Push of pike

ECW Skirmish

The crack of musket fire is joined by the boom of artillery.

Robinettes

Artillery of the English Civil War

Napoleon thunders across Europe like a mighty Colossus

The Voltigeur sergeant 1815

This Voltigeur Sergeant has proudly hung on to his yellow chevrons and epaulet's as a sign of his elite status, even though the new dress regulations have disbanded them.

The lucky Cuirassier

This survivor of Waterloo toasts the Emperor one last time, before mounting up and heading for home.

All done

The last shelf is filled and the floor boards give another creak.

Early Saxons

These are from Essex and I have to say are really good. Essex tend to be a bit hit and miss with their ranges, but these Early Saxons are the exception. I plan to use these to bolster out the ranks on my Ancient Germans when I get around to starting them. I have already used them in battle as Germans and they looked great. Standing at over a hundred and twenty men, they will add a good few War bands to my fledgling German forces.

My first ever historical figures.

Painted way back in 1985 these tiny 15mm Federal troops mark the turning point in my painting career. Although I found myself lost in painting Warhammer 40K space marines, these little figures made a big impact on me. When I discovered painting again in 1996, I found myself being drawn back to the period. Only this time I fancied more of a challenge so I started to collect 28mm figures. The rest as they say, is history...

Grant vs Lee

The two leaders meet at last.

Federal troops

Berdan Sharpshooters

Redoubt miniatures do come out with some cracking figures and ten years ago these were the best on the market. I haven't seen better US Sharpshooter figures than these to date.

General Lee and friends

I thought It was time I showed some of my old Civil figures. Most of my old units need a good bit of repainting and reorganizing. May be one day I will get inspired to undertake such a massive operation.

The great reshuffle

As time goes on, space starts to become a real problem with the cabinet. So I decided to box up all of my Corgi WWII planes and put them in the loft. This has made a shelf available for my hungry Generals to fight over and allows me to separate mixed up eras.
My poor old Tommys have have fighting it out with Numidians on the first shelf for a year now and need a place of their own to spread and grow. After a moments thought It was my collection of Union troops that got the order to move down to the dark ground floor shelf, where nobody looks. These are old figures painted over ten years ago (when I thought shading flesh with black ink was a good idea) and so they will not be missed. I may feel the need to re base and repaint my Civil war forces one day... they need it, but until then they can wait in the neither regions. Their space is now taken with my recently painted WWII Platoons, who at the moment hold more appeal for me.

Is that a loaf in your trousers or are you pleased to see me?

The story goes that Napoleon ordered his men to pack extra warm clothes for their march into the frozen wastes of Russia. To save valuable space, he created the Baguette, a long loaf that could be carried down the soldiers trousers. Thus a national symbol was born.

This has turned out to be more myth than fact but I for one like it, so on this Blog anyway...it's a fact!

Don't worry the Russian winter beats everybody...

I thought I would take a trip to Elba and cheer up my old friend Boney. True to form though, he stole my boat and headed back for another hundred days of trouble. It's like they say, a leopard can never change it's spots, but I like him so I'll keep trying.

Hold ya horses Boney, I haven't even started on the Old Guard yet!

Napoleon orders forward the Old Guard, only to find there is none.

All quiet of the Western front

I'm afraid after many years of groaning, my computer at home has finally given up the ghost. This means there might be a little delay in war gaming/painting madness for a while.
The French are coming on great guns though, with the next batch of Voltigeurs being covered with mud as I type, ready for their new bases.

Today is a painting day!

A Voltigeur tries his luck.

A voltigeur sees his chance and takes a pot shot at a British Colonel.

Leading from the front

Unlike the British Officers who tended to buy their commissions and come from high born families, the French Officer rose through the ranks by acts of shear bravado and example. Jumping around in front of the troops like a mad man they made an obvious target for a rifleman and many paid the price.

"They are among us!"

A good cavalry commander, of whom the French had many, knew exactly how to deal with skirmishers.
Way out in front of the battle lines, a rifleman had to keep his wits about him in order to keep his head.

Voltigeur detachment

A small detachment of Voltigeurs prepare to jog out in front of the Battalion and take up skirmish positions.

Lieutenant Simmons

Lieutenant Simmons senses the time is right and orders his company forward after the withdrawing French.

In the bag

Riflemen trade shots with Voltigeurs on the other side of the river. Riflemen were famous for their good humour in battle and these two take bets on who can bag the mounted officer.

An oldie, but a goodie

There's forty shillings on my bum, for those who'll volunteer to come, to list and fight the French todayyyyyyyyy, Over the hills and far awayyyyyy.( To be sung in a Northern folk twang. )

Take another step back Harris, and I'll shoot you myself!

The thin red line.

Rifleman Blunt

Not the sharpest tool in the box, rifleman Blunt advances in the open. It looks like Louis will get his third man after all.

The Sly Old Voltigeur

A veteran of many skirmishes, Louis takes his time and waits for the new recruits of the 95th to show themselves. Two kills under his hat today, can he make it a third before wisely retiring.

Voltigeur Officer

Sub-Lieutenant Marcel of the Voltigeur Company.

A Grenadier

A French Line Battalion was made up of six Companies. Four of these were centre or Fusilier companies, named after the weapon they carried. However, the other two companies in the Battalion were called 'Flank' companies and were seen as the elite. Grenadiers were one such Flank company, they were the largest men chosen for their size and strength. They would be used to assault building or bridges, where real muscle power would carry the day. Their names stems back to the days when the biggest, strongest men were chosen to throw grenades. The weapon dropped out of favour but the name remained.
Voltigeurs, literally meaning vaulters, were the smallest most agile men in the Battalion. They would be sent out in front of the advancing unit to skirmish and weaken the enemy line. Although these men were not armed with the rifle like the 95th, they were good shots and knew their weapons well. The French were known for sending vast hordes of Skirmishers forward in advance of their units.

A French Voltigeur Skirmishing

Two weeks with the Rifles

Hello, I'm back from my two weeks in Crete. While I was there I caught up with a book I've had for ages, ' Rifles' by Mark Urban. It follows the story of the 95th Rifles through their history and the many colourful characters who noted down their exploits along the way. Being surrounded by similar terrain to that of the Iberian Peninsula, I started to scribble away.

I found the book and It's characters a great source of inspiration, but couldn't resist drawing up the opposition as well. As I am painting up and reorganizing my French forces, I started to get carried away with Voltigeurs, the French light Infantry of the Battalions.