David Bickley's Wargames Blog

The occasional ramblings of an average gamer, journeyman painter, indifferent modeller, games designer, sometime writer for Wargames Illustrated and host of games in GHQ.



Sunday 14 February 2021

The first of the Pendawar Sepoy battalions

 Steady progress looks likely to be the key in moving this project forward, given my experience so far at any rate. So far I've completed one battalion of Sepoys, the 2nd Pendawar Native Infantry, which will feature here for your comment. In addition I've completed a couple of mounted officers: a Colonel for my sole HM battalion, which will be the 38th foot, and a General to command the  1st Brigade. There are four foot figures underway to complement these two and make small vignette bases which I prefer for my command stands.

The 2nd Pendawar Native Infantry drawn up in line.
Flags were kindly made for me by chum George Anderson to my suggested designs.
The Grenadier companies are represented by these 4 figures.
The command element sporting a variety of headwear!
Sepoys and a Havildar Major.
Just in case anyone feels the Grenadiers are a bit far fetched.
A splendid print which graced the covers of an issue of Wargames Illustrated recently. This is what we see in our imagination when we are playing I'm quite sure!
Another period print from the internet depicting the look of the Native Infantry in the service of the E.I.C.

Well, I've started at least, so on with the next group which will be a further battalion of Native Infantry. One of the pleasure of this semi-Imagination approach is the freedom to invent the look of the army, so Orange facings for those I think!


22 comments:

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    1. Thanks George! Let's hope I can maintain the pace!

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  2. The semi-imaginations appraoch gets my vote, as you say it does give you freedom on coming up with the look of your army. A great start too and look forward to more of the same:)

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    1. Thanks for the supportive response SteveJ.

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  3. A lovely looking first unit, very eye catching and the flags are splendid.

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    1. Ta Norm. I'm pleased by the look for a first effort.

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  4. Very nice David.......and a really interesting period. Looking forward to seeing a battle with those elephants !

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    1. Battle? I had almost forgotten the reason we paint all these figures!

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  5. A grand start off the blocks there old chap, very fine looking unit. Let's hope we can be imagining that painting on the tabletop soon.

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  6. Indeed David they look splendid. Sepoys depend on the presidency that they come from in terms of uniform. I would be tempted to suggest the second illustration is from the Madras rather than the Bombay presidency. BUt I shall go check my Mollo. One of the nicest gifts I reeived in India was from a colleague leaving who donated a copy of the Papers of the Viceroys Bodyguard (now the President's bodyguard) fascinating insights into the management of an unit on campaign etc in India.

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    1. Thanks Graham, but in my semi-imaginations setting I can mix and match the uniforms to taste.

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  7. Simply lovely David, especially the flags. I assume you remember the article in Practical Wargamer all those years ago re the campaigns, they are a good source of inspiration.

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    1. Thanks Robbie! George and I were pleased how the flags turned out. I don't recall the Practical Wargamer article, but I'd assume it would form a small part of Grant's book I mentioned?

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    2. I have some Practical Wargamer in the loft. I will see if I can brace myself for the cold and see if it is one I have.

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    3. Cold? It's positively balmy here.

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  8. A lovely looking unit David...

    All the best. Aly

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    1. Thank you Aly, as ever much appreciated!

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  9. A great start to the project...I did something similar for my HEIC troops in terms of flags

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