Military Model Scene

Title: Forgotten Archives 3
Author: Darren Neely
Publisher: Panzerwrecks
ISBN: 978-1-908032-21-8

More of the Lost Signal Corps Photos of WW2, and I must say another excellent collection that author Darren Neely has been able to put together once again. A 240-page landscape format hardback which holds 249 archive photos along with 8 pages of more fine artwork by Filipe Rodna.
The first section is devoted to photos from Italy, with each page devoted to a single photo, along with any original caption (if available) and more detail and sometimes corrections in new captions from the author. A number of images, and this is true throughout the book, have a QR code which if you scan them with your smartphone, will show you their locations on Google Maps or Street View. Lots of interesting pictures with a mix of German & Allied AFVs. I particularly liked the shots of a Salvage point, where spares were recovered from knocked out equipment. This section also has the first of the artworks from Filipe Rodna, with the original black & white image (of an M5A1 Stuart) and facing it, his colour artwork of the same tank. Then there are another 9 sections/chapters, each devoted to the work of an individual Cameraman. These all cover equipment in France and Germany during 1944/45, and again a mix of German and Allied vehicles, some of which are noted as being additional views of individual vehicles that have previously featured in some of the other Panzerwrecks books. The detail in these pages will interest WW2 historians but are also a goldmine of detail and inspiration for AFV modellers. There are too many to talk about all of them, but scenes such as re-arming Shermans, one where the front transmission cover has been removed from the front of an M4 for it to be worked on, Sherman Dozer equipped tanks in action, along with various knocked out German AFVs. Panthers, Stugs, Pz IVs of course but even a Pz II Ausf b driver training tank fitted with a wood burning power unit found in Germany as late as April 1945. This is also another of the subjects illustrated in Filipe Rodna's lovely artwork.
Another fascinating book to bring this series up to number 3 and very nicely put together. Interesting information and super images reproduced in a page size that makes it plain to see in detail. Highly recommended without any hesitation.
Thanks to Panzerwrecks for our review copy.

Robin