Wednesday 25 February 2009

Haselrig's Lobsters an Illustration by Richard Scollins




This was the first article and picture of a new series on the ECW in Miltary Modelling back in May 1977!! it was about one of the more unusual cavalry units especially fighting for parliament in 1643.






Sir Arthur Haselrig was in charge of Wallers cavalry and to quote Trevor Hopkins ' Sir Arthur Haselrig M.P., a truley fascinating personality; bellicose, rich and staunchly republican, when Sir Arthur made his military reports to the House of Commons it was usually with a carbine slung to his back and pistols at the hips!' what a great picture those words paint! Scollins of course does the regiment justice with a superb impression of what an officer and trooper of the regiment would have looked like in 1643, being notably the first and only full regiment of true cuirassiers to see action in the civil war. The fully enclosed helmet and metal gauntlets were probably replaced by a 'lobster pot' helmet and leather gloves which would have been much more practical.

The lobsters fought at Lansdown, Roundway Down, Cheriton and finally were badly mauled at Cropedy Bridge. They probably had a limited role in the second battle of Newbury before being absorbed into the New Model Army in 1645.

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