I have been to ... St Nicholas Church, Plumstead

Recently, Sue and I paid one of our infrequent visits to local cemeteries and churches to look at interesting graves and memorials. This time we visited St Nicholas Church, Plumstead, which was formerly the parish church.

There has been a church on the site since 960(!), although the current building dates back to the twelfth century.

During the seventeenth century the brick west tower was added and the nave was rebuilt in 1818. Further restoration took place between 1867 and 1868, and the church was enlarged in 1907. The building was extensively damaged on 6th February 1945 by the one of the last V2 rockets to hit London. This damage was repaired in 1959.

Unfortunately, the extensive graveyard was turned into a small park in the 1960s, and the gravestones were moved to locations around the edge of the park. Subsequently, these were removed when the park was remodelled and the original railings were taken down.

Only one gravestone remains, and it is located against the south wall of the church. It is a Commonwealth War Grave (formerly an Imperial War Grave) and marks the burial of Private Robert Gosling of the Army Service Corps (ASC), who died at home on 3rd March 1918.

What we had hoped to find were the following graves:

• Colonel Charles Bingham (1815 to 1864): The son of Colonel Charles Cox Bingham and Sarah Bingham and brother of Captain Edmund Hayter Bingham. He served as Adjutant-General of the Royal Artillery.
• Captain Edmund Hayter Bingham (7th January 1820 to 9th October 1856): The son of Colonel Cox Bingham and Sarah Bingham. He served with the 1st Battalion, West India Regiment from 1839 to 1850, being promoted to the rank of Captain on 1st March 1848.
• Major-General Joseph Brome (1712 to 1796): He joined the Royal Artillery at the age of 8 as a drummer and rose through the ranks to become commander of 1st Battalion, Royal Artillery. He was Master Gunner from 1760 and later became Colonel-Commandant of the Royal Artillery. He was promoted to the rank of Major-General in 1793.
• Captain Frederick William Burgoyne RN (28th May 1778 to 22nd October 1848): He was the son of General Sir John Burgoyne, 7th Baronet of Sutton Park. Frederick was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 7th March 1797, Commander on 22nd October 1810, and Post Captain on 20th September 1815. At various times he commanded HMS Defender, HMS Transit, HMS Tyrian, HMS Port Mahon, and HMS Sparrowhawk. From 1st November 1824 until early 1831, he commanded the Coast Guard at Kinsale and Wexford; and from 6th August 1841 until September 1844 he was Captain of HMS San Josep (a 114-gun ship-of-the-line captured from the Spanish on 14th February 1797), the flag-ship of the Admiral Superintendent at Devonport, Sir Sam Pym.
• Daniel Cambridge VC (27th March 1820 to 4th June 1882): He was born in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Ireland. He joined the Royal Artillery in 1839 as a Gunner and Driver and initially served in the 4th Battalion, Royal Artillery. After serving in Malta from 1841 to 1847 he transferred to the 7th Battalion, Royal Artillery - which was then in Canada - in 1848. He returned to the UK in 1853 and returned to the 4th Battalion, Royal Artillery in Woolwich. After the Crimean War broke out, he transferred to the 11th Battalion, Royal Artillery and landed in the Crimea on 19th September 1854. The battalion was involved in the Siege of Sevastopol and Daniel also took part in the Battle of Inkerman. He was promoted to the rank of Bombardier on 3rd April 1855. On 8th September he took part in the failed Assault on the Redan as part of a spiking party and he was badly wounded. Despite this, he helped other wounded soldiers to safety. In his despatch, Cambridge's commander (Lieutenant-Colonel Strange CB) reported that 'Early in the day he was wounded in the leg but did not on that account leave the Assaulting Party though recommended to do so – At a subsequent part of the day he went out in front of the advanced trench in the Quarries under a heavy fire in order to bring in a wounded man, in performing which service he was severely wounded a 2nd time, having been shot through the jaw'. As a result, he was awarded the Victoria Cross on 23rd June 1857. Daniel was the twenty-second person of the original sixty-two to be given this award. He was also awarded the Sardinian Military Medal of Valour (Al Valore Militare). He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant on 21st April 1856 and Quartermaster-Sergeant a year later. In 1857 he was promoted to the rank of Master Gunner with the 8th Coastal Battery, Athlone, County Roscommon, Ireland, and on 21st February 1862 he transferred to Fort Tarbert, County Kerry, Ireland. He retired on 27th June 1871 and was appointed to the sovereign's bodyguard, the Yeomen of the Guard. He died as a result of the wounds he had suffered during the Crimean War on 4th June 1882 at 57 Frederick Place, Plumstead. He was sixty-two-years-old.

Daniel Cambridge VC.

• Major-General Sir Alexander Dickson KGCB, KCRGO (1777 to 1840): He entered the Royal Military Academy in 1793 and became a Second-Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery in 1794. He saw service in Menorca in 1798 and Malta in 1800. By 1806 he was a Captain and took part in the disastrous Montevideo Expedition. In 1809 he joined Brigadier=General Edward Howorth in Portugal where he served as brigade-major of the Portuguese artillery. Within a short time he had become a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Portuguese army and commanded the Portuguese artillery in the Allied army in the Peninsular. As a result, he served under Sir Arthur Wellesley (later the Duke of Wellington) at the Battles of Busaco, Albuera, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca (by which time he was in command of all of the Allied artillery in Wellesley's army, even though he was still just a Captain in the Royal Artillery), Vittoria, San Sebastian, Nivelle, Nive, and Toulouse. He was sent to North America after Napoleon's abdication and took part in the Battle of New Orleans. He then returned to the UK and served as a member of the now Duke of Wellington's staff at the Battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo. He was awarded the Peninsular Gold Medal with six clasps (only the Duke of Wellington, with nine clasps, and Sir Dennis Pack and Lord Beresford who had seven clasps, had more) as well as the Knight Grand Commander of the Bath and Knight Commander of the Royal Guelphic Order. He ended his service as Master Gunner, St James's Park. He was also one of the earliest Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society.
• Major-General Duncan Drummond (1731 to 1805): Commanding Officer, Royal Artillery and Director-General of the Field Train Department.
• General Sir William Green (1725 to 1811): A Royal Engineer, he designed and oversaw the building of the defences of Gibraltar (1779 to 1783).  In 1772 he suggested that a regiment of military artificers should be raised to replace civilians who had formerly been recruited on an ad hoc basis to construct military works. This led to the raising of the Soldier Artificer Company which eventually evolved into the Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners. He was Chief Engineer of Great Britain from 1796 until his retirement in 1802.
• Doctor Olinthus Gilbert Gregory (29th January 1774 to 2nd February 1841): Mathematical Master of the Royal Military Academy in 1802. He succeeded Charles Hutton as Professor in 1807, and was one of the founding member of the Royal Astronomical Society. He also proposed improvements to the way in which musical notations were recorded and served as editor of the Gentlemen's Diary (1802 onwards) and the Lady's Diary (1819 to 1840). From 1817 onwards he also supervised the almanacs published by the Stationer's Company. He was also one of the driving forces behind the setting up of a secular university in London, and by 1825 he was a member of the committee that appointed the new university's teaching staff.
• Lieutenant-General Sir John Angus Macleod GCH (29th January 1752 to 26th January 1833): He was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1771 and served during the American War of Independence under General Cornwallis, and as a result he took part in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. In 1782 he became commander of the Royal Artillery and oversaw its expansion from five to ten battalions. He was appointed Deputy Adjutant-General of the Royal Artillery in 1795 and became Master Gunner, St James's Park in 1808. In 1815 the Duke of Wellington appointed him Director-General of the Royal Artillery (an honorary position), and he subsequently became Commander of the Field Train, another honorary appointment.
• Major-General Sir John May KCB, KCH (1778 to 1847): He joined the Royal Artillery in 1795 and was promoted to the rank of Major-General in 1838. He served during the Napoleonic Wars and was at the Battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo.
• Colonel Sir William Robe (18th February 1765 to 5th November 1820): He entered the Royal Military Academy in 1780 before joining the Royal Artillery in 1781. He served in Jamaica from 1782 to 1784 and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 22nd November 1787. He returned to the UK in 1790, and in April 1793 he took part in the Flanders Campaign under the command of Sir William Congreve. He had returned to England by the end of November 1794, having been promoted to the rank of Captain-Lieutenant and battalion Quartermaster of the 1st Battalion, Royal Artillery on 9th September 1794. In 1797 he set up the first regimental school for the education of soldiers and in 1806 he became Regimental Major, an administrative role. Two years later he took part in the Duke of York's Helder Expedition. He was appointed Brigade Major of Royal Artillery under General Sir Anthony Farrington and was present at the Battle of Bergen on 2nd October 1799. (Incidentally, this was the day on which he was promoted to the rank of Captain). He then took part in the capture of Alkmaar before returning to the UK in November. He was then posted to the 2nd Battalion, Royal Artillery. Next year he transferred to the 4th Battalion, Royal Artillery, which was stationed in Canada. He returned to the UK in June 1806 and was promoted to the rank of Major, and then to Lieutenant-Colonel the following year. In 1807 he took part in the Copenhagen Expedition, where he came to the attention of Major-General Thomas Bloomfield, who commanded the expedition's artillery. The next year saw him in Spain in command of the artillery in Sir Arthur Wellesley's army. He subsequently took part in the Battle of Rollica, the capture of Porto, the Battle of Talavera, the retreat to the Lines of Torres Vedras, the Battle of Bussaco, the Battle of Salamanca, and the Siege of Burgos. During the retreat from Burgos he was wounded and subsequently returned to the UK. He was promoted to the rank of Colonel on 16th May 1815, and by then he had been made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath and a Knight Commander of the Royal Guelphic Order.

Nugget 370

I collected the latest issue of THE NUGGET from the printer (Macaulay Scott Printing Company of Welling, Kent) on Saturday, and I posted it out to members yesterday.

I will also send the PDF copy to the webmaster as soon as I can so that members can read this issue of THE NUGGET online.

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IMPORTANT: Please note that this is the seventh issue of THE NUGGET to be published for the 2024-2025 subscription year.

If you wish to subscribe for the 2024-2025 subscription year and have not yet done so, please request a PayPal invoice or the bank transfer information from the Treasurer or follow the instructions on the relevant page of the website.

The Portable Wargame at Dice on the Hill YouTube video

I have now created and uploaded a short (i.e. just over eight minutes long) YouTube video about the rules and Operation Barbarossa mini-campaign scenarios that I used at my local gaming club, Dice on the Hill, to my Wargaming Miscellany YouTube channel.

You can view the video here.

Nugget 370

The editor of THE NUGGET sent me the original of the latest issue on Sunday evening, and I sent it to the printer (Macauley Scott Printing Company, Welling, Kent) on Monday. I hope to be able to collect it later this week and post it out to members of Wargame Developments by the end of the month.

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IMPORTANT: Please note that this is the seventh issue of THE NUGGET to be published for the 2024-2025 subscription year.

If you wish to subscribe for the 2024-2025 subscription year and have not yet done so, please request a PayPal invoice or the bank transfer information from the Treasurer or follow the instructions on the relevant page of the website.

Operation Varsity: Eighty years on

Today marks the 80th anniversary of Operation Varsity, the largest single airborne operation of World War II.

Operation Varsity was part of Operation Plunder, the Allied operation to cross the northern Rhine River and enter Northern Germany. It was mounted by US XVIII Airborne Corps, which was commanded by Major General Matthew B Ridgway. The Corps comprised British 6th Airborne Division, US 13th Airborne Division (which did not take part in the operation), and US 17th Airborne Division. Their drop zones were located between the Diersfordter Wald, the River Issel, and the towns of Hamminkeln and Wessel. It was the largest airborne operation ever conducted on a single day.

The objectives set for the two divisions that took part in Operation Varsity were as follows:

• British 6th Airborne Division: Capture the villages of Schnappenberg and Hamminkeln, clear the northern part of the Diersfordter Wald (Diersfordt Forest) of German forces, and capture the three bridges over the River Issel.
• US 17th Airborne Division: Capture the village of Diersfordt and clear the southern part of the Diersfordter Wald of German forces.
• The two divisions were then to hold the territory they had captured until they were relieved by advancing units of 21st Army Group.

Despite some confusion due to elements of US 17th Airborne Division landing in the wrong places, the objectives had been captured, and by nightfall the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division had linked up with British 6th Airborne Division. By morning of the next day, the first of twelve bridge had been constructed across the River Rhine.

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My father took part in the operation as a member of 53rd (Worcestershire Yeomanry) Airlanding Light Regiment, Royal Artillery, and he was the only veteran who attended the special commemorative event held at Firepower, the Royal Artillery Museum, in 2006.

He was treated as an honoured guest by the museum staff and the members of the 89th (Parachute)/317th (Airborne) Field Security Sections re-enactment group. The latter were portraying 53rd (Worcestershire Yeomanry) Airlanding Light Regiment, Royal Artillery at the event, and my father had several photographs taken with them.

Beutepanzers of World War II

I must admit to an interest in the way that the German Army adopted and adapted captured armoured fighting vehicles during the Second World War. As a result, it made lots of sense for me to buy a copy of Steven Zaloga's recent BEUTEPANZERS OF WORLD WAR II: CAPTURED TANKS AND AFVS IN GERMAN SERVICE when I saw it on sale ... so I did!

The book is divided into eleven sections:

• Introduction
• Polish tanks and AFVs
• Dutch and Belgian tanks and AFVs
• French tanks
• Tank turrets for the AtlantikWall
• French Beutepanzer units
• Becker self-propelled gun conversions on French AFVs
• Other self-propelled gun conversions on French AFVs
• The Beutepanzer division
• British tanks and AFVs
• Soviet tanks and AFVs
• Italian tanks and AFVs
• American tanks and AFVs
• German identification numbers for Beutepanzers
• Further reading
• Index

I particularly enjoyed the section that dealt with the conversions undertaken by Hauptmann Alfred Becker's Baukommando, which included conversions of both French and British tanks and AFVs. (His first conversions were based on the chassis of British Mark VI light tanks. He removed the existing turrets and read bodywork which he replaced with an open-topped casemate in which a 105mm leFH 16 howitzer was mounted. He also modified the same chassis as a command/reconnaissance vehicle and ammunition carrier as well as creating ammunition carriers based on the chassis of captured Bren carriers.)

The 10.5cm leFH 16 auf Geschutzwagen auf Fahrgestell Mk VI 736 (e) self-propelled gun.

The Mk VI Beobachtungspanzer command/reconnaissance vehicle.

The Mk VI Munitionspanzer ammunition carrier. The trailer it is towing appears to be a Renault UK tracked trailer that has had its original wheels and tracks replaced by a simple two-wheeled axle.

The Munitionspanzer auf Fahrgestell Bren-Carrier (e) ammunition carrier. The trailer it is towing appears to be similar to that towed by the French Renault UE 2 Chenillette and was known as the Renault UK tracked trailer.

It is interesting to note that although the Germans captured large numbers of Russian tanks and AFVs, they did not use them as much as one might have expected, mainly because they did not have access to supplies of spare parts etc. This was not the case with the French and Italian tanks and AFVs they captured and reused, and in the latter case, they actually continued to produce vehicles in the occupied northern part of Italy after the Italian king deposed Mussolini and the country changed sides and joined the Allies as a co-belligerent.

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BEUTEPANZERS OF WORLD WAR II: CAPTURED TANKS AND AFVS IN GERMAN SERVICE was written by Steven J Zaloga and illustrated by Felipe Rodriguez and published by Osprey Publishing in 2024 (ISBN 978 1 4728 5938 9).

Ancients at Shrewsbury House

On Wednesday I carefully rested for most of the day in order to conserve my energy so that I could set up and take part in a battle using the Portable Ancient Wargame rules from DEVELOPING THE PORTABLE WARGAME. My strategy worked, and I had a very enjoyable evening introducing my opponent (Richard) and an interested bystander (Ian) to the joys of THE PORTABLE WARGAME system.

I provided the terrain and Richard provided the figures ... and it turned out that although he had been assembling his collection for some years, he had not had the opportunity to fight a wargame with them. The terrain looked like this:

I chose to field a Spartan army ...

The right of the Spartan army. It comprised a unit of slingers and two units of Helot spearmen.

The center of the Spartan army. It comprised eight units of Hoplites.

The left of the Spartan army. It comprised a unit of slingers and two units of Helot spearmen.

... and my opponent chose the Athenians. (He even provided a suitably ruined temple for Athena to occupy and oversee her city-state's army.)

The Athenian army.

Two units of Athenian Hoplites.

Two more units of Athenian Hoplites.

The Athenians took the offensive ...

... and after both sides used their light troops to try to disrupt their opponent's Hoplites ...

... the battle soon became a trial of strength between the rival bodies of Hoplites.

It was a hard fought battle ... but the Athenians eventually prevailed and the Spartans withdrew after losing their slingers and Helot spearmen in order to preserve their elite Hoplites.

The battle took just under an hour to fight, and once it was over we reset the forces and re-fought the battle twice more, firstly using the 'two hits = unit destroyed' rule and 'two hits plus hit effect' rule. The Athenians won both battles, and they even managed to kill the Spartan commander during the last battle.

By the end of the evening Richard and Ian were both enthusiastic converts to the whole PORTABLE WARGAME concept ... and I hope to be able to give them a chance to try the PORTABLE NAPOLEONIC WARGAME rules soon.

Terrain in a hurry

Last Wednesday I was asked if I could stage a Portable Ancients Wargame at the Dice on the Hill club on the following Wednesday (i.e. today). The request was from the member of staff who is usually on duty on Wednesday evenings and who is - it turns out - both a railway modeller and a wargamer. He has an extensive collection of mainly 28mm Napoleonics and Ancients and as he has read DEVELOPING THE PORTABLE WARGAME, he would like to tryout the Ancients rules from the book.

After I had agreed, I suddenly realised on Sunday that all my terrain was in storage in Dartford and that I would have to visit the storage unit to collect everything that I need. Unfortunately, the virus I have been suffering from made that rather difficult, and rather than disappoint my opponent, I had to come up with an alternative fairly quickly.

My first thought was to get hold of a felt cloth that I could make up with the necessary grid of 10cm x 10cm squares, but none of the suppliers I looked at could fulfill an order in less than a week. Instead, I ordered a pack of 30cm x 30cm 6mm-thick cork tiles from Amazon ...

... and they were delivered on Monday. I have now marked the corners of the grid squares with a small crosses drawn using a red Sharpey pen, and have enough cork tiles to set up a 9 x 9 grid of 10cm x 10cm squares ... and still have a spare cork tile!

I also needed some hills, and I made these by trimming some IKEA cork pot stands to shape.

I now have a set of portable terrain that I can take to the club this evening, and assuming that I am well enough to go, I hope to be able to take some photographs and share them on my blog later this week.

Other people’s Portable Wargames: Antoine Bourguilleau’s modern version of the Portable Wargame

Even though I am still rather unwell, I just could not pass up on the opportunity to mention Antoine Bourguilleau’s modern version of the PORTABLE WARGAME rules. He staged a game using the rules at the recent Paris Defence and Strategic Forum alongside his own game, DUEL TACTIQUE.

Antoine Bourguilleau's wargame, DUEL TACTIQUE.

The cover of the rule book from Antoine Bourguilleau's wargame, DUEL TACTIQUE.

Antoine Bourguilleau has kindly uploaded French and English language editions of his modern version of the PORTABLE WARGAME to the files section of the PORTABLE WARGAME Facebook page.

Two French defence journalists – Clément Daniez (of L'Express) and Laurence Defranoux (of Libération) – playing Antoine Bourguilleau's modern version of the PORTABLE WARGAME. It was the first time either of them had tried wargaming!

A close-up of Antoine Bourguilleau's modern version of the PORTABLE WARGAME.

Another close-up of Antoine Bourguilleau's modern version of the PORTABLE WARGAME.

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Antoine Bourguilleau is a historian, wargame designer, reserve officer in the French Army, and lecturer at the École de guerre and the Institut d'Etude de la Guerre et de la Paix en Sorbonne. He was also one of the authors of THE PORTABLE PIKE AND SHOT WARGAME.

Running on fumes

One of the side effects of having ongoing medical problems is the impact on one’s motivation to do anything. Since the end of last year I seem to have lurched from one minor illness to another, and it has been very wearing.

Luckily, I've been able to go to regular games at Dice on the Hill and to take part in the weekly Virtual Wargames Club Zoom meeting, and this had helped me to stagger on. However, I have now come down with a really unpleasant virus that seems to have been sweeping across the UK since the start of the year. The symptoms are a fever, continual tiredness, a runny nose, a sore throat/croaky voice, and a persistent and unpleasant hacking cough that often goes on for several minutes at a time. The latter can be so bad that it wakes the sufferer up multiple times during the night and contributes to the feeling of continual physical tiredness, mental lethargy, and an inability to concentrate.

Over the past few days matters seem to have come to a head, and I feel as if my fuel tank is almost empty and that I am running on fumes. I hope that this marks the point at which the virus has done its worst and that from now on things will gradually improve. However, until they do, I will be keeping my head down and concentrating on getting better as quickly as possible. I will continue to blog as and when I feel up to it, but don't expect anything earth-shattering to appear here for some time!

Shrewsbury House Secret History

Last Friday, Sue and me went to our local community centre – Shrewsbury House – to listen to a talk by local historian and modern conflict archaeologist, Andy Brockman, about the house's secret history. We have heard him speak before, and have always enjoyed his talks.

Shrewsbury House.

In fact, the talk covered much more than the secret history of the building, and included lots of information about the role of Shooters Hill in recent conflicts.

In the run up to the outbreak of the Second World War, Shrewsbury House was selected to act as an Air Raid Precaution (ARP) local control centre, and it performed this extremely useful function during the London Blitz (7th September 1940 to 11th May 1941) and again during the V-weapon attacks (13th June 1944 to 29th March 1945).

A slide used during Andy Brockman's talk about the secret history of Shrewsbury House.

A slide used during Andy Brockman's talk about the secret history of Shrewsbury House. It shows Greengarth (No.28 Mereworth Drive) which backs onto the Shrewsbury House site. It was constructed as part of the Air Raid Precautions Control Centre and converted into a bungalow in 1950.

After the outbreak of the Second World War, Shooters Hill – which at a height of 132m/433-foot is one of the highest points around London – formed part of London Stop Line Central (Line B). This was the last line of London’s defence in the event of a German invasion. As the main road between Dover and London (Watling Street) ran up and over Shooters Hill, it was the obvious place to try to block any German advance, especially as its southern slop is covered by dense woodland that would funnel any attackers up the road. Almost all the local roads on the western side of the hill (i.e. on the reverse slope of the hill) were fitted with roadblocks and flame fougasses.

(Flame fougasses were usually constructed from a 40-gallon drum filled with a mixture of petrol and oil that was dug into the roadside and camouflaged. They were usually placed at points where vehicles would have to slow down, and when set off, they would shoot a flame 3m/10 feet wide and up to 27m/100 feet long.)

A diagram from an official publication showing how to set up a flame fougasse.

A barrage balloon – which was operated by 901 County of London Barrage Balloon Squadron – was located in Eaglesfield Park. It formed part of a line of such balloons (the so-called Field Scheme Nosecap) that were intended to protect London from aerial bombing by forcing attackers to fly at a higher altitude – and thus drop their bombs with less accuracy – or into areas where anti-aircraft guns could shoot at them.

The local Home Guard had their headquarters in the local golf course clubhouse – Lowood – just below the crest on the eastern slope of Shooters Hill. Downhill from it was a battery of anti-aircraft rockets (No.7Z Battery, Royal Artillery) which were mainly crewed by members of the Home Guard. The units that operated these anti-aircraft rockets were called Z Batteries and fired unguided solid-fuel 3-inch/76mm rockets that were known as UP-3s (Unrotated Projectile). Because they were unguided, the rockets were fired in salvos … and this proved problematic as the proximity fuzes they were fitted with were unreliable, and unexploded rocket often caused considerable damage when they ran out of fuel and fell to the ground. In fact, the Z Battery on Shooters Hill engaged a number of V1 cruise missiles and shot them down, but the unexploded UP-3 rockets that they fired ended up causing considerable damage and the battery was stood down.

The area occupied by the Z Battery was eventually cleared but the huts that had been erected to serve as accommodation for the crews were used to house prisoners-of-war. The camp was called Camp 1020 and was formed on 26th June 1946 to house up to 1,000 German POWs. Besides undergoing de-Nazification, the prisoners undertook educational and cultural courses when not being used to perform manual work. The latter included working on local farms, digging the foundations for the Cherry Orchard estate in Charlton, and clearing snow during the winter.

Prisoners at the camp were allowed to move freely within 5 miles of the camp during daylight hours, and Sundays they could attend either the Protestant Welling Church or St. Stephen’s Roman Catholic Church in Welling. They were also allowed to attend football matches at Charlton Athletic’s ground, The Valley. The camp only existed for less than a year, and POWs were repatriated during the spring of 1947.

Although Shrewsbury House was no longer needed by the ARP after the Second World War had ended, once the Cold War began it was decided that its location would be useful in a Civil Defence role, and a rectangular concrete blockhouse was built next to the existing building in 1954. It was called Woolwich Sub Control and reported to the main Woolwich Borough Control in New Eltham. It was re-designated as a Sector Station in 1965 and stood down in 1968 when the Civil Defence Corps was disbanded.

An 1934 aerial photograph of the top of Shooters Hill. The locations of Shrewsbury House, Eaglesfield Park, Lowood, and the Z Battery/POW camp are labelled. The photograph is orientated with the top approximately pointing north. © Historic England.

An contemporary aerial photograph of the top of Shooters Hill. The locations of Shrewsbury House, Eaglesfield Park, Lowood, and the Z Battery/POW camp are labelled. The photograph is orientated with the top approximately pointing westward. © Google Earth.

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At the very end of his talk, Andy Brockman showed everyone a pair of very old and used Nairn boots that had been found in an obscure part of the loft space when the roof had been repaired some year ago.

Pages from a 1923 newspaper were found inside the boots, and he speculated that they were placed there by some of the builders when the current house had been constructed in 1923. This is in keeping with the ancient superstition that concealing a pair of old shoes in a building would ward off witches or evil spirits.

A new YouTube video: Jose Maria Bueno Carrera: Spanish military uniform expert and artist

I have just uploaded a new YouTube video to the Wargaming Miscellany YouTube channel.

It is entitled JOSE MARIA BUENO CARRERA: SPANISH MILITARY UNIFORM EXPERT AND ARTIST, lasts just under nine minutes, and includes examples of his beautiful illustrations.

The video can be found here on the Wargaming Miscellany YouTube channel.

Tony Bath’s Ancient Wargaming: Including Setting up a Wargames Campaign and the Hyborian Campaign

There are some books that I think are an absolute ‘must haves’ for wargamers … and TONY BATH'S ANCIENT WARGAMING: INCLUDING SETTING UP A WARGAMES CAMPAIGN AND THE HYBORIA CAMPAIGN is one of them.

I owned a copy of the original SETTING UP A WARGAMES CAMPAIGN that was published by WRG (the Wargame Research Group) but somewhere along the line I lost it. (I think that I lent it to someone who failed to give it back, but that person is adamant that they did return it … so it could be anywhere.) I also had copies of some – but not all – of the records of the famous Hyboria campaign. This book brings both of these together in one volume, along with the text of Tony’s PELAST AND PILA Ancient Wargame Rules.

The campaign rules contains the following chapters:

• Map movement
• Contact, battles and after effects
• Playing with umpires and without Supplies and replacements
• Guidelines on running campaigns in other periods.

The campaign rules are worth the cost of the book, as is the record of the Hyboria Campaign (the LEGEND OF HYBORIA) … so anyone who buys a copy will certainly get their money’s worth.

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TONY BATH'S ANCIENT WARGAMING: INCLUDING SETTING UP A WARGAMES CAMPAIGN AND THE HYBORIA CAMPAIGN has been edited by John Curry and published by the History of Wargaming Project and is available in Kindle, paperback, and hardback editions (ASIN B01N2HI27I, ISBN 979 8 4999 9076 6, and ISBN 979 8 3951 7552 6 respectively for £9.99, £16.95, and £21.95; I opted for the hardback!!).

A concert at Charlton House

Before our visit to Charlton Cemetery, Sue and I went for a walk in Charlton Park before attending a concert in Charlton House.

Every Tuesday from 1.00pm until 2.00pm there is a concert of classical music in the Old Library, and this week's one featured musicians from the Royal Military School of Music, led by Senior Instructor, Captain Michael McGowan.

Captain McGowan and the musicians of the Royal Military School of Music.

The programme featured the following music:

• Petit Symphonie by Charles Gounod (1818 - 1893)
• Sscherzo
• Andante Cantabile
• Finale
• La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin by Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918)
• Soloist: Musician Laithwaite
• Pan by Albert Roussel (1869 - 1937)
• Soloist: Musician Horton
• Sonate - Movement II by Camille Sait-Saaens
• Soloist: Musician Cowling
• Suite from Carmen by Georges Bizet (1838 - 1875)
• Aragonaise
• Les Dragoons D'Alcala
• Habanera
• La Garda Montante
• Danse Boheme

The soloists. From left to right, Musicians Laithwaite, Cowling, and Horton.

The standard of musicianship was outstanding, and the hour seemed to slip by as the audience enjoyed the music.

After the concert we had the opportunity to talk to several of the musicians, some of whom had only just completed basic training and had started at the School very recently and others who were awaiting their first posting to a band.

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The Royal Military School of Music (RMSM) has been training musicians for the British Army since 1857. It was originally located at Kneller Hall, Tiwckenham, but in 2021 it was transferred to HMS Nelson in Portsmouth, a location that it shares with the Royal marine School of Music. It trains the musicians for the British Army's fourteen regular bands

I have been to ... Charlton Cemetery

Charlton Cemetery's Cross of Sacrifice.

Now that spring seems to be upon us, Sue and I began looking for interesting, quiet places to go for a walk. One of the places we decided to visit was Charlton Cemetery, which, because of its location, is the last resting place for a number of naval and military officers who were associated with the Royal Dockyard, the Royal Artillery, the Royal Military Academy, and the Woolwich Arsenal. These include:

• Brigadier Leonard Joseph Lancelot Addison, CMG, CBE (1902 - 1975): He was born in Woolwich and was commissioned into the Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment in 1923. He transferred to the British Indian Army's Indian Army Service Corps (I.A.S.C.) in 1927. He served in various roles associated with supplies until the outbreak of the Second World War, at which point he joined the Directorate of Contracts as Deputy Assistant Director. He then became Assistant Director of Purchase before moving the the Indian Government's Food Department where he helped to deal with the Bengal famine of 1943. On his retirement from the army upon the partition of India, he joined the UK's High Commission in India, serving as acting Deputy High Commissioner before becoming Deputy High Commissioner in Calcutta in 1948. He retired from government service in 1952 and returned to the UK.
• General Sir Robert Biddulph, GCB, GCMG (1835 - 1918): He was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in1853 and served at the Siege of Sevastopol during the Crimean War, the Siege of Lucknow during the Indian Mutiny, and the Second Opium War. He became Assistant Adjutant-General at the War Office in 1879 and then High Commissioner and Commander in Chief of Cyprus. In 1886 he returned to the War Office to become Inspector General of Recruiting and later Director General of Military Education. He served briefly as Quartermaster-General before becoming Governor of Gibraltar in1893. In 1900 he was made Colonel-Commandant of the Royal Artillery before retiring two years later. In 1904 he became Army Purchase Commissioner.
• Major General George Frederick Campbell Bray (1826 - 1884): He was born in Tilbury Fort and joined the 39th Foot in 1844. He served as Assistant Adjutant-General in the 2nd Division during the Abyssinian Expedition (1867 to 1868) and by 1870 he was a Lieutenant-Colonel with the 66th Foot. From 1872 to 1873 he served as Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General in Bombay before being placed on half-pay in 1878. He then returned to full-time service later that year and served as Assistant Adjutant-General and Quartermaster-General to the Southern District from 1878 to 1883.
• Admiral James Crawford Caffin, KCB (1812–1883): He was born in Woolwich and joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman in 1824. Her served aboard HMS Cambrian during the Battle of Navarino and survived her sinking in 1828. He passed his examination for lieutenant in 1831 and after undertaking a gunnery course at HMS Excellent, he served for two years as a gunnery-mate before being promoted to the rank of lieutenant in 1838. He then returned to HMS Excellent and became a Commander in 1842. After a short spell at the Royal Naval College, Portsmouth, he was part of a small team that investigated the possible use of bomb-carrying unmanned balloons before joining the commission that looked at the relative merits of paddle wheel and screw-powered ships. In 1847 he became a Post Captain, and during the Crimean War he commanded HMS Penelope when the Royal Navy attacked Bomarsun and HMS Hastings during the bombardment of Sveaborg. After the war he became Director-General of Naval Ordnance and Vice-President of the War Office’s Ordnance Select Committee. In 1858 he was appointed Director of Stores in the War Department, an office which he held until he retired in 1868.
• Colonel George Wingate, CIE (1852 - 1936): Father of Rachel Orde Wingate and Major General Orde Charles Wingate. He joined the British Indian Army in 1871 and served with the Naga Hills Expedition (1879 – 1880), the Chitral Relief Force on the Northwest Frontier (1895), and with the Tochi Field Force (1897 – 1898). He was became a Colonel in 1902 and was appointed Inspector-General of Supply and Transport in India. He was also well-known as an amateur botanist.
• General Frederick Alexander Campbell (1819 - 1893): Born in Woolwich, he was Superintendent of the Royal Gun Factory from 1863 to 1875.

On a previous visit in 2016 we had noted other famous and distinguished people who were buried in the cemetery, including:

• Peter Barlow (1776 – 1862): An English mathematician and physicist who served as assistant mathematics master at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and who won the prestigious Copley Medal.

• William Henry Barlow (1812 – 1902): One of Peter Barlow’s two sons. He became a renowned the civil engineer who competed Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge.
• Sir Geoffrey Callender (1875 – 1946): He was an important English naval historian, who served as a Head of the History Departments at the Royal Naval College, Osborne and Dartmouth Royal Naval College before becoming the first Professor of History at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich.
• George Cooper (1844 –1909): He was a London County Council councillor and the Member of Parliament for Bermondsey. He supported the extension of the franchise to women and helped to develop the famous People’s Budget.
• William Clark Cowie (1849 – 1910): A Scottish engineer, mariner, and businessman who helped establish British North Borneo.
• Sir William Cunningham Dalyell of the Binns, 7th Baronet (1784 – 1865): He was wounded over sixteen times in various actions during the Napoleonic Wars, was a prisoner of war in France from 1805 until 1813, and later served as Captain of Greenwich Hospital.
• Lieutenant General Sir William George Shedden Dobbie, GCMG, KCB, DSO (1879 – 1964): Served during the Second Boer War as well as the First and Second World Wars. He was the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Malta during the siege.
• Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Hastings Lascelles, DSO, MID, Legion d’Honneur (1880 - 1919): Commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery, he served - and was wounded - during the Second Boer War. After commanding a battery during the early years of the Great War, served on the Staff of the Cavalry Corps and was Commandant of 4th Army Artillery School. He died of heart failure after contracting 'flu during the 1919 pandemic.
• Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Walter Milward, CB (1826 -1874): Inventor of a lightweight steel cannon, he was an ADC to Queen Victoria, and served as Superintendent of the Royal Laboratory, Woolwich, for nearly five years.
• General Sir Charles Edward Nairne (1836 – 1899): He was commissioned into the Bengal Artillery in 1855 and saw service during the Indian Mutiny, the Second Afghan War, and the Anglo-Egyptian War. Her served as Inspector-General of Artillery in India, Commander of a District in Bengal, and became Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army, ending his career as acting Commander-in-Chief, India during 1898.
• Admiral Sir Watkin Owen Pell (1788 – 1869): Served under Lord Nelson and later became a Superintendent of Dockyards and a Commissioner of Greenwich Hospital.
• Admiral George James Perceval, 6th Earl of Egmont (1794 – 1874): He was a midshipman at the Battle of Trafalgar (aged 11) and took part in the Bombardment of Algiers. He was the nephew of Spencer Perceval, the only British Prime Minister to have been assassinated.
• Lieutenant Colonel Victor Henry Sylvester Scratchley, DSO, OBE (1870 - 1936): Served with the King's Royal Rifle Corps and saw action in the Boer War. During the First World War, he served as Deputy Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General, Territorial Force Reserve.
• Sir John Maryon–Wilson (1802 – 1876): A land owner and early conservationist who helped preserve Hampstead Heath from development.
• Rachel Orde Wingate (1901 – 1953): She was an English linguist and missionary to Xinjiang in Western China, where she served with the Swedish Missionary Society.
• Major General Orde Charles Wingate, DSO and two bars (1903 – 1944): Nephew of Sir Reginald Wingate, he was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1923, and transferred to the Sudan Defence Force in 1927. He went to Palestine in 1936 as an intelligence officer, and by 1938 he had organised the Special Night Squads to counter increasing Arab sabotage. In late 1940 he helped to raise and lead Gideon Force, a guerrilla force that helped to defeat the Italians in Ethiopia and East Africa. He later created the 'Chindits', a jungle long-range penetration unit in Burma. He was killed in an air crash in Burma and his body was buried at Arlington Cemetery, Washington, U.S.A.

Other people's Portable Wargames

It is some time since I managed to put together a selection of other people's PORTABLE WARGAMEs ... and there are some stunning and inspiring examples out there that need to be better know,

Emeritus Professor Charles Esdaile

The first picture shows an action between Romans and Caledones, ...

... the second one between Romans and Sarmatians, ...

... and the third one between French and British forces in Canada in 1759.

The battlefields are sheets of green-coloured foam card, and the scenery and figures were copied from the Junior-General site.

Mike Lewis

Mike Lewis put on a demonstration of the rules at the Cavalier wargame show using his wonderful 54mm glossy toy soldiers and MDF terrain ... including the marvelous Fort Pippin!

Larry Casey

Larry has been fighting a campaign set in Sicily and southwestern tip of Italy since the end of January.

He based his campaign on Mark Cordone's HOPLITE 3 x 3 Portable Wargame system. To date he has fought a battle near Syracuse, ...

... the Battle of Zancle, ...

... a naval battle off Gela, ...

... the Battle of Akragas, ...

... the Battle of Cumae, ...

... the Battle of Heraclea, ...

... and the Battle of Katane.

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Please note that the photographs shown above are © Emeritus Professor Charles Esdaile, Mike Lewis, and Larry Casey.