Company History
Starting as early as 1939, DCMT manufactured die cast toys for children. The 'Lone Star' name was chosen because of a demand at the time for toy guns and rifles popular in the Western films in cinemas all over Britain (Johnson 1998, 117-118). The company also made tie-in toy guns licensed from the James Bond films and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. TV series.
Other early models included large numbers of hand painted toy soldier figures, mostly military, with some cowboy and Native American examples. Other figures were Thunderball frogmen. Additional figures were licensed from children's series and included Noddy, Popeye and Zorro. Initially the soldiers were made in hollow cast lead, but this was later changed to plastic.
Production may have begun as early as 1939, continuing to 1947 in 'The Bridge Garage', Green Lanes, Palmers Green, London, N.13. Reportedly, from 1941 - 1942 temporary additional premises were opened on Pembroke Road, Muswell Hill, London, N.10. From 1947 - 1956 the 'River Works', 152 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, London, N.13, were in operation. In 1956, a milestone occurred with the move to a purpose-built factory of 37,000 sq. ft. at 168 Great North Road, Hatfield, Hertfordshire. In 1958, another factory was acquired at Ambridge, Gower & Mills, Holloways Lane, Welham Green, Hatfield, Hertfordshire. This became the main manufacturing facility through the 1960s.
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