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.



Tuesday 25 January 2022

This week I have been mostly...

 ...painting the wrong figures! Well, not quite, but you'll soon grasp the enormity of my error! Last year I decided on one last addition to my Army of the Pendawar Presidency, namely two Regular Infantry regiments to facilitate the formation of a Regular Brigade. Rather than just buy two regiments from Perry Miniatures I bought just one and then a second from Wargames Foundry's Napoleonic range. At first glance hardly a disastrous error you'd think. Ah, well there you are wrong then! I chose a regiment of Highlanders in bonnet and trews and the flag from GMB Designs for the 74th (Highland) Regiment. So, you may ask? Well, it happens that the 74th were not a Highland Infantry kilted regiment during the early years of the C19th! This is how they appeared during their time in India ~


They look in fact exactly like my other British Regular Infantry Regiments in my Army of the Pendawar Presidency.  On the other hand, the figures I’ve been painting so slowly and carefully over the past week look like this ~

A bit of a difference you have to admit. Am I overly concerned though? Well, no I’m not. After all, if I can Field the South Essex Regiment, which never existed outside the books featuring Cornwell’s Fictionalised hero Richard Sharpe, I can surely stand a unit of premature Highland Infantry! My game, my toys in play again you see. 

For those who’ve got this far without giving up in despair I’ll add that the other regiment formed from Perry Miniatures will be the 79th, the Hindoostan Regiment, also with white facings and a white Regimental Colour! Obviously not one of my better days when I decided all this! I’ll put it down to age I think... Twelve more figures to complete the regiment, then I'll wash and vegetate the bases all in one go.

Alongside my painting exploits I’ve also been assembling more 15mm MDF buildings for the Cold War Gone Hot Project. The latest additions are a number of terraced houses. Now, I’ve no idea if terraced houses were a thing in Germany, but they will be found in my game layout, representing both the older edges of urban areas or on their own as small built up areas so far untouched by post war modernisation. I have a few more bits on order from Lasercraftart which I hope will see me through as regards that part of the project, at least in the build up phase.

18 comments:

  1. These are lovely David,but imagine those bearskins in the Indian summer.Like you I am past worrying about button counting etc; its the look and the wargamer's choice. As long as they look fairly right, why not.

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    1. They will do for me so I welcome your endorsement.

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  2. Very dapper they look too. "They thought they were an Highland Regiment, they are now"

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    1. They were then (see below) but didn't show it.

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  3. I think that the Premature Highlanders look splendid…

    We both know where the button counters can go…

    All the best. Aly

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    1. Thanks Aly. Have to agree on the preferred fate of button counters!

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  4. In what year did the 74th become a Highland regiment?

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    1. Correction: lost their Highland status in 1806, but did not seem to wear Highland dress during their time in India. I should check rather than rely on memory, sorry.

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  5. Well they might be 'correct' but they look rather splendid to me David. As you say, "Your toys, your game". Life is too short to worry about button counting etc.

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    1. Still twelve to complete the unit, so I'm unlikely to meet my end of month target.

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  6. Nicely done David, I do think kilts would be a preference in the heat. Looking forward to seeing the Cold War take shape 👍

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    1. It will be a back burner project Matt, so be patient please.

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  7. A very splended looking unit there Dave! if they're not 100% histoical, so what? Niether are a lot of imiges and paintings from the era anyway... Lady Butlers famous "Scotland Forever" for example. They'll look just the part fighting alongside the South Essex. 100% is moving dangerously close to button counting territory!!
    Well done indeed sir!

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    1. Thank you Paul, very kind. My button counting days never started really...😁

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  8. They look great David and I agree your toys so they can be whatever you wish and prefer.

    Christopher

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    1. Very kind Christopher, your endorsement is welcome as usual.

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  9. Seeing as the entire thing is fictional, it's up to you I would say! I made a similar mistake years ago and painted five or six battalions of Highland infantry for my Napoleonic collection....I only found out later that half of them spent the entire period outside Europe....does it worry me? Not a jot!

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    1. Well, there you go then, I'm not on my own after all. As ever, thanks for the endorsement, much appreciated.

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