WWI British Army Infantryman (Late 1917 Pattern) WWI – Custom Printed Brick Block Figure

these images display a single, highly detailed custom combat figure from different perspectives.

This figure is heavily inspired by Lance Corporal Blake, one of the main protagonists from the acclaimed World War I film 1917, capturing the exact, historically accurate loadout worn by British soldiers during the grueling late-war campaigns.

Here is the detailed English description, specific character identification, and historical background for this iconic British “Tommy.”

Character Identification: The British “Tommy” (Lance Corporal)

This Custom Printed Brick Block Figure represents a frontline infantryman of the British Army during the latter half of World War I (specifically late 1917 to 1918). He is equipped with the specialized gear developed to survive the late-war realities of poison gas and trench raids, bearing the specific rank insignia of a Lance Corporal.

Detailed Visual Breakdown

• Specific Name: WWI British Army Infantryman (Late 1917 Pattern / Lance Corporal Blake)

• Headgear (The Brodie Helmet): The figure wears the iconic olive-green Mk I “Brodie” Helmet. Colloquially known as the “tin hat” or “shrapnel helmet,” its wide steel brim was designed to protect the wearer’s head and shoulders from air-bursting artillery shrapnel.

• Facial Features: He features a youthful, determined expression with a subtle, classic British military mustache, perfectly capturing the likeness and spirit of young soldiers thrust into the horrors of the Western Front.

• Upper Body Uniform & Insignia:

  • He is dressed in the standard British Khaki Service Dress tunic.

  • Rank Insignia: Printed on his left sleeve is a single black downward-pointing chevron. In the British Army, a single chevron designates the rank of Lance Corporal. Above the chevron is a distinct red cloth patch, historically used to identify specific battalions or divisions on the chaotic battlefield.

• Tactical Webbing (Late 1917 Loadout): * The Alert Gas Mask: The most defining “Late 1917” feature is the tan canvas pouch worn high and center on his chest. This is the Small Box Respirator (SBR) satchel, worn in the “alert” position so the gas mask could be deployed in seconds.

  • He wears the classic Pattern 1908 Web Infantry Equipment, featuring cross-straps, brass buckles, and front ammunition pouches holding clips for his Lee-Enfield rifle.

• Rear & Side Loadout: The back view (详情-13.webp) reveals his marching gear:

  • A square canvas haversack (small pack) for personal rations.

  • A standard-issue blue enameled water bottle (canteen) held in a skeletal web carrier.

  • Printed on his left leg is the scabbard for the 1907 Pattern Bayonet, alongside the handle of an entrenching tool.

• Lower Body & Flanders Mud: He wears khaki trousers wrapped tightly in puttees (fabric leg wraps). The lower legs and boots are caked in 360-degree thick, wet mud printing, representing the infamous, knee-deep sludge of battlefields like Passchendaele and the Somme.

Historical Background: The Race Against Time in 1917

This figure encapsulates the technological and tactical evolution of the British soldier by the third year of the Great War.

• The Evolution of the Tommy: By late 1917, the British soldier (“Tommy Atkins”) had transformed from the naive volunteers of 1914 into highly experienced, heavily burdened shock troops. The tactical doctrine had shifted, requiring soldiers to carry immense amounts of gear to hold newly captured, muddy craters.

• The Small Box Respirator: Early in the war, gas masks were primitive pads kept in pockets. By 1917, lethal gases like Phosgene and Mustard Gas were deployed via artillery shells with little warning. The Small Box Respirator became a soldier’s most prized possession. Regulations strictly dictated that while near the front line, the satchel had to be worn high on the chest in the “alert” position, exactly as printed on this figure.

• The Inspiration (Lance Corporal Blake): In the film 1917, Lance Corporal Blake is tasked with a seemingly impossible, time-sensitive mission to cross No Man’s Land and deliver a message to stop a doomed attack. The single chevron, the high-mounted gas mask, and the mud-soaked puttees on this figure are a perfect 1:1 homage to that cinematic and historical hero.