WWII US Marine Raider Grenadier - Bougainville 1943

As I continue to explore this image of the 3rd Marine Raider Battalion on Bougainville, I wanted to start looking at some of the lesser known roles within WWII infantry squads. Front and center is an unnamed rifle grenadier, equipped with an M1903 Springfield rifle. While Springfields were still a mainstay in the Marine Corps at this time, as well as issued one per every squad in the regular army, they are less common to see among Raiders which quickly adopted large quantities of the M1 Garand. The reason being in both cases, was that the M1 would not see an acceptable grenade launcher which functioned with it's semi-automatic operation designed and issued until 1944. In this iconic image, you can even see the cardboard canisters mounted to his pack, which contained the rifle grenades. 

Matching the photo, this figure dons the full P1942 "Frogskin" uniform with matching helmet cover. I've incorporated the standard Marine P1941 field pack, which has a rifle grenade canister wedged under the main flop, and inside the blanket roll strap on top. He has the standard Marine Corps rifle cartridge belt, interestingly paired with an Army issue M3 fighting knife at his side. 

Original Proof Copy - 1 of 1, first complete minifigure out of the printer. Signature by Landon Reimer, sealed plastic collectors slab with Brick Warp artwork, original Marine frogskin camouflage material sample. 

Collectors Edition - Signature by Landon Reimer, sealed plastic collectors slab with Brick Warp artwork, original Marine frogskin camouflage material sample. 

Base Model - Complete figure in hand-stamped numbered case inspired by WWII era packaging. Not sealed. This packaging again, is hand-stamped and is not intended to look perfect. 

• Custom printed BrickArms M1 Steel Pot helmet with jungle/green frogskin artwork 
• Custom printed minifigure head 
• P1942 camouflage utility uniform
• Marine contract M1923 cartridge belt 
• Marine P2 canteen cover
• Army M1942 first aid pouch
• Army M3 Fighting knife with M6 scabbard
• P1941 Marine haversack
• P1941 Marine Suspenders
• P1912 Marine shovel cover with shovel
• M1905 Bayonet with Marine replacement scabbard
• Rifle grenade cannisters in pack 
• Navy N1 (Boondocker) Boots
• Inside leg printing 
• Holographically sealed packaging (original and collectors edition) 
• Original frogskin camouflage poncho sample (original and collectors edition)
• Hand stamped WWII inspired packaging (base model)

Information Info: Art and printing by Lando (that’s me!) on genuine factory direct Lego minifigure elements & BrickArms headgear.

Legal Disclaimer: This is not a LEGO® Product. LEGO and the LEGO minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorize, or endorse this product. The LEGO Group is not liable for any loss, injury or damage arising from the use or misuse of this product.