Amongst the figures that I recently purchases on eBay were some Essex Miniatures figures in the khaki drill-coloured uniforms worn by the British troops in the Sudan. I decided that they would make an excellent basis for a Belle Époque Commonwealth of Britannia expeditionary force ... and they have!
The following units form what I am calling the Britannic Expeditionary Field Force (BEFF), which currently includes two infantry regiments, ...
... a field artillery regiment, ...
... and a supply column.
It also has its own general/commander:
The complete BEFF looks like this:
I would like to add a machine gun unit of some sort to the BEFF although this might be better added to the existing naval brigade as I have several suitable figures in naval uniform as well as a very nice model of a Nordenfelt gun in my box of Belle Époque-related bits and pieces.
Hello Bob,
ReplyDeleteThey look just the ticket! Will they be acquiring a mounted contingent? The more I see the 3 figure bases the better I like them - I shall be using the same convention for the Mike’s Models collection (amongst other things!).
All the best,
DC
David Crook,
DeleteCheers! I hope to find some suitable cavalry to add to the BEFF in due course.
I think that three figures per infantry base looks right … probably because I am used to seeing infantry march in ranks of three.
Good luck with Mike’s Models project.
All the best,
Bob
Another fine little force Bob.
ReplyDeleteMaudlin Jack Tar,
DeleteI’m really enjoying renovating, varnishing, and basing these figures … and will be adding some more soon,
All the best,
Bob
BOB,
ReplyDeleteAn excellent set of figures- a nice little army for sure- I really like the khaki uniforms- 15mm ESSEX figures are superb. Cheers. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteI like the poses used by Essex Miniatures. They don’t have too much detail and I find them reasonably easy to paint. I also wanted to use khaki drill uniforms for the BEFF because it was a nice contrast from the Home Service (i.e. red and blue) uniforms worn by the rest of the army.
All the best,
Bob
That is quite a world you are building. This is a particularly attractive little formation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and David, and find the 3-figure foot and 2-figure horsed stands, with 2-stand units not only look good, but are handier - more flexible - as well. I do like my fours and threes, but can't make them into 2-stand units.
Ten years ago I could not have believed just how much fun could be got out of late 19th Century style armies!
Cheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeleteFor some reason, I think that the stand sizes I’ve ended up with seem to work aesthetically … and if it looks right, it probably is right. Mind you, I like the look of your four-figures infantry stands and could easily have chosen something similar.
I think that the late nineteenth century appeals because it was an age when armies wore both colourful and drab uniforms, sometimes at the same time! The weaponry was also fairly uniform, there were lots of short and/or little wars - including colonial ones - and armies had sufficient national differences to make them interesting to recreate on the tabletop.
Deciding to pursue my Belle Époque project was the best wargaming decision that I’ve made in quite some time.
All the best,
Bob
Another great addition to the array, Bob 👍🏼. The basing really sets off the figures well.
ReplyDeleteMartin S.,
DeleteThe basing is very simple, and one I’ve been using for some time. It’s simple and effective, and doesn’t look out of place on most types of terrain.
All the best,
Bob
Coming along nicely.
ReplyDeleteRob Young,
DeleteCheers! I have a couple more units to add that I am currently working on.
All the best,
Bob