A built-up firing step of stacked sandbags with a timber edge — the elevated ledge from which a trench's defenders shot over the parapet. Period: World War I, 1914-1918.
Trench parapets stood about chest-high; the firing step (marche-pied / fire-step) raised a man two feet so his rifle could clear it. Most were built from earth packed with sandbags and faced with a timber plank. This piece sculpts a single section — three sandbag rows, timber face, narrow tread — drop into a trench wall for any dawn stand-to scene.
Painting tips
- Sandbags: bleached khaki-grey, vary tone slightly per bag, sepia wash in the seams.
- Timber: weathered grey-brown, mud at the base.
- Optional: spent brass casings at the foot for a working position.
Historical sources & further reading
- Royal Engineers field manuals
- Western Front photography (1916-18)
⚠ Small parts. Not suitable for children under 14.
