On Tuesday afternoon I watched THE GUNS OF NAVARONE on the Film 4 channel ... and it reminded me that ten years ago I took part in one of the most memorable wargames I have ever participated in.
Ian Drury's THE GUNS OF TOBLERONE was a role-playing game ... and the players threw themselves into the game with great gusto. The result was more Hollywood than reality ... but it was tremendous fun!
My role was a member of a special SOE (Special Operations Executive) team that was tasked with destroying a pair of heavy guns on the German-occupied island of Toblerone. The following photographs give a flavour of the game.
Ian Drury sets out the terrain.
The intrepid SOE team prepare to 'take off' in their 'borrowed' JU-52 ... humming the tune from 'Where Eagles Dare'! Trebian (near right) seems half asleep, Martin Rapier (near left) looks apprehensive, He was right to be as he the only Greek-speaker in the team ... but he was an academic who only spoke and read Ancient Greek! Tim Gow (in the green shirt) laughs in the face of danger ... and I am sat behind Tim with my arms crossed!
Gavascone, the main town and seaport of Toblerone.
The main objective: the Guns of Toblerone.
Another part of the objective: the Eagles Nest, headquarters of the German garrison on Toblerone.
The olive groves ... where dirty deeds might (or might not) have taken place!
The centre of Aghias Nikolaos, one of the main towns on Toblerone. Stavros' Bar was the rendezvous point for the SOE team to meet the leader of the local resistance group.
The bridge, over which the survivors made their escape. I seem to remember that a motorcycle was crashed during the process ... but I may be wrong.
The airfield ... where a JU-52 might just be waiting to land in order to pick up any survivors.
Trebian making a point to Martin Rapier ... but I cannot remember what it was.
As to our success ... well, my memory is that we achieved our objective, but that the cost was high.
Well that certainly looks to have been fun Bob and I hope the winners got a chocolate bar or two at the end!
ReplyDeleteSteve J.,
DeleteIt was a game that stays in the memory of everyone who took part. As to the chocolate afterwards ... well, I might well have munched on some afterwards!
All the best,
Bob
What a game. I was not "half asleep" I was centering myself and wondering when I'd be able to get to the bar - evidenced by the pint I'm holding in the last picture.
ReplyDeleteTrebian,
DeleteI did write 'seems' rather than 'was' half asleep ...
I seem to remember that we were in the room just across the hallway from the Knuston Hall bar. Its a good job that it wasn't in the Practical Room!
All the best,
Bob
Hola Bob
ReplyDeleteParece un juego épico. Hay un juego de PC llamado "Commandos 2, Men of Courage" con una misión llamada Los Cañones de Nakasone, y me recordó mucho esto a esa pantalla.
Gracias por compartir con nosotros tan agradables recuerdos.
Un abrazo y mis mejores deseos.
MM
Hello Bob
DeleteIt looks like an epic game. There's a PC game called "Commandos 2, Men of Courage" with a mission called The Nakasone Guns, and this reminded me a lot of that screen.
Thank you for sharing such pleasant memories with us.
A hug and best wishes.
MM
MM,
I think that the scenario - which comes from Alastair MacLean's book of that name - has been used elsewhere in various forms.
It was a very enjoyable game, and one that I keep asking Ian Drury to repeat!
All the best,
Bob
MM,
Creo que el escenario, que proviene del libro del mismo nombre de Alastair MacLean, se ha utilizado en otros lugares de diversas formas.
¡Fue un juego muy divertido y sigo pidiéndole a Ian Drury que repita!
Mis mejores deseos,
Bob
Looks like a great game. The place names are hilarious. Guenstefani! Gavascone!
ReplyDeleteDid the Allied team get to fire MP40s with those special magazines which never empty, like in the film? ;-)
Nundanket,
DeleteIt was truly memorable, and was restaged in Sheffield by Tim Gow some years ago. (http://megablitzandmore.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-guns-of-toblerone.html?m=1)
All our SMGs never needed to have their magazines replaced and our hand grenades were deadly.
All the best,
Bob
Was there a Force 10 from Toblerone, one wonders?
ReplyDeleteLooks like it would have been a memorable day, all right!
Prufrock,
DeleteThere has not yet been a 'Force 10 from Toblerone' game yet ... but there was a 'Where Seagulls Dare' game at this year's COW that was very similar in concept. It is featured in a blog post written by Trebian that can be viewed here = https://wargaming4grownups.blogspot.com/2024/07/conference-of-wargamers-2024.html .
All the best,
Bob
Fantastic .. the youthful looks on people too!
ReplyDeleteGeordie an Exiled FoG,
DeleteIt was one of the most memorable COW sessions I have ever been part of.
All the best,
Bob