Airfix Eighth Army model soldiers, 1986 (c)

The British Eighth Army was one of the early sets to be produced by Airfix in the early 1960s because the desert campaign was a popular subject during the Second World War, ensuring the unit's fame was still easily within living memory. The figures were not widely sold to the export market, but were popular enough in the UK for Airfix to produce another version in the 1970s.

The set includes figures in 14 poses with a range of weaponry and kit, including the British Pattern 37 webbing, all rendered with precision. The uniform conforms to the popular perception that the Eighth Army wore khaki shirts, shorts and the standard British steel helmet. In fact, a medley of uniform was worn not least because the desert was very cold at night.

The Eighth Army was formed in September 1941. It was a diverse formation made up of Commonwealth units coming from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India. The original core of the army was based on the Western Desert Force, fighting in the North African campaign.

In 1942 General Bernard Montgomery was appointed as the Eighth Army's commander in the Western Desert, where he set about transforming the fighting spirit and abilities of his men. Montgomery effectively organised the defence of El Alamein against Rommel, countering Italian and German attacks, before delivering the Allies their first major land victory of the war at the Second Battle of El Alamein in October. This was a turning point in the North African campaign, and propelled Montgomery to greater responsibility during the rest of the war. Manufacturers of toy soldiers have favoured the North African campaign over the later roles played by the Eighth Army.