Monday 17 May 2021

The South Essex Regiment...

 ...in Pendawar? And why not you may well ask? An imaginary regiment in an imaginary Presidency of the E.I.C. in NW India seems entirely appropriate, to me at least. Of course I had intended these chaps to be the 38th, the South Staffordshire regiment, but when I saw that Flags of War had issued the South Essex's colours, well, I just thought it was inevitable that they should be deployed to India. The decision was perhaps inspired by memories of reading Cornwell's Sharpe's Tiger on reflection.

The figures are from Perry Miniatures' Napoleonic range, the British in Egypt elements. I chose to paint the other ranks' toppers black, giving the white tropical service version to officers only, as a way of distinguishing the regulars of His Majesty's foot from those European battalions raised by the E.I.C. Of course I know the colours provided for the South Essex post date my notional time period in Pendawar, but I can live with that. Button counters and lace fanatics best look away now! The bases as ever are from Warbases of course: excellent product, first class service, and all round decent folk!

I'm finding figures by Perry Miniatures increasingly difficult to paint, a combination of my eye and hand issues, which I do apologize for banging on about, and what I consider to be their vague sculpting style, allied with casting issues, in respect of muskets particularly. I doubt they are even aware of my ramblings, but these figures are far from my favourites. 

To complete the 1st Brigade of the E.I.C.'s Army of Pendawar I have two Sepoy battalions, one of which is the 1st regiment, the Pendawar Grenadiers. The army boasts one cavalry brigade on completion: a small contingent of British Light Dragoons; equally small, the volunteers of the Pendawar Light Dragoons; and lastly two contingents of Sepoy cavalry. Looking over at Typoo Bhyka's forces there remain only a cavalry unit and the European Voluntaires de Bykli. Given a following wind I'd like to have these finished and deployed for action in GHQ by the end of July, hand, eye, circumstances and the like permitting of course.

18 comments:

  1. Ooo! They do look nice David...

    Your hand and your eye are doing fine by these miniatures...
    And Warbases... ten out of ten every time.

    All the best. Aly

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    1. Thanks for the encouragement Aly, as ever much appreciated!

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  2. Top looking unit. Those officers in their white hats are beaut!
    Regards, James

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  3. Great work David and I love the idea of the South Essex Regiment being added to your army. I too have shaky hand issues that means at times it is impossible to paint my 10mm figures. Frustrating most certainly but once on the table, my wobbly efforts tend to look OK. Keep up the good work!

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    1. I agree with you about tabletop distance SteveJ.

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  4. What a novel idea and as always they look a even finer in the flesh. Your Roman and Carthaginian collection is most splendid and were a joy to play with yesterday.

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    1. Novel idea, I see what you did there! Grand game yesterday, despite my dice!!!!

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  5. Beautiful troops once more David. My own hands are now suffering recruiting French to my WWII forces.

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  6. Lovely looking unit David! The Perry figures clean up can be annoying at times.

    Christopher

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    1. Annoying? It makes me Bl**dy Mad!!!!! As to the kaypok crap they use, they should be made to eat it!!!!!!

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  7. Lovely David. Ive just donated the Sharpe in India books to my local library. They are some of the best of the series, so well done for plodding on with this period.

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    1. Thank you Robbie, much appreciated. I hope the library we're grateful, I'd worry the woke fraternity might have infiltrated.

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    1. I know I am...oh, you mean the figures don't you?😁

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  9. Very nice again - Sharpes Tiger and Seringapatam were a big influence on my own decision to invest ins some Wellington in India figures from Redoubt about ten years ago - I think they have hit the table top three times since being painted!

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    1. Maybe now they will get a new lease of tabletop life and action?

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