Almost... There...

 

Up the Chamla with Willie

 

A WIP of the latest project. 

After spending the last couple of weeks on the HLI, I thought that it was time to pull out the screw gun team that has been patiently waiting on it's turn to be made ready for active duty. The castings were in fair condition, but did take a couple of hours to clean up - one of the joys of using figures that were designed more than 45 years ago. A small problem is that the gun's carriage was short shot and not fully formed in the mould, so I'll be scrounging some plastic card to make good.  

What you see here is the weekends' work. I have another three mules to finish along with a pair of gunners before I can tuck this one safely away. 

The basing is sand on PVA painted with one of the GW "crackle" paints. That's then dry-brushed with a bone shade and topped with three or four different types of grass tuft.

The Order of Battle is now:

The Infantry

The Buffs

The Highland Light infantry

The Seaforths

The Guides Infantry

The Cavalry

The 21st Lancers

The Navy

The Naval Brigade Gatling Guns

I am staking a claim to a Mountain and a Field Battery, some Guides Cavalry, perhaps some Lancers from Bengal and another couple of infantry units.

Then it's Pathans in a big way. Then perhaps a few Mahdists. An Ross, just to tease you a little, some Boers.

More Sailors

Forgive the picture quality. Was done in the shed under artificial light very early in the morning!

Still, that's all the Gatlings done and 8 of the 12 Gunners.

Jolly Jack Tars

As you are doubtless aware, the Willie Ranges include a few artillery pieces.

Among them are a Gatling gun with an army crew.

I wanted a navy crew and there are a couple of sailors in the "Farewell Dolly Gray" range - an Officer and a marching rating. I hoped the rating might be a fairly versatile figure I could animate into a few different attitudes with the odd arm bend and turn of the head. Well, the figures arrived in the post this week. I was pretty happy with the rating - he marches, open handed. His rifle could equally be at the trail or in the slope arms pose. So, plenty of potential there. His sennett hat is not really attached to anything other than the crown of his head, so it's quite easy to snip away the brim and drop a blob of greenstuff on top to make a sailor hat. That same lack of attachment makes it easy to gently twist his head gently left or right.

Among the gunners that come with the Gatlings is a nice officer with field glasses who is getting a head transplant so that he may wear a peaked cap instead of a sun helmet.

The army crew will not be wasted. The "gunners" are infantry castings that are intended to be judiciously posed about a gun - yes there is one specialised figure in terms of a seated gunner, but I have plans for him and a 4Ground Wagon. His mates will either join the infantry or be used to crew some Connoisseur Field Guns.

I am organising this force for TSatF and will need three guns and a dozen gunners per battery. Gun 1 gets an Officer and three ratings, Gun 2 a Petty Officer and three ratings and Gun 3 gets four ratings.

One down, two to go.

PS - of course I am now buzzing with possibility. How about a crew for a Boer War 4.7"? I have the guns already... Or a couple of gunners for a light piece mounted hastily in a steamer? Officers to fit the wheelhouse of the HMS Implausible?  A handful of deck-hands. A small Naval Brigade?

Chaaaarge!

Death or Glory for the 21st Lancers.

The Cavalry

My North West Frontier project has been coming along as I move into Cavalry country.

Firstly we have a couple of Sowars of the Corps of Guides. Seminal troops for any NWF project.

And secondly, some British Lancers. Looking closely at them , it's very apparent that these are meant to be the 21st Lancers at Omdurman. It's my intention to mount these figures on comparatively large bases - say 80 x 40mm to accommodate the rather large horses. I am intrigued by the possibility into making some of these into mini vignettes which might make up into something quite impressive when the whole regiment is eventually assembled. I have just about enough castings to produce a full Squadron (in TSatF terms) of 25 figures - two troops of 12 figures plus a Captain commanding...

Wargaming megalomania? Why, yes.

Now, just to wrap up for the day, a miscellany of just varnished odds and ends:

From left to right, a Buff, an Officer of the Artillery, a Sowar of the Corps of Guides, an Officer of the Corps of Guides, another Buff and a Driver. The last is a Willie seated gunner from the Gatling Gun set whi has opted for a quieter life and is waiting on a 4Ground cart.

So, where are we?

Right here.

I have the bit between my teeth, I've had a week off and have been painting steadily.

So, today I threw down a water-carrier. In my mind he's Gunga Din, but who knows? Certainly he was easy to paint; he only took about 20 minutes this afternoon.

I added a new member to the Medical Staff. Dr Watson, Barbara and fanny have been joined by Private Shifty. Wounded men are not the only thing he snags off the battlefield. Need a second hand watch? A pocket book? A cigarette case? He's your man.

Och, the Highlanders. Rather pleased with the tartan. I have a method that seems to work and gives a fair result for the effort going in.

 Finally, The Buffs. Were with Brindon Blood's Third Brigade. Fine fellows all.

And that's nearly it. Apart from a few more Highlanders, a few speciality figures and a couple of Sowars that's about all the unpainted lead I have for now. I have a gun crew and a unit of British cavalry that need repainting, then I will need to toddle off and put in an order with Tradition. More Highlanders and some more Regulars to fill out my first couple of units then some Indian Infantry will be next, I should say.

The Medical Staff Redux

Introducing Dr Watson and nurses Fanny and Barbara.

The Medical Arm 2 - Stretcher Bearers!

Made the stretcher out of a straw from a broom with a slice of making tape.

The Medical Arm

Nurse Fanny Golightly, white-aproned angel, ministers to the wounded...

Another fine Suren figure who just cries out for an accompanying Medical Officer, some stretcher-bearers and perhaps a couple of tents.

 Before I get too carried away, I had better get on with the Highlanders whose kilts are now DONE.

The Highland Light Infantry

Not much more to be said. I'm engaged in painting what Willie colonials I have in the uniforms of units that were with the Malakand Field Force. A pleasing miscellany. Figures are Willies from Tradition as usual.

The heat, the dust.

I am giving myself a bit of a holiday from cranking out Napoleonic troops and taking a trip to the North Western Frontier. The year is about 1895.

Just finished this chap this morning; he was still on his painting stand as the varnish dried when I took the photo. A splendidly useless figure in war gaming terms, but what the heck.

Another pair of Willies, the first of the English infantry.

The rules will probably be TSaTF*, maybe 5-6 units of infantry, a battery and three units of cavalry. Then there are the Pathans...

*Or perhaps I'll cook up a Funny Little Derivative thereof.