmet nets, but they're always regular.

All the straps and such are scratchbuilt from thick aluminum foil.

latest update. I've assembled the figure and am just finishing up the details. I recently discovered the 101st did not wear the American flag patch during the initial fighting in Normandy, So I've removed that detail.

Left to do:
paint components of wrist compass
paint luminous disk face
fabricate rifle strap

assemble and paint base

As always, your comments are appreciated!

I'm pretty impressed with the final 'muddying up' of the face, it strongly reminds me of the scene with the 101st in the movie the 'Longest Day' (or was it the 82nd ) I don't know if it was planned that way or not, but the figure has a certain expression of 'nervousness'...

The netting. Now that is something else again! Also notable is the work you have done with the chinstrap -Superb!

On the debit side, the large pack doesn't seem as well done as the rest of the figure, whether that is a problem with the kit moulding, I don't know... However it is a part I would look at again...

Overall, you have improved the basic figure very well. I have one in the 'stash' and I can't say I am all that impressed... Soft detail, lots of mould lines -same problems which beset the Dragon British Para....Thanks for sharing it with us...Jim

The uniform is too glossy for my taste.

Sweet effect with the charcoal on the the face.