Peter Laing WW1 -A trip down memory lane - Part 2 French and Belgians

Part 2  French and Belgians

French Guards FPW

FPW Zouaves

FPW Marines

Cuirassiers

Dragoons (FPW?)

Dragoons

 

The Belgians

Belgian Carabineers

Belgian Jagers

 

Belgian Guides

Next the Germans

Mexican Adventure - S Range Belgian Voltigers and Grenadiers

Some time last year I converted a number of S range figure for John Cunningham to put together some figures that a friend of his wanted to try the Mexican Adventure..

Whilst I was in hospital earlier this year a large parcel arrived from John with lots of castings of these figures.  To be honest with what has been going on in my life of late, painting figures has been low on my priorities and starting a whole new period against a time clock of months seems a little mad.  However, I thought the figures deserved to be painted and since they are now available there may be some of you who fancy delving into this colourful period in Mexican/European history.

Here are the first of my efforts. My eyesight seems to be getting worse of late due to a cataract in my left eye and the paintbrush is more like a 'yard broom' so apologises for some of the painting but I hope you get an idea of the figures.  I also managed to wind up one figure short, hence the final stand of three!

 

From the various picture I couldn't decide whether the plume on their hats should be black or green.  I left them black but on reflection I think they should be green - they would also stand out more, so maybe a repaint job!  The officer is usually shown in a black hat as well but for variety I have given him a white one which is also shown in various plates.

The same figure can be used for Belgian Grenadiers just by painting the lace and the band on the hat red.

The website 'The Mexican Adventure or: the Phantom Crown'  http://gisby.info/mindex.htm     has lots of information on uniforms; flags and a history of the conflict.

I also made some Mexican 'irregular infantry' and a lancer in sombrero to add to the opposition.

S Range Mexican Adventure - Belgians/Austrians

John Cunningham mentioned that a friend of his liked the Austrian Hussar conversion below and was going to use it for the Maximilian adventure in a mix of S range and Jacklex figures.

John sent me some pictures, of the Belgians amongst others and this sent me off searching for figures that could form the basis for conversions.

For the Belgians (and the Austrians who seem to have similar uniforms) I went for the French Chasseurs a Pied from the FPW range for the body, but the Belgian/Austrian hat is quite distinctive.  Nothing matched so I took the head from the French Revolutionary Citizen (a really useful and available figure) with musket in top hat and filed it down and shaped it.  I then added some green stuff for a plume.  I think he makes a passable figure.

There was a lot of filing to create this and I thought I would be lazy and try the Napoleonic Spanish Infantryman with an upturned brimmed hat. The hat shape is okay to start with.

 Here I simply snipped either side of the where the brim adjoins the hat and fattened the brim with a pair of pliers. I then cut and filed away the remaining bit of hat adjoined to the crown (very quick compared to filing the other hat).  I then filed the gap with green stuff and added a plume.  Again I think it makes a passable figure.

The head for the mounted figure was made the same way and I think he can pass as either a mounted officer or an Austrian cavalryman.  Given the braid in the print I went for the body of  French Hussar from the FPW range.

The Bugler in the print can easily be made with a head swap of the Chasseur Bugler I made for the FPW range with the 'cap' from a French Guard from the same range.  More blogs and pictures to follow on other Mexican Adventure items.

The just for the hell of it I make a female - well sort of - Mexican peasant by using the Revolutionary War 'citizeness' with musket.  I added some green stuff for belts, sleeves for the arms and long hair etc

I know they would never have had bayonets but its the way the figures are made!