Early nineties collectors club Britains metal figures in 54mm… and REPLICA casts converted (a bit) and painted by myself…
I honestly do not know if to complete the US Cavalry set from She Wore a Yellow Ribbon or not…
On the contrary once Antony Spencer from Dorset sends my order end of June I will get the missing drummer… and much needed French Foes (in real life it was the years of “Entente Cordiale”) because they are naturally the best of enemies…
So, Dorking (it won’t even be called Dorking at all you know) would involve a fictional second half of the XIXth Century engagement between French and British forces… still not decided if it would be a Calais invasion by the Brits… or a Dover one by the French… musing on it!
A six months “War” full of pathos because Isandlwana… a British Empire act of rascality (well that’s what Empires do anyway…) got a bloody nose and was “put right” even before a “new” commander in chief could arrive (read Wolseley). Have some pics.
Well, maybe the summing up is too brief and harsh… after all there are so many books (good) abut it… and splendid movies… ZULU DAWN and ZULU (The second was released ages before the first… but it is better to watch in the proper order)… and than you have Eshowe and other actions… have always been a fan since I saw ZULU at the theater… then there was no VHS no DVD no BluRay… LOL… spectacular…
Enjoy!
Rorke’s Drift (Leven model painted by Daniel Hodgson) Baccus figures painted by Robert Jackson.Ulundi “square” lateral view. (I did the 17th lancers myself and the mounted standard-bearers…)Ulundi seen from the Zulu side…(Zulu capital).
This post ends the series of repairs and refections (including change of facings on two units) of my compulsive sentimental buys in ebay.co.uk… authentic Britains (from the early nineties… time really flashes by)… very good state of conservation (minor chipping of paint etc).
I am through but varnishing which I will do end of March.
ok, I repainted collar and cuffs in yellow to have a different unit (they are now ex-Sherwood Foresters… I use the 12 minis (or figures) organization suggested in the ruleset A GENTLEMAN’S WAR (even if I do not abide my games with them… always do my own thing as you know)… mext and last would be with white facings.
Well, one unit is finished!… they have been repainted where minor chipping was aparent and the Officers arms with the Colours “exchanged”… gloss will be aplied once very dry!.
After some gluing up, I finally organized the Zulu War Cavalry… even some mounted Infantry to be redcoated yet.
I started with the 17th lancers from my spares box… and followed with some NNC Cavalry (also from the SB)… but the Natal Mounted Police and Carbineers come from GREG… after organizing and basing (pending flock) I did a surplus contingent of mounted Infantry.
Curiously enough, I can be heterodox in the basing because small colonial affairs permit it (IMHO)… but I am quite ortodox in basing with big conflicts like the ACW (but for Artillery Commanders and other markers I use (deviating from the more popular Rulesets!)… all is a matter of personal satisfaction I guess.
That ends another Project in 6MM.
Probably my last!
Enjoy!
Both mounted and dismounted Cavalry (auxilliary but the 17th lancers).
Sellers and postage etc went without a hitch… tip top all the way! (I clarify this because I forgot to mention). Kudos to them.
You see I was busy at the beginning of the 90’s and did not notice at all when William Britains did those soldiers in 54MM… Busy working on my real life and not much time for the hobby in that “fighting stances scale”… after a deep crisis with wargaming in 25/28MM (which caused the collection to be sold) I was going into 6MM wargaming (still are and satisfied of my decision) but indulging in Playmobils Hard Plastic 75MM… I still collected in 54MM but quite display and ceremonial sets (still have them no fear).
The acquisition of the book A GENTLEMAN’S WAR provoked an interest on wargaming in 54MM a la Wells (very old classic stuff) and I decided to reshuffle my collection. The French (mainly French Foreign Legion were transported to Andorra la Vella and left Pal forever… so did the Second Afghan War Replica Collection… and then I completed those sets (still at it mind) to play my FASHODA went wrong scenario… pitching one against the other… a part of playing them solo in colonial semi-historical more correctly.
Then one day Andrew Stevenson published a pic of his units in full SIMKIN uniforms splendid array… and I was hooked… so I am now building a purely DORKING scenario British Army. BUT no Prussians at all… the French will do the trick again! (being the “enemy” I mean).
The tribulations of a loony collector should have titled this post!
And of course 30 years later you need to search for them on ebay!
Guards should be on the right of the line but I was in a hurry!Yes those are the Guards but I finally added the white frontal stripe.Those are the ebay.co.uk buys… read the text for more detail.The “oversized drummer will go out” to another cabinet… a miss…In the process of exchanging “colours”…no way I am going to field two Union Jacks…Third and last unit (have to paint new facings) at least the drummer is the right proportion.See the difference?… even the base is too “tall” on the big drummer… part of a Band set I guess….The changing of the arm was easy and swift the second time… the first one still shows the stress of the first conversion.
