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Wednesday 19 June 2019

Gradually getting there

I'm still struggling with my ennui, but I'm gradually breaking out of it ... I hope!

One thing I have done is to take a long look at some stuff that David Crook gave to me the last time we met, and which has been languishing in a bag since he did. It contains a number of items, including quite a few figures from the collection of the late Eric Knowles.

Assorted vehicles

A useful collection of vehicles from the DAYS GONE range, including two vans, two petrol tankers, a pantechnicon, and a bus. Just the sort of vehicles an under-equipped army might requisition and use to give their troops some mobility.
Tribesmen in turbans

These twenty-four Minifig Colonial figures look as if they are Pathan tribesmen from the North West Frontier of India.. There are enough of them to form a number of PORTABLE WARGAME units, and they may well end up seeing service in a variety of areas of the wargaming world where the locals wear turbans and long, flowing robes.
Different tribesmen in turbans

Unlike the previous Minifig Colonial figures, these twenty-eight figures look like they might be Mahdists. There are enough of them to form several PORTABLE WARGAME units, and they are also likely to end up as generic tribesmen in turbans and long robes. The inclusion of four figures with swords (obviously leaders of some sort) makes this group of figures even more useful.
Japanese or Chinese armed peasants(?)

At first glance I thought that these early Minifig figures were armed Japanese peasants, but having looked closely at the way Eric has painted them, they may well have been intended to form part of a Boxer or Taiping army. The inclusion of what looks like a number of gun crew (possibly four) would imply that any PORTABLE WARGAME army they formed part of would be very artillery heavy.
Converted US Cavalry, wearing fezes(?)

These Minifig cavalry look as if they started life as US Cavalry wearing tall shakos ... but Eric seems to have removed the peaks to turn them into fezes. He may have intended them to form part of a late nineteenth century Ottoman army ... but whatever his intent, they could be used to form several PORTABLE ARMY units.
I can see so much potential in the above ... but at present I seem to have so many projects that I want to work on (or at least finish), I'm not sure when I will get around to using them.

12 comments:

  1. With those vehicles you could be starting up a Gaslands collection in no time :-D

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    1. Kaptain Kobold,

      I suppose that they could, although I have them earmarked to become generic motor transport for my Eastern Front/Great Patriotic War campaign.

      All the best,

      Bob

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  2. Lledo are a fantastic resource for pulp gaming - and they are really cheap on Ebay, literally a couple of pounds each.

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    Replies
    1. Rob Young,

      I already have quite a few Lledo vehicles (along with some made by Majorette) but I'm always on the lookout for more. I've not looked on eBay for them ... but I want Lloyd now!

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  3. Hi Bob,
    There is so much potential here with the collection as you say. Having a good number of Projects going isn't a bad thing- provided we can keep a handle on making real progress and bringing them to fruition...I find that having just one Project suits me best...gone are the days of juggling three or four Projects at once. I wish you well Bob with your development of your Colonial PWG Book...a period which I know your very interested with and enthusiastic about. Regards. KEV.

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    Replies
    1. Kev Robertson (Kev),

      As I work (slowly) on my PORTABLE COLONIAL WARGAME book, I'm wondering if I should widen the scope to include rules for late nineteenth century/early twentieth century battles. Whilst I ponder this, I'm playing around with how to organise my collections of Napoleonic and World War II figures ... and will be writing about this over the next few days.

      All the best,

      Bob

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  4. Nice assortment of vehicles and figures.

    pantechnicon - I had to look that up. :) (so I learned something here today)

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    Replies
    1. Fitz-Badger,

      They certainly are a useful collection of stuff, with lots of potential.

      All the best,

      Bob

      PS. Pantechnicon is one of those trade name words that was absorbed into the English language but which seems to have fallen out of use over recent years.

      Delete
  5. Nice little stash you've got there Bob. Plenty of scope for creating bands of Burpers and Belchers, and transport for a VBCW/Dads Army force. Hmmm, got me thinking, where did I put those unpainted H&R Pathans?

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    Replies
    1. Nundanket,

      The figures in turbans are sufficiently generic to 'do' for all sorts of native tribesmen. As for the vehicles ... well I have a book of photographs that show various European armies during the 1930s using civilian vehicles as transport, and I propose to do the same.

      All the best,

      Bob

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  6. Several tasty projects there! The Turbanned guys could be as well Turkowaz as Sangrian Sepoys of Rajistan; the hatless coves the fearsome Saffron (YELLOW) spearmen; and the horse also possibly Turkowaz. And the vehicles!

    I'd be all jealous were it not for the uncomfortable fact I have a heap of vehicles - really useful vehicles - I don't quite know what to do with...

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    Replies
    1. Archduke Piccolo,

      So many projects ... and not enough time to do them justice!

      The figures have lots of potential uses, and I only wish that I had time to get started on them. Soon ... but probably not soon enough!

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete

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