Thursday, 1 March 2012

d’Erlons I Corps/ 1st Division at Waterloo



1st Brigade Colonel Claude Charlet (acting Commander)
1er and 2e Bataillons, 54e Régiment de Ligne and 1er and 2e Bataillons, 55e Régiment de Ligne (Colonel Jean-Pierre Monneret)

Perry Miniatures French infantry with some command figures from Victrix old guard thrown in to add veriety.
Supported by Kellermans Heavy brigade in the background.

Thursday, 26 January 2012

British 9th Brigade (Pack) at Waterloo





The 2nd Brigade in Picton's Division at Waterloo. The figures are all Victrix and Perry and quite a bit of mixed in although the back packs are quite different.
Although i have been able to post both of these in the same week, its taken a while to paint and base all these scum of the earth.

Tuesday, 24 January 2012

British 8th Brigade (Kempts) at Waterloo






A couple of years ago I started a project to work on Picton’s fifth division at Waterloo. While some of the elements have been completed for a while they have for one reason or another never seen the light of day together as a group. Having just completed the 1st Battalion / 28th North Gloucestershire (using Victrix figures) It would be a good opportunity to get some pictures Taken.
I have completed the Kempts’ 8th and Packs’ 9th Brigades and I’m working through the 5th Hanoverian Brigade and hope to have this finished by the spring.

Sunday, 18 December 2011

Nassau



























2nd Naussau-Usingen Regiment

I had bought a box of the Victrix French (1807-1812) Infantry to provide some variety to my Perry French infantry. However as the Perry are in the post 1812 uniform they are quite different and while a single unit in the older uniform might have been ok, I felt that they didn't look right for my Waterloo.

Having converted units of Belgian line, Dutch Militia, Brunswick Hussars and Dutch / Belgian Carabiners from the plastics on the market at the time I thought there was a potential to convert these chaps into some allied infantry. The Nassau contingent are shown in Hawthornwaites uniforms of Waterloo in both the pre and post 1812 French style uniform so it didn't feel like a great stretch to put them in the pre 1812 uniform.

While the French uniform differs from the Nassau uniform is that the French has a double set of buttons with the Nassau having a single row down the front. This I can cope with, and can be corrected with a little trimming.
The Backpacks are in the French style so no problems there, however they are equipped with 'British' style haversacks and canteens as well as the French Short Swords. From the set I can muster enough short swords to equip the flank companies on both battalions, the rest will do without.
The Haversacks and canteens I made from Greenstuff, (For the canteens I used a cocktail straw snipped down and filled with greenstuff). I carried the haversack strap all the way to the shoulder as the Nassau troops looked like they had cross belts rather than the single belt for the French Centre companies.
The Colpacks were taken from the spares from the Hussar set. With a little bit of trimming / remodelling on the cap bag.

This was much more work than I had counted on and I struggled to raise the enthusiasm to finish. Having bought the command for both battalions in metal from Perry Mins I felt I had to see it through and with gritted teeth I managed to finish both battalions.

Having fully completed both now I feel that a more uniform approach to the battalions might have resulted in a better overall look but I'll put this one down to experience.

Tuesday, 29 November 2011

French 2nd Dragoons






I had bought these with an eye on converting them to lancers but thought better of it after a test figure. I have already painted the 7th Dragoons, so I thought it would be cool to do the 1st Brigade of the 11th cavalry division at Waterloo, giving me an excuse to buy the metal commanders from Perry!

I have ended up with a few dismounted dragoons and i thought it would be good to have some active poses including a command group. I had some spare kneeling down troops from the Victrix French set and with a little trimming and some green stuff i managed to get some dragoons kneeling. Which in turn left me with some legs which allowed me to use left overs from the set to add some more dismounted dragoons!

Sunday, 27 November 2011

Ensign Kennedy (1st Royal Scots) Waterloo 1815 Part 2



Moved by the story of the young ensign and brave NCO I thought I would have my own attempt at a tribute to the pair. It's still in the early stages however I thought it might be interesting to show the work in progress.
Its a combination of the different bits left over from plastic kits and still needs a little work.


Ensign Kennedy (1st Royal Scots) Waterloo 1815



On a recent trip to Edinburgh Castle with my family I spent a little time in the 1st Royal Scots Museum within the castle itself and came across the story of Ensign Kennedy. It's a great story and had me thinking about recreating it in miniature using some spares from the Victrix box set.
For anyone in or around Edinburgh or visiting the city there are two great museums that have a Waterloo connection, in addition to the Royal Scots there is another Ensign celebrated in the Scots Grays Museum which includes the eagle captured at Waterloo by Sargent Charles Ewart well worth a look for anyone with an interest in the period.