Blake Walker

Hi, here's a quick review of They Died For Glory that I wrote for the Heliograph... Looking back and seeing all the beautiful 28mm Foundry figures, should have done the campaign in 25mm, instead of 15mm (though after painting 15mm figures for about fourteen months straight last year, I never want to do another 15mm fig in my lifetime for fear of loosing my eyesight completely).

However, that's water over the bridge... At least I've got some 28mm Redoubt British back and the rest of my painted Zulus (though I'm still waiting on a guy to finish the rest of my Egyptians and remaining Brits). Have a good holiday season and hope the ice & snow haven't slowed your plans down.

Hal Thinglum

Re: Some Colonial Questions

Hope this finds you and your family doing well and that you enjoyed the holiday season. I took the week of Christmas off and go back to work Tuesday; have been doing lots of hobby stuff but not really getting anything done; lots of organizing and planning.

My latest project is that I've pulled out my 15mm Essex Sudan figures and prepared them for painting and farmed out about 800 of them to be painted. I am concentrating on the Early Sudan with Gordon and the British

Expedition to save him. I'm going with Essex figures with quite a few Two Dragoons Dervish foot (haven't ordered them yet but have about 40 samples that I'm using). The Two Dragons, as you may know, as a little smaller than Essex but are great figures! I had been planning to go with Old Glory's new Sudan line but decided not to as I had so many Essex castings (surprised you, uh!).

You're almost as old as I am how can you see these little things. I have set your questions apart and answered as best I can.

Anyway, I have some questions for you if you don't mind: What was the uniform like for British troops from India? I know they wore puttees but that's about it.

The best I can tell the Manchesters and Seaforths wore khaki. Apparently the Seaforth’s were not authorized(?) to wear kilts, so they wore trews instead. Royal Stuart trews and Royal Stuart puttees with khaki jackets and either blue glengarries or khaki sun helmets. Officers apparently wore either red serge or khaki jackets and mostly(?) glengarries.

As to the Puttees I would put them in khaki, not very colorful but proper. Even some of the English British units were issued with khaki uniforms.

Does anyone make 15mm Indian troops besides Gallia?

I am not sure but would try Lancashire Games 20 Platting road, Lydgate, Oldham, OL4 4DL. Also try Irregular Miniatures, I am always surprised by their ranges. www.irregularminiatures.co.uk

Do you have any impressions?

No, sorry, I see few 15s but seem to remember that Warrior is strictly Zulu War, but I may be wrong.

In any case, what were their uniforms like?

The Indians wore Khaki with khaki Puttees. The Sikhs should have lighter colored khaki puttees than the Bombay Inf. whose puttees should be the same as the uniform or slightly darker. The Cavalry should also be in khaki but with dark, blue?, puttees.

Do you have e-mail address for John of Warrior Miniatures in Scotland?

No email but try www.warrioronline.demon.co.uk

Do you know of anyone who makes figures that could pass for Bashi Bazouks; either foot or horse?

I would see if Irregular Min. has them. I have checked several 15mm manufacturers but no one seems to make Bashis in 15. Unfortunately, Lancashire does not have a web site so they might have them. I was also wrong about Warrior/Gallia they do have a large selection of Sudan figs but no Bashis and no other figs that might be used for them, unless you can find some Turcos or other French colonial period in turbans like Zouaves. How about ACW Zouaves? everyone makes them, at least they're close and painted up right who'd know the difference besides you.

I am talking with Nic Robson of Eureka Miniatures in Australia about having some Bashi Bazouks done for me.

Do you have listing(s) for Minifigs from UK? I'd like to see their Colonial line listings. Would appreciate your input on the above issues. Thanks very much! Kindest Regards!

This is just the first impression, I will put this in the next Heliograph with whatever new info I can find, will also pass it to you as I find it before the middle of January. Happy New Year and thanks again for MWAN.

Dear Richard Pasha:

Thanks for e-mail; I've done lots of research re figure manufacturers and plan on doing an article on it for MWAN. Have been looking for Zouaves which will match up with Essex. The Essex ACW Zouaves have packs so can't use them.

Appreciate your looking around for me! Kindest regards - Hal

Thanks very much for prompt reply. Can't recall if I answered your e-mail yet. In my quest for 15mm figure info for Sudan, I ran across the 15mm listing for Feudal Castings for their Sikh War line and now I am off to the NWF! Can someone out there stop me?! Hope all is well with you! Sincerely, Hal

STOP! in the name of lead. I think you need to seek professional help about this lead obsession of yours. How does it make you feel. Session over that will be ten pounds of lead please. You have too much lead, enough to sink the Titanic, well no one has that much, so forget it.

You can never have too much lead, unless it's not in the shape of miniatures. --Richard

Dear Richard Pasha:

Thanks for e-mail and unsuccessful attempt to break me of my lead habit. You aren't very good at it, are you!

Obsession is the word for it; that's for sure! When I start a project, I really do get carried away looking for anything and everything I could use for it. I saw a picture in one of the Sudan books with several British water carts and remembered that Hallmark makes a watercart so will get some of those. While searching on the web, I noted that Museum Miniatures makes a water cart in 15mm as well so will get that. Essex has a great set of "Arab Slaves" from their Ancient equipment line and I got about five packs of them (six different figures) to be used with the baggage train, civilians, as well as ship's crew for my gunboat. Also got some Arab horsemen from the Crusades and Arab Conquest Essex lines which will be appropriate for both the Sudan and for Ghorchurras for the Sikh War. It goes on and on, my friend! WHAT A HOBBY!

Heliograph seems, by the way, to be getting even better! My congratulations! Hal Pasha

Geoff Barker

As I’ve already “put finger to the keyboard” I thought I’d bring the following item to the attention of your readers. “The Great Russian Invasion of India: a Sequel to the Afghanistan Campaign of 1878-9” by A Dekhnewallah [pseudonym] and published by Harrison, London 1879, 69 pages. This is a late 19th century military fiction booklet, which, as the title suggests, follows the action as the Russians invade India. The booklet is written as a warning to the British authorities who, the author argues, have made insufficient and /or improper efforts to defend India. This then allows the author free-reign to inform the reader what “should be done”.

It reads very much like a wargame campaign “written up”, and is enjoyable nonetheless (although maybe a little less sermonizing wouldn’t have gone amiss). Naturally, the British and their loyal Indian troops-after a few initial setbacks-win through in the end. Recommended. The only copy I’ve ever seen is in the British Library in London, where it’s bound in a volume with other colonial writings.

I had to get someone to agree I could photocopy the relevant bit I was after (which he did, but I had to sign a declaration that I wouldn't copy it again--strange, as the book was now out of copyright [120 years] as 1879+120=1999--so eventually they let me take a copy. That was back in Jan/Feb 2000. My pass was only for 1 month as I don't live in London & don't visit very often - maybe twice a year at most. I had previously emailed the British Library to confirm they will make copies for you without you being there but they wanted to change - if I recall correctly - around Ł60 / $80 which I thought was WAAAAYYYYYY too much. The problem with the BL is that you need to know what you want to see before you get there, as only a VERY small percentage are on display & the rest have to be requested from the "stacks".

I will have to look for this next time I’m there!