Unfortunately, my cancer means that I am unlikely to have the time, or frankly the desire to complete various large scale projects that I had started/thought about, but I thought you might like to see some of the ideas. I am adding units to my existing armies instead which seems a more sensible use of my time as I will hopefully once we are released from house arrest mean I can use them.
Italians
Sardinians
Sardinians
The first of these projects was
the Italian Wars of Unification. I
already had the Austrians and French so to some extent it was a matter of
producing some of the Italian states.
The Sardinian Lancer I made for John Cunningham’s Crimean War range gave
me some cavalry and the Bersaglieri a start with the infantry. I had also made an Italian General to lead my
army. I then created this ‘master’ for
the Sardinian infantry based on a picture from Uniformology. The French 1840’s Infantryman which John
already sells also works for Italian infantry of various states and the French
Guard from the CW range can also be used for Italian forces.
Papal States
I have a 25mm ‘S Range/mid range minifigs’ Zouave figure which makes an excellent Papal Zouave with the backpack swapped, or it can be left as it is.
I opted for a straight grey with red piping. I decided to cut away 'civil war' backpack the figure comes with file the back flat and superglue what I call the Jacklex backpack on the figure which more closely resembles the backpack in the pictures above.
The picture below show then with the fuller French backpacks. To get this figure in the past I had do a head swap of a kepi head onto Zouave figure.
In fact I have since discovered that jacklexminiatures.com have a separate backpack for the Foreign legion which does the job and is much simpler, again just remove the Civil War back pack and glue on the Foreign Legion one. I think this is a nicer figure than my original conversion.
This figure has proved to be very versatile from being a ACW Zouave to an 1870 FPW figure.
I have a mould for the original ACW figure and many casting which are no longer of any use! I intend to offer them to John Cunningham, and assuming he wants them you may be able to order from him.
Schleswig-Holstein War
Having already got a Prussian Army
I thought that I could build a Danish force for the first and/or second
Schleswig-Holstein Wars. A search on
Google left me totally confused as to what uniforms were for which war. I started with this picture.
This is listed as Danish troops
returning after the First Schleswig Holstein War. They looked very ACW but with a different
backpack.
So I converted a Union ACW figure
to make both an infantryman and a Grenadier and changed the backpack for a
Jacklex one.
I then came across picture of
infantrymen in red jackets and bell top shako and lost the plot about what I
should be trying to make and shelved the idea. The Friekorps troops I was going to use I turned
into civilians and were the subject of another blog.
Cool figures, this is a period I've always fancied doing. Maybe one day?
ReplyDeleteHi Ray, it is surprising how versatile these figures can be with a little imagination
DeleteMost interesting,I particularly like the Danes,they are very effective as are their opponents.
ReplyDeleteI was getting very excited about the Danes particularly since I had so many castings but just got lost in the uniform information. The paint I used for the coat is actually dark blue, or midnight blue which looks almost black.
DeleteLovely figures and great to see them being used as opposed as ending in a box unpainted and unloved. Well done and best of luck with everything.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting I like messing about with these figures to try to produce something different
DeleteThe Risorgimento isn't really my thing but some of those figures do look fun. The Frei Korps / civilians would do for Vendean royalists, or at least some of those for the better classes as they're too fashionable for the rank and file.
ReplyDeleteA useful tip though about Jacklex selling back packs separately I wouldn't have thought of that.
Hi Rob, the civilians could go for any of the 1848 uprisings in support of more regular troops or Napoleonic period.
DeleteKBO, mate! You’re an inspiration for more than just toy soldiers.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jeffers very much appreciate your support.
DeleteSo sorry to hear your bad news , I think you are behaving very bravely , words are a bit useless at times like this but my thoughts are with you . The Schleswig Holstein war has always intrigued me because of it's relative obscurity . Cheers Tony
ReplyDeleteHi Tony, all the support I have had from the wargame community has been very welcomed. Not all bad as they gave me months and I am into my 14th. No change in the prognosis. I really fancied the Schleswig Holstein war as I have made up a figure with a tall pickelhaub which would have worked for making Danish gunners etc. but I couldn't get my head around these infantry in red coats and bell shakos which I came across references to.
ReplyDeleteI have a great admiration for how you are handling the whole cancer thing. An example for me to keep in mind as the years continue to click by and the health concerns grow.
DeleteI had a start on the Scheiswig Wars with some good info but ended up dropping it for various reasons including having bought figures from 3 ranges in what turned out to be 2 incompatible sizes/styles.
The short answer on the uniforms is that the Danes had traditionally worn red coats and most regulars were still wearing red coatees with bell shako or kepi but the rest as well as new units wore the new doublebreasted frock coat and kepi. So both uniforms were seen at the same time during the 1st war.probably not in the same unit but maybe?
Hmm I wish I had figured this out as I could have made a figure with a kepi rather than the bell topped shako. As I said I had made some figures for other 1866 nations which I could have painted differently or done some one off unit conversions for the war. Oh well.
DeleteThanks for the kind words on the cancer front. Not much I can do about it. You either hide in a corner or get on with it. I have always had a bit of a warped sense of humour so I look for a bit of a laugh in everything. Had a bump in my car no damage but informed insurance company who said they would have to increase my premium as statistically I was lmore likely to have another accident. The guy didn't know what to say when I told him I was statistically more likely to die than have another accident. He went very quite! Reduced the premium increase.
I also get a free disabled parking permit, free congestion charge in London so it's not all bad.
I do think I must have upset someone not only did I get terminal cancer but 3 months solitary house arrest on bread and water and you can't buy any bread!! Still water is good for the soul!
As Tony says words are a bit useless but its good to see you are still enjoying the hobby, sharing your creations and sticking two fingers to the odds. All the best, Matt
ReplyDeleteThanks Matt, the great thing about the hobby is that you can lose yourself in the research, modelling and painting and forget your own and the worlds problems.
DeleteNice project and very rare major! Non-,ainstream, unfortunately....
ReplyDeleteHi thanks for looking and posting. I found the online information and variable dates for uniforms very confusing and I think contributes to the lack of wargaming the Italian Wars of unification which are very colourful.
ReplyDeleteReally liking your approach to your situation- an example to us all. The Danish figures look particularly smart I think.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for your support. I had ideas for Danish Cavalry, gunners and others officers etc, but these were the only figures I actually got around to making and they were fairly simple. The next step which I didn't get around to was making a mould to produce them in numbers.
ReplyDelete