From The Deserts of Sudan 1-TMWWBK

 

Fresh from learning to love Lion Rampant v2. I turned my attention to The Men Who would Be Kings(TMWWBK).  Another Dan Mersey production. I’ve had a copy from the get go. I also have a bunch of Peter Pig figures for the Sudan. Badly painted because back then I was using ink wash for the first time. And getting it wrong.

Turning to the sample Army Lists I saw I could field the British one, A Beja variant and nearly the River Arabs. I was 3 cavalry short for them. I set about repainting the little fellows.

I think there is a knack to painting Peter Pig figures. They have a lot of detail. Getting that right is the difference to between a good result and a bland one. Fortunately I now have a lot of Peter Pig painting (SCW,RCW) experience to stand me in good stead.

I decided to paint the British infantry as two units (Companies?) of infantry and one of Marines. The cavalry were to be Hussars.

British uniforms in the Sudan were eclectic. Some in khaki, some in red coats, grey, blue/grey sometimes in the same unit. Add tea stained topis and what’s not to like? I wanted a pair of regimental flags and didn’t want to buy them. Online I found a pair of 19th Century Colours for the Enniskillen’s. That is what you will eventually see here. At this scale they suit any blue flag British regiment. 

The Royal Irish were in the Sudan we just need to squint a bit and it is their Colours we shall see.

 

For the Mahdi’s men I did some visual research. Skin tone varied a lot in the Sudan. Sometimes simply by region and sometimes because of a historical mixing of African and Arab peoples. I wanted to reflect this. 

The Mahdi (above) was a Sufi, a mystic strand of Islam that seeks spiritual enlightenment. He, I read last week, was Shia rather than Sunni as I had wrongly assumed. Sufi devotees can be found among both sets of Believers. 

Forgive me a digression. Another famous Sufi of the period was British soldier, explorer and diplomat Richard Burton. He practiced the Sufi way with enthusiasm. Should you want a good read the most recent Burton biography delivers in spades. 

Burton, is well known for his translation of the Perfumed Garden and the expedition to find the source of the Nile. There is much more to know about Burton. There is also a lot we will sadly never know. His wife burned his papers to "protect his reputation". End of digression.

Anything else on books? Yes, and directly on point. The Mahdi of Sudan by Fergus Nichol is informative drawing as it does on both  British and Mahdist sources. Well worth reading.

Basing made me ponder. Not so much the shape, squares for regular Infantry and round for everyone else. No, it was the terrain. I have settled on rocky sand as it makes the uniforms and Jibbas stand out nicely.

Here are the Beja who "broke a British Square” as Kipling noted. We might pause a moment and think of those men who waded, sword in hand, through a storm of bullets to accomplish that.  Brave barely covers it. 

It inspired Kipling's poem. He knew what Lee-Metford rifle bullets could do to human bodies. I often think that poem must have come back to him after his son died in the 1914-18 War. There firepower met firepower rather than swords and spears. Men fell like autumn leaves.

Here are some Baggara Cavalry. A British officer who saw them charge wrote "You never saw anything so stirring or so recklessly brave." Eventually I will have two units of them. 

As the Mahdi regime continued the characteristic Jibba became more highly decorated. The originals were patched by necessity rather than choice. Mine are sort of mid way.

In theory I only needed to buy a single pack of Mahdist cavalry and it was job done. Too easy by far.  

What about Beja camelry? Well yes, you have to have them,

Shouldn't the British have a gun? Of course they should.

Isn't Mike Snook's book reputed to be very good? Everyone says so. A must have for Sudan Gamers apparently.

In for a penny, in for pound then. I ordered the lot.  After all I had saved on the flags.

Much more on this project soon.

Perchance the Gardens of Japan have popped into your mind.  We might get there yet. I have some Samurai mostly painted.

League of Augsburg- Great Danes

 

My Danish collection began life as a contingent for the Williamite Army in Ireland.  Since then it has grown into its own.  I now have enough Danes to take the Swedes on in The Great Northern War. Above and below the first battalion of the Garden til Fods.

Below we see the second battalion Garden til Fods.  All flags by David at Not by Appointment. Figures mostly from Essex and Irregular.

Next, Regiment Fynske/Funen, figures from Irregular and Flag from David at Not by Appointment. 

One battalion of Fynske served with William in his Irish Campaign. These are they attired for that theatre according to Mr McNally in his Boyne book. The regiment appears to have had a range of attractive uniforms in our period. White on green seems best for Ireland.

Once more figures from Irregular and the flag is from David.  A winning combination I find. These boys have been hard at it. Only one Grenadier survives and the officers have lost their red coats.  Regiment Fynske had more than one battalion and as it happens I have another too.

This one carries the Colonel's and the regimental Colours and will be good for Continental engagements. The Flags are from Barry Hilton 28mm and shrunk to size.

Here are two often found in English or Dutch Service.  First the Sjællandske Infantry Regiment.  I have used light blue facings, others prefer a mid blue.

The Prinz George Infantry in grey and red.

Flags from Mr Hilton, scanned and reduced.  The Danes had given up the pike in favour of added fire power. Consider that the Swedish Army often fielded forces with a plurality or even a majority of hard charging horsemen.

The Danes didn't take any artillery to Ireland.  They do need some if they are going to fight the Swedes.  

Two pieces here from Irregular. The violet and green uniform was hard to resist.  Below the Danish Grenadier Regiment created in the early 1700s.

All from Dixon who seemed the best match for the cap and with a flag from David.  A striking colour combination.

Below we have the 1st Squadron of the 3rd Jyske Cavalry. I'm not sure who made that flag.

Here you see the 1st and second squadrons of 2nd Sjællandske Cavalry. 

David of Not By Appointment blog provided the flags.  

Just the ticket, thank you David. 

I recently came across a definitive answer to the Danish cuirass question.  Not in Ireland and no buff coats when in Foreign Service. Yes to both when at home.  My source, a post from the late, and much missed, Dan Schorr on the League of Augsburg's Fighting Talk.

Permit a GNW diversion if you will. It happens that most of my GNW Collection is from Dixon. Consequently they are slighter than most of the Danes you see here.  Not that that will stop me using them together.

My GNW Swedes are all in turnback coats and tricorn. I'm happy with them. That said were I to be starting such a collection I would go with Irregular.  

The reason being that the Swedes could be better represented with a mixture of Irregular Marlburians and League of Augsburg figures. If that's of interest check out Khurasan's Swedish offering. Irregular's Marlburians would make fine GNW Russians. 

For our next League of Augsburg foray we are going to look at the French.  We will start with the Guard infantry.

Before that we may see some plastic Ancients in 15mm. Late Romans and Huns.

Final USA units- American Revolution

 

Above, the Light Infantry.  Below, various Brigadiers. Both pic's show QRF figures.  

Another view of the commanders.

Below, the Green Mountain Boys who enjoyed a fighting reputation.  The usual mixture of manufacturers Essex, Minifigs and QRF.

Is that it?  Not quite I have a Minifig unit of Light Infantry to do. Not sure when I'll get to it. Happily another collection has been put on a firm footing.

Lord Slane's Regiment-League of Augsburg

 

Christopher Fleming, Lord Slane's Regiment. As Jacobite Regiments went Slane's was very well equipped indeed.  All Musket, probably Matchlocks but all the same a signal achievement by the standards of the Irish Jacobite Army.  Accordingly I have given them the prized redcoats that were in short supply. I reason that if Slane could get that many muskets securing the red coats would have been no challenge at all.

The fine flags you see are from David at Not By Appointment.  Red and Yellow were Fleming colours and the St Patrick's Cross is a good choice for an Old English Magnate. The chevron is an established Fleming heraldic device.

I have actually done this regiment before but it got dispersed in an LoA great rebasing project. It is good to have it back. Here is the link to the original and the research that inspired it https://youdonotknowthenorth.blogspot.com/2021/02/irish-lords-bellew-louth-and-slane.html

First time around I could only trace the Regiment's activities to supporting Sarsfield in the North -West.  Luckily Barry Hilton dug deeper and was able to place them at the Battle of Aughrim.

Most of my League of Augsburg Armies are complete or near enough so. I intend to do one more Irish Jacobite Regiment and one more English one. Not sure which ones yet. That's part of the fun I think.

I have a new English Cavalry unit already finished, ditto the Danish Grenadier Regiment.

My next LoA post will feature the Danes supposing I manage to complete two cavalry squadrons.

League of Augsburg-Going Dutch

 

This is my League of Augsburg Dutch Army.  It forms the core of my Grand Alliance Army.  Its genesis was 24 years ago.  How time races by.  The Blue Guards, two battalions. Flags from Ian at Warflag.

Often thought to be the finest infantry in Europe. Whatever of that, they were elite soldiers in every respect.

Regiment Aylva first battalion above and below.  Figures from Irregular, Essex drummer, and two of David's flags.

Regiment Brandenburg currently with Warflag flags. 

They need a stand of pike men added.

Regiment Keppel also in need of pike men.

Regiment Pallandt, and would you believe it? They need a stand of pike men too. Luckily I have the figures.

A couple of guns, Essex and Irregular.

Guard cavalry, maybe a second squadron needed here.

Ginkel's Regiment, two squadrons. That was unusual like the English the Dutch often simply had one.

Rede Cavalry here.

Schomberg's, I think, in two squadron's.

First above, second below.

Eppinger's Dragoons, an elite unit mounted and dismounted.

Two squadrons as you see.

Dismounted and ready for action below. All of the Eppinger's flags are from Ray at Don't Throw A One.

Seldom seen on the table top, some Dutch Marines.

By my reckoning I need to do 15 pike men and six troopers and that is my League of Augsburg Dutch Army completed. Not bad and it has taken less than a quarter of a century.