15Minifigure – New recruit serving in the elite 87th Division of the Chinese National Revolutionary Army NRA (LEGO Alternative)

This minifigure represents a new recruit serving in the elite 87th Division of the Chinese National Revolutionary Army (NRA) during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). As a soldier in one of China’s premier, German-trained units, this new recruit would have been thrown into intense fighting in major engagements like the Battle of Shanghai. This character is a generic representation of a young soldier at the beginning of his military service, distinguished from the “veteran” figure by his younger and more aggressive facial expression. The item in the picture is a single, detailed toy minifigure:

• He is depicted hatless and is wearing the standard-issue M36 uniform of an enlisted NRA soldier.
• The printed details are very accurate for the period, including the enlisted rank insignia on his collar tabs, and a full set of printed webbing with a brown leather belt, ammunition pouches, a canteen, and a bayonet frog.
• The light blue shield on his left arm was the specific divisional patch worn by units, like the 87th, that were under the direct command of the central government. He also has detailed printed leggings over his boots.