I’ve been reading through Charge! recently and was intrigued by this passage-
I had heard of Captain Sachs’s gaming -
http://vintagewargaming.blogspot.com/2009/04/captain-sachs-early-pioneer.html and
http://www.wargaming.co/recreation/details/ewvol1.htm
However WG Holmes was new to me. I am intrigued by the line that refers to his buildings and his use of 54mm figures in his gaming . Can anyone enlighten us about this forgotten son of the hobby?
Interesting. Maybe the chaps who do the History of Wargaming ‘project’ can help.
ReplyDeleteAs it stands, we remember those who write books, but not the other participants of history.
Chris/Nundanket
I am assuming that W G Holmes is Bill Holmes of Deltorama as mention in this post on Vintage Wargaming:
ReplyDeletehttp://vintagewargaming.blogspot.com/2010/06/before-there-was-ian-weekley-there-was.html
Mark Man of TIN says: The Vintage Wargaming link to Bill Holmes of Deltorama seems right. John Preece in his comment on the Vintage Wargaming site / post about Deltorama mentions the Sixteenth Foot or Bedford Regiment and Peter Young:
Delete“Hurrah, I have tried to find out on several occasions something about this enigmatic figure, but without any success. Peter Young says he was in the Bedfordshire regt (16th foot). The building by him in Charge is the Octagonal roofed one. This was a jailhouse and the roof lifted off to reveal a prisoner asleep on his bunk. That's it. I hope this thread brings some details from someone with something more interesting to tell us.”
Mark Man of TIN : there are two further mentions on Vintage Wargaming about Deltorama buildings by Bill Holmes including an obituary tribute by Don Featherstone.
Deletehttp://vintagewargaming.blogspot.com/search/label/Bill%20Holmes
DeleteNice Marillion reference it the title!
ReplyDeleteMark Man of TIN - “late of the sixteenth foot” - the last time this would have been used would have been 1950s - 1960s? Right period for a mention in Charge! And its decorated authors
ReplyDeleteThe 3rd East Anglian Regiment (16th/44th Foot)
1958. After 270 years of continuous, loyal service to the country, on 1 June the 1st battalion, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire regiment is merged with the 1st battalion, the Essex regiment to form the 3rd East Anglian Regiment and are based in Dortmund, West Germany.
1959. The Queen Mother chooses to remain the honorary Colonel in Chief of the new regiment and presents their new colours. Later that year they are moved to Malaya, serving in the 28 Commonwealth Brigade in the operations against Communist Guerrillas.
1961. In May the Territorial Army is again reduced and the 5th battalion is merged with the 1st battalion of the Hertfordshire regiment, becoming the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment (TA).
1962. The 3rd East Anglian Regiment is posted to help police the troubles in Northern Ireland.
1964. On 1 September the three regiments forming the East Anglian Brigade are merged with the Royal Leicestershire regiment into the first Large Regiment of Infantry unit in the British army and become the Royal Anglian Regiment. The 3rd East Anglian regiment becomes the 3rd battalion (16th/44th Foot) of the Royal Anglian Regiment. The Territorial battalions from all six counties within the regimental region are affiliated to the regiment.
http://bedfordregiment.org.uk/history/16thfoothistory.html
Oddly I realised I had written in 2021 about Bill Holmes, Deltorama and Richard Tennant and Don Fetherstone’s Toy Soldiers and Buildings (I have a Featherstone book which belonged to Dick Tennant).
ReplyDeletehttps://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2021/07/15/another-inspiring-photograph-from-richard-tennant-in-featherstones-solo-wargaming/