Cromwell's Ironsides - Richard Scollins Picture

As mentioned recently on Ralph's excellent blog 'Wars of Louis Quatorze'Richard Scollins superb illustrations used to liven up articles in Military Modelling. I think that this is what I miss the most from the modern slick magazines and MM sadly now does not feature on my magazine buying radar as its predominatly full of tanks (I model tanks myself but I like variety) and usually very expensive ones and covered in resin and etched brass!! Marriot, Fosten, Younghusband etc all used to provide great illustrations and I miss this element in the current journals. Also I liked one magazine which featured modelling, wargaming and military history. Perhaps its my age (I am now in the grumpy old man age bracket)however on the wargaming and modelling front we've never had it so good every army produced in metal and plastic, tanks and aircraft of every nation and mark.....but I just miss the journal that was Military modelling and the old Airfix magazine from the 70's & 80's!!!

This picture was from MM December 1984 in an article by Alan Buttery on Cromwell's Ironsides (Part1)

Shell Shock & Combat Stress

I got the above book 'Shell Shock The Psychological Impact of War' by Wendy Holden published by Channel 4 Books in 1998 two weeks ago from the excellent Oxfam bookshop near where I work. I have only just started it but 'it charts society's attempts to distinguish between madness and cowardice, in conflicts from the First World War to Bosnia'to quote the dustcover. It plots the changing labels for an eternal condition - shell shock, battle fatigue, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)in a changing moral landscape, it details the revolution in military attitudes to the fragility of men & the birth of modern psychiatry.

The best quote is on page 159 by Simon Weston who suffered terrible burns on the Sir Galahad in the Falklands War and lost close friends in that burning ship;

'We did not take part in a holocaust. It was not a war that will be remembered for ever. It was just another conflict, and now is just another already half-forgotten story, a more and more distant memory of Union Jacks and cheers of glory. But for many the price is still being paid; their war is still going on.'

Now the wargaming/modelling fraternity are doing their bit as I found out on Steve the Wargamers Brilliant Blog which links to Soapy's Blog. Soapy is the sculptor benind the Woodbine 'branch' of the Gripping Beast empire & doing a lot of work on WW1 figures (I have some of the Naval Division cap head varient chaps to paint up soon)and has been asked to produce a figure to raise money for the ex services mental welfare charity 'Combat Stress' which you can link too on the Button Bar. Other figures apparently will be produced by other sculptors and I will get them all but I like this one it reminds me of the Great War monuments you see in towns up and down the country.



Direct donations to the charity can be made via the battlegames appeal .

Belgian Army WW1 References Part 2

I thought its worth adding at this point all the Belgian Army of WW1 and principaly the 1914 army references that I've been able to gather so far and the best way was to supply a few web site links and also a list under Belgian Army websites in the left hand margin.

One of the best is Patrick De Wolf's 'Het Belgische Leger 1830-1914'

For Photo's and Belgian Martial Music! try 'Ermeton sur Biert et les combats de 1914'

For Belgian Army Organisation and photo's the superb 'Belgian Fronts'

A great article by James Reeve on the 'Uniforms and Equipment of the Belgian Army in WW1'on the very useful 'Welcome to Landships! - a site for WW1 Military Hardware & WW1 Military Modelling

The place to visit to see the uniforms and weapons of Belgium is the Royal Museum of the Army and of Military History, Brussels - Belgium. I must go there this year if possible no excuse easy Eurostar ride from Ebbsfleet for me here in sunny Kent.

Useful and interesting postcard references can be found on the 'Brave Little Belgium' page of the 'Around the War in 80 Postcards' site.

For those who prefer to do their fighting above terra firma have a look at 'The Belgian Air Force during WW1' This is on 'An Illustrated Hitory of World War One Aviation' a very good source of info indeed with lots of pic's!!



Books are a little far and few between apart from those listed on the earlier post I have found a page in my copy of 'Arms and Uniforms 18th Century to the Present Day' by Liliane & Fred Funcken published by Ward Lock. I have ordered second hand (they are mostly ex library copies)their World War One part 1 volume via an Amazon seller.I think these books are great references and fun to flick through requiring very little reading!! The Carabinier above is a funcken depiction of a Belgian 1914 Carabinier.

Another useful book on the Belgian Army in 1914 is the 'Handbook of the Belgian Army 1914'
The Amazon review by Robert Newman of the USA says 'A reprint of two British War Office manuals that detail the Belgian Army on the Western Front in WW I. It provides details on the organization of the army, and equipment of the Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, Engineers & others. Uniform details, personal equipment, drill & tactical doctrine and an order of battle as of 1914' can be ordered from Caliver books who lists it as 'latest imprint of original source'. Other specialist shops may have it too (very BBC!)

But whats that on the horizon not an Osprey !!!!!!!





From their Men at Arms series this is due to be published on 10th June 2009

Product Description
While small in numbers, the Belgian Army played a vital role in World War 2 that is often overlooked. Germany's invasion of neutral Belgium, which led Britain to declare war in August 1914, should have been swift and fierce yet the unexpected heroic defence, against great odds, of Belgian fortresses, frustrated the German Schlieffen Plan for a thrust to Paris and a lightning victory. The plucky Belgian resistance proved successful in buying time for French and British troops to mobilize and report to the front, where the Belgians would then go on to fight, stubbornly defending the northern end of the Allied trench line for the rest of the war. In this work, discover the story of this determined Army, from their organization and commanders, to their uniforms and equipment. The only main combatant army of World War I not previously covered by Osprey, this volume will be an important addition to any enthusiast's collection, accompanied by detailed artwork and archive photographs.

I think I might want a copy!! Trouble is I want it Now!!!

Phew I am all Belgiand out if I carry on like this I will have to change my name to Tintin Poirot!!!

Great War Tank Diorama

This was made about 20 years ago and I think is an Emhar kit of a 'male' mark IV I think the slightly out of focus infantryman is a Revell 8th army infantryman in greatcoat as Emhar hadn't come out with WW1 1/72nd British infantry at the time. The kit is based on a wooden base with melted polystyrene tile covered in 'filler' and painted.

The weekend was productive, half of the wallpaper in the bathroom was removed and wall prepared for painting,also ten 15mm Minifig WSS British infantry and 8 WWI 28mm Belgians cleaned up and undercoated with white Halfords primer! The first Belgian line infantryman is almost painted as an experiment to 'work the colours out'. I have not come across any references for which paint numbers etc to use for Great war Belgian infantry plus I am weaning myself off enamels as Humbrol paints are made it seems for airbrushing these days hence why old tins go for so much on e bay!!. I am using Games Workshop & Vallejo Model Color acrylics. Below is the first Line Infantry test figure underway.



The good news for Great war Belgian army fans (I think I have definitly found a minority interest on this one!!!!)is that Brigade Models are working on the Machine Gun Dog cart teams!!! Greens below.





Well thats it for this evening back to Simon Scarrows 'The Generals' the second instalment of the Napoleon and Wellington story. Scarrow is an excellent writer and while much of the story is fictional embelishment of historical fact it is a good read although for relaxation I usually keep his latest instalment of his Roman heroes Cato and Macro for holiday reading. I noticed today that the next instalment after 'The Generals' is now being offered in Sussex/British Stationers at under £7.00 for a hardback!! damn I thought £8 in Asda was cheap!!

Belgian Army WW1 References

Not too much in my library of books on the Belgian Army in the Great War so will have to do research on the web. I have had a couple of good links suggested on the Great War Forum which as usual is absolutely brilliant.The help I got on researching a silver wounds badge was incredible (Brodsky of the 18th Husssars)and will relate the story here on a future update.One of the references I have got at home is a colour plate by Simkin of 'Types of the Belgian Army'from my grandfathers set of 'The History of The Great European War' published by Caxton.



Secondly from 'World War 1 Infantry in Colour Photographs' europa militaria No3 a superb study of a Belgian Infantryman 1914. This book is extreemly useful & worth getting for your reference library.



Well as I'm off today from work due to working all of last weekend I must get back to re decorating the bathroom but hopefully will also manage an hour priming and painting before tea.

World War One 28mm Figures

Some Figures from the workbench today starting with Great War Miniatures BEF British and Brigade Models Plucky little Belgians. These are about to be cleaned up but first a size comparison.

As can be seen the Brigade Models are slightly taller/bigger figures even allowing for fancy headwear! and do not have as much finese as GW Minis but have a certain charm about them.





The Carabinier at the top looks superb in his Tyrolean hat, and the Line Infantryman below in the typical Belgian Shako. Belgians army was dressed in even more of an archaic fashion than the French army of 1914 and thats part of the appeal.



Now thats what I call cavalry the recent addition to the Great War Miniatures 'stable' (pun intended...groan)a BEF lancer 2 packs of which were purchased the other day plus command pack from the Snipers Nest.

Finally as its getting late a picture prooving the existence of my first regiment of 15mm figures for my British army from the Wars of the Spanish Succession. These are 2'Buffs' on the painting table and I hope to finish the regiment by the end of Feb thanks for the gentle reminder Steve!! This was my new interest last year & I will continue!!!

ZULU - 1975 Military Modelling & Norman Abbey??

Ok 4 months no post second month of the year...o well aim to post more often.Whats been happening well very bad neck and back problems due to being stuck at computer & driving too much!! not modelling honest!!

Well after another fascinating 5 days including the whole of the weekend putting a 44page funding bid together to the Big Lotto (fat chance of success odds not good as usual, hard work if not in a labour heartlands area!)I suddenly started wondering what inspired the military modelling while viewing e bay! well mostly father and grandfather and their war stories but also an issue of Military Modelling in around 1975 with a diorama about Islandwana/Rorkes Drift...was it Norman Abbey who built it using 54mm Hinchcliffe Figs?? has anyone got a copy????? would really like to get issue/article.

This diorama was a huge inspiration and various attempts followed for school and cubs!! The Battle of Masada Jews v Romans hilltop bash using Airfix Arabs (scarce then) and Romans, Crashed Airfix Triplane on the western front with surrendering pilot and a zulu wars diorama using Esci Figures.

Anway new year and inspiration is taking hold due to the very useful presence of a wargames shop 'The Snipers Nest' in Ramsgate. Ramsgate is a very underated seaside town with loads of history (great harbour & Augustus P's house the prototype suburban dwelling) and also Ramsgate Models (2 1/48th Airfix TSR2's purchased from there recently for those with an aviation interest!)

Back to snipers nest!! here I buy monthly a Wings of War model for the game and Great War Miniatures Figures which are superb! The cavalry have just been released and lancers have been duly purchased. Also I can get Victrix, Perry and Warlord games plastics !!! hurrah!! no hope for concentration on 1 period there then!!

No but number one interest will be 1914 & WW1. I have also Brigade Models Belgians to paint as well and have just worked out the uniform details. Nearly forgot also in stock inspired at christmas to purchase from that graet company Gripping Beast some WW1 british figs with naval Division haeds (change putties and could be RMLI at Ostend)

So there we go pictures to follow including the only remaining diorama a WW1 tank mounted on melted ceiling tile pockmarked with shell holes, plastered, painted and twig tree stump!!

Time to dine and another drop of merlot!