Manoeuvres

 The Guards are on the offensive. Umpires take stock of the situation and decisions made.

The game’s afoot

 The manoeuvres have just begun ( fortunately the open roofed  barn and farmhouse were finished just in time) with the defence of Grange farm. The Umpires are conversing and making notes. No one know where the Guards will attack from. Only time will tell…

The final countdown…

 Final briefing is held prior to the forthcoming manoeuvres. They begin tomorrow…

New recruits

 Picked these up recently for less than a pound a figure. They come with their factory paint job which will do for me very nicely. The top row might serve for 1838 but I am not certain. Any suggestions where to deploy them most welcome. The middle row( with another figure I have already) will make a unit for 1838 along with the Dorset 1830 marines I ordered making another. The bottom row will be added to my Albion  army of the late nineteenth century.

P.S I haven’t forgotten about the Borsetshire Manoeuvres but have not had the opportunity to game them yet. The Guards and their opponents have waited patiently in camp but the day is near…

Getting ready in Borsetshire

 The Volunteer units having arrived by train or bicycle are getting ready for the forthcoming manoeuvres . Amongst them are the 26th Middlesex with their bicycles and The Penny Hasset Rifle Volunteers in green.Already they are under scrutiny as they prepare to take on the Albion Guards…  

Travelling to Borsetshire.

 By train and by bicycle the Albion troops are making their way to the Annual Manoeuvres and Camp in the beautiful countryside. 

Albion Annual Manoeuvres in Borsetshire…

 The General Staff look on with interest as the Albion Guards are put through their paces prior to the annual camp and manoeuvres in Borsetshire. Guards officers look on and add an encouraging word or three. This year’s opposition in the coming manoeuvres will be some local volunteer units and others . Observers from throughout Europa will be present. The Guards are well aware of what is expected of them…

Projects

 

 

Projects on the go currently, Napoleonic Portable Wargame and Avalon Bleeding. A small foray into modern  infantry warfare beginning too. I was taken by figures and 2A4 page rules . More about this anon..

The Penny Hassett Rifle Volunteers

 The 28mm figures were just not working out on the painting table at all, they have been lain aside for the moment. In their place I finished off these shiny 54mm toy soldiers for the wargames table. Here are the Penny Hassett Rifle Volunteers and their Colonel on manoeuvres. Ever ready to defend Albion in her day of need. Hurrah!

There is trouble in the forest

 There is trouble in the forest in Maple Leaf Country. It is winter and reports have come in to the high command that rebel forces are gathering in a winter camp beyond the Celine Dion forest. Some light infantry and highlanders have been hastily assembled to see what is happening- h

Above we see the troops setting out and the officers receiving their briefing. Below we see the enormity of the forest where it is necessary to keep to the path and not leave it otherwise their is a chance of getting lost or worse

. The game is of ambushes controlled  by dice. Each move the government troops make a dice is thrown and some rebels place on the table randomly. The number and position  selected by dice throws. Line of sight ( except for along the path is limited to adjacent squares with a further chance  enemy may be heard.. 

 

 

Hard times of olde Albion..

 It can difficult  to be on guard duty in Lundenburh, Albion this time of year...

Lives in a house ( cereal packet) a very big house in the country...

 My eldest offered to make this addition to my Little Wars esque cardboard scenery collection.Coco pops Packaging  transformed into a very nice place in the country.

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Albion Cyclist Volunteer Rifle Corps

 Been working on these over the weekend...

J

Recent Recruits

 I have been fortunate to win some eBay bids recently. Here are a few figures I managed to get-

I bought these (along with some useful but not too exciting interwar infantry for Albion and Maple Leaf Country which I haven’t photographed) firstly because I really wanted a Royal Company of Archers figure to be a bodyguard for the Albion Monarch. I had bid unsuccessfully on some quite a few times. Secondly because the figures with axes ( sappers) intrigued me and  would work well in the woods of Maple Leaf Country too. Thirdly the Omdurman period (?) infantryman looked like a well animated and painted toy soldier. I have photographed the bases as I wonder what make they are. Any ideas?

Finally a challenge! These very battered figures will need loads of work before they can fight again. I wondered when I first saw them if they were just too badly damaged. Anyway I will see what I can do over the coming weeks...

 

Riders on the storm

I am really enjoying the amount of 54mm gaming on the blogs etc currently. It seems to be the zeitgeist of the hobby for many of us. My 19th Century National Guard is moving forward and the arrival of heads soon will see it well underway. As with most bloggers already I begin to think what will be over the hill, what will be the  next project.  Anyway , a number of things have come together- reading about War Plan Red  of 1929 where America made plans to invade  Canada and Britain , illustrations of interwar troops in my Elting  book and great b&w photos such as the above. The long and the short of it is I am going to take my 54mm interwar toy soldier project down the road of the continued struggle between Maple Leaf Country and the Star Spangled Republic. I have figures already for this but need now to work on some Star Spangled figures. The uniform in the picture above is just shouting out to be modelled on the table top. There’s a storm coming through those Lemax trees...

 

Army Star Spangled or opposition for Maple Leaf Country & Albion

 Recently I had been thinking about another country to add in with Albion and Maple Leaf Country as an opponent. This , as some of you may recall, is a 54mm toy soldier ongoing project. The idea is to use old toy soldiers, convert some and maybe a few recasts. Anyone I was researching American uniforms of the later nineteenth century, particularly dress uniforms of the National Guard. I was aided in this by the fantastic prints from the Company of Military Historians -http://www.military-historians.org/company/plates/images/postCWUS.htm#z available on line ( I have a volume of their prints of the FIW and AWI bought in London 1986 which is a terrific book) and some books of my own-

Notes were taken and ideas pondered upon. I was also helped by a splendid new blog https://wargamingwith54mmtoysoldiers.blogspot.com/search/label/United%20States%20Infantry%20c.1880which shows what can be done with Britains guardsmen etc. I am looking forward to getting some eBay Britains and Dorset Toy soldiers heads and the fun can start. I was amazed at the variety of American uniforms in the prints. Loads of conversions asking to be worked on!

North Albion troops on parade

Finally finished my 54mm North Albion troops yesterday with a coating of pva to add shininess. They have been worked with on and off for ages. All have been given new paint jobs ( apart from three pipers etc) and quite a few required new rifles, legs and bases etc. They have come up well. Any suggestions for their deployment most welcome...

Britains Enemy in action this morning...