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)… next 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!.
Two more units to go!
Enjoy!
Not happy with the Regimental Colour… need to repaint a bit…
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 (very) busy at the beginning of the 90’s and did not notice at all when William Britains (the new owners I guess) 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. Later on even the white helmet British sets were transferred to Andorra la Vella and only ceremonial sets remain in PAL.
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). Nearly there…
The tribulations of a loony collector should I 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.
It must be my age, I am getting less and less “patient” if you know what that means. On the other hand I am becoming more and more of a “patient” of a bunch of doctors (not many quacks so far).
All of that because perusing (sorry “navigating”) ebay.co.uk one recent day I discovered a bunch of 54MM Sherwood Foresters Britains of the late 90´s… it said I could make an offer… I did (could not restrain myself)… and what the hell!… whoever it was accepted it!… OK… Paypayled him/her and some days later (quite quick!) I got a marvelously packed parcel (thanks for that) with the goods (see first pic).
Of course being a silly ass (read collector) I could not restrain myself (again) and had to complete the set as to get 12 figures units for A Gentleman’s War (a set of rules I have never used yet… but looks good in a way)… so I started BUYITNOW the items i needed (first to make two units… then three… I got a bit carried away)…
So here I am waiting for the little parcels of two soldiers each to arrive and in the meantime modeling a bit because (YES!) I could not restrain myself!… so I changed the arm and flag of the standard bearer.
Will edit or Post a new one when things look “organized”.
Enjoy!
PS: I have been very busy deleting a lot of “old Posts” with maybe no real interest (to me).
The first “bunch” was got at a very fair price!There I am gluing my fingers to bits and pieces again!
I used this “avatar” or pic of a RCMP Inspector General with dark blue tunic (patrol jacket in Britain) because of childhood memories.
Suddenly one day a member of Facebook commented I have painted wrong the lanyard because it was under the webbing (difficult for the pistol to be used as such at all… lol… he (or she) was right… so:
I modified the mistake.
Here are the pics, enjoy!
Original pic with lanyard under the webbing! (WRONG!)Matter modified!Another view.
There you have it… a collection of pics is better than a long text… this is what I did in 2023… from bottom to top chronologically I am afraid!
I enjoyed the lot of projects. Some come out of nowhere… some were convoluted… some straightforward…
How the mind wanders in a year… seriously considering selling my Playmobil Collection on Ebay nowadays… lack of interest by my grandchildren… and need of space… that happens…
Hope you enjoy my recollections!
Finally varnished, dry, and ready to play!Command Group detail!lanyard corrected!A nice little collection in Kakhi by REPLICA
I do not remember if I did that on 2023… but probably! DORSET SOLDIERSMy only 42MM soldier! B series by REPLICAThe SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON project!Union Cavalry in 6mm (Baccus)6MM Nile Gunboat (Daniel Hodgson REVEILLE production)Rorke’s Drift in 6MM (Baccus Minis and Leven Buildings)My avatar in 75mm. Playmobil customThe Charge of the Heavy Brigade (Crimea 1854) 6mm Baccus Proxies!Repainted central Toy Soldier (substitution in the collection)The finished Brigade of Guards Crimea 1854 (Baccus Proxies and a lot of work involved!)The “NEW” additions (Lt. Chard and Lt. Bromhead) in their proper place. DORSET SOLDIERS.Display of finished units! REPLICA and DORSETStaff Car and Motorcycles escort!Chard and Bromhead by DORSETXIXth Corps d’Afrique (French) in 54MM… now complete. DORSETConfederates in 6MM (Baccus)The whole Heavy Brigade (Crimea) 6MM Baccus proxies.My ANTIETAM/SHARPSBURG Wargame 6MM Baccus (At the end of the game)Another view.Playmobils 75MM… seriously considering selling my collection of them in 2024! But not those…Saganne in 54mm Dorset Soldiers casting painted by me…Nathan Brittles last patrol in 6MM Baccus Proxies (Pony Wars and a scratchbuild Olivia Dandridge aka Joanne Dru).I did this “conversion” for a W.S.Churchill at OMDURMAN…. Dorset Soldiers cast!French Foreign Legion by Dorset Soldiers waiting Varnish (Gloss of course!)PLAYMOBIL customized by me NWMP.Last but not least!… this is what I remember… (fondly).
All right, once the figures out of the Cabinet it is possible to do some kind of manoeuvres, so here it is the French Foreign Legion in Square. Of course it is easier to take pics because those figures are mine!
No much problem to do the pics once paraded.
Enjoy!
Frontal ViewRear ViewLateral viewView from a cornerQuite aerial view…
The “square” formation is only to show the Toy Soldiers in a single pic. Cavalry had not use at all “inside”. But even more important the “square” as such was not used at all intensively at that time… so you will forgive the artistic license!
In fact the purpose of this “parade” was to count them all, stop adding more troops without sense of perspective… and find where to put the two machine guns newly commisioned!
Vast majority of them are REPLICA METAL MODEL SOLDIERS (Andrew Stevenson), complemented by DORSET SOLDIERS (Antony Spencer) and even 4 Gordon Highlanders done by my friend Paul Watson in a moment of yours truly deep anguish!…
Enjoy!
You must read Major C.E. Callwell (Royal Artillery) opus SMALL WARS (Their Principles & Practice).
Quite aerial view.Maybe a better shot!Another perspective.Indian Mountain Battery.Corps of GuidesGurkhasBritish Guards66th BerkshiresBobbie (the dog) is purposefully misplaced! (it should be with the 66th!Gordon HighlandersCommander + British Artillery.Just to say farewell…Those are in the offing…The Maxim with wheels too!
Since seeing “The Four Feathers” (1939 version if you please!) film as a child the idea of a British “square” formation has been ingrained in my brain (not that it appears in the film at all but vaguely the idea is there when the Fuzzy-Wuzzies attack at dawn the lone company of Captain Durrance -already blinded by the Sun- and Burrows and Willoughby of course!
The reading many years later of SMALL WARS revealed to me nothing “new” but it is a book I recommend because it is a compendium of “obvious things to do” (but easily forgotten)… it took me a long time to read and digest (meaning that since begun I read and finished a lot of other books) because it was interesting and meticulous. It has been a long time since I recommended a book!
So today I chosed some old pics from my personal Vault to illustrate the point. Maybe when I get the remaining 16 figures from DORSET (sorry IMPERIAL MINIATURES nowadays) I will indulge in a new series with Khaki clad warriors.
Maybe you already have seen them but anyway…
Enjoy!
A Major (later Colonel) in the Artillery… and specially useful if you are a colonial wargamer or buff. Not the edition I’ve got… but that’s the one!54MM “square”A variation of my first one with Perry’s added to my Old Minifigs.The 54 mm version (aka ULUNDI times)I even did it with customized Playmobils (75mm).Ulundi in 6mm (Baccus minis)Not forgetting 6mm BaccusI used those well known pics on the cover and backcover of my Spanish Second Edition (unavailable because of the I.R.S. that was pesting me every year!… I am not American you kow… and I pay my taxes in Andorra!) So I deleted the books from amazon and that put an end to the harassing.The second and final English Edition (try ebay if you must)
It was a gift! (It came with an order of 54MM casts you have seen ad nauseam…)
I did paint it between colours on other projects in 54MM… quite pleased with the result… not as pricey as 54MM… and they look smart for the size!
Queen’s Bays (more or less…) for a while I was tempted enough… some would love that scale! (see Graham Hilditch)… It was like the old days when I painted a lot of 25/28MM wargames figures.
I rather keep me in the 54MM lot though (details are easier at my age)… but though to show it here nevertheless.