Rose Miniatures (Russell Gammage M.S.I.A., 45 sundorne Road, London S.E.7.) have a small but very pleasing range of 25mm wargames models which do not receive the attention they deserve. Their list includes 2 Infantry figures for the American Revolution; 12 French Napoleonic Infantry and 5 Cavalry; 7 British Napoleonic Infantry and 2 Cavalry; 3 Austrian Napoleonic Infantry; 8 American Civil War Infantry and 4 Cavalry; 6 World dar I British, French and German Infantry. In addition Rose Miniatures put out some beautiful little guns and limbers, both for the Napoleonic period and the American Civil War. Perhaps a little more expensive than some others, these models are beautiful pieces of work. Personally, I believe that the 25mm cavalry put out by Rose Miniatures match any others in existence. For further details send a long, self-addressed and stamped envelope to Rose Miniatures.
The Sunday Times (12 Coley Street, London W.C.999YT) are selling a Norman Invasion wallchart 75p plus 10p postage and packing. Those who bought the Roman wall chart (30,000 have been sold so far) will know just how valuable a source these charts can be. Designed in colour, packed with illustrations and informative text, it illustrates the weapons, the castles, the soldiers and numerous other details of this most exciting period.
I am told that there is a Naval wargame SEAPOWER produced by Alnavco, Box 3 Westfield, New Jersey 07091, U.S.A. It is said to produce a very interesting and realistic game.
I am indebted to wargamer Neil Cogswell of Welwyn Garden City, Hertford, for some very interesting 30mm plastic figures of Cowboys and Indians, both mounted and on foot. I admit that Cowboys and Indians are not exciting wargames figures but when I tell you that these are beautifully made figures, in fine action poses and coloured besides selling for the ridiculous price of 30 cavalry figures and 20 foot figures for 15p then maybe you will be interested! They are made in polystyrene-hard plastic and are rather brittle but, although I do not know what you can do with the Indians, you could certainly turn the Cowboys into very fine Confederates or Boers. I do not know how many positions there are, those I have consist of 2 cavalry figures an Indian in full headress brandishing a short spear and a cowboy firing carbine over his horses head. The infantry figures I have seen are a well positioned Indian brave with tomahawk and small round shield and a cowboy waving two pistols. The detail on these figures is excellent and there is very little flash. They are made by a British manufacturer Zodiac Toys and they will have to be looked for in the shops -- I understand that they seem to be available in toyshops north of London and I know of people buying them in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.
Talking of availability of figures I am told by Mr. E.H. Spall, the Sales Administration Manager of Airfix Hobby and Toy Sales Limited.that the explanation for som people being able to buy the latest Airfix figures "Washington's Army" while nobody else can find them is that some initial supplies of "Washington's Army" on a very short run were distributed recently to certain areas but present stocks are exhausted and it is hoped that they will become available very shortly although at the moment British Grenadiers and Washington's Army are not in production. So that is why you can't find them and you can stop chasing around Woolworths for a bit:
I understand that Dick Higgs of Miniature Figurines now has a very talented assistant so that we can expect even more figures turned out from that prolific organisation. The latest ones that I have seen are most exciting and I can highly recommend to Ancient wargamers the war elephant. This massive, heavy piece of work, when painted up, looks absolutely superb and I have been very appreciative of miniature Figurines placing this elephant together with a lot of other painted figures at my disposal to be photographed in black and white and in colour for my next book. When I look around at this amazing source of supply for wargames figures then I wonder how we ever managed to get the hobby on the road in the first place when not even Airfix were in production!
Still talking of Airfix, I have recently received two tank kits which may have been out some time without being reviewed in these pages. One is of the Chieftain tank and the other is a German Panzer IV tank. The latter fills a very long felt gap because, as probably the most numerous and best known of the German tanks of World War II, it had to have a place on the wargames table of the man fighting that period. The Chieftain tank will be eagerly welcomed by that small band whose "Modern" wargaming really is modern and not World War II.
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© Copyright 1971 by Donald Featherstone.
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