More WIP.

Hi All
Some more WIP pics. This time a 'Character' from the Yarra Militia and a Kettle Drummer from the Royal Mounted Band. I'm sure you can figure out who is who,...

Both are EUREKA MINIATURES sculpts.

Cheers

1st and 2nd VDL Legion Battalions Painted

ABOVE: The Battalion Colour of the 2nd Battalion of the VDL Legion.
Hi
It's been a while since I've posted to this BLOG, but here is my latest offering. I've painted both battalions of the Van Demon's Land Legion. Miniatures are from EUREKA MINIATURES 28mm "Age Of Reason" range, and Flags are from MAVERICK MODELS; based on my designs.
I can't recommend Maverick Models high enough. Excellent flags at an excellent price, AND Stuart will make flags based on YOUR designs back up with excellent service! What more could you want?
BELOW: 2nd Battalion as seen from behind

BELOW: 2nd Battalion from the front. The Flag on the right (as you see it) is the Battalion Flag, whilst the one on the left is the Standard of Princess Mathilda. It's customary in the Army of The Holy Mormoanick Kingdom Of New Wales for members of the Royal Family to allow units to take their Personal Standards into battle.

BELOW: The business end of the 1st Battalion of the VDL Legion! Here we see Drummer Kane and the Personal Standard of Princess Hayley. The VDL's two Battalions have the honour of carrying into battle the Personal Standards of two Princess's in the same battle. The Battle in question was the Battle of Orange Hill, (more on this later). The 1snt and 2nd Battalions of the VDL are sometimes called "The Sister's Legion"

BELOW: A close up of Princess Hayley's Standard and The 1st Battalion Colour

BELOW: 1st Battalion as seen from behind (top) and front (bottom).

BELOW: Drummer Kane beats out a tune for the boys!

Sorry for the poor quality of the pictures. Feel free to leave a comment.

Cheers

Characters! Part 1

Above: General Zillmann (l) and King Phillip I (r)

Hi All
It's been a couple of months since I've been able to add to the blog.
Rest assured, I intend to keep it going.
In the meantime, here are some pictures of three of the characters from the HMKoNW
Below: King Phillip I in his regal robes


Below:General Zillmann

Below: Drummer Kane in the uniform of the Van Demon's Land Legion.

You can read more of Drummer Kane here.

Kane started his military service in the Clairmont Militia, until he transfered to "The Legion" in 1736. Was it better pay, the uniform, or a certain camp follower by the name of "Saucy Sally" that attracted him to "The Legion"?

The miniatures of The King and General Zillmann are from the OLD GLORY "Duelist" set that I received with my OG ARMY CARD membership.

Drummer Kane is from EUREKA MINIATURES.

I called Nic at Eureka and asked if he had in his extensive range of miniatures a negro drummer.

He didn't, but un-daunted he actually made "Kane" for me by using the body from his Provincial Regulars range and a head from one of his "Natives", (not sure on what specific range).

How's that for customer service!

Cheers!

The Yarra Militia takes delivery of a New Colour!

Hi Folks

The CO of the Yarra Militia has just taken delivery of two; (count them; 2) new Regimental Colours.

In true Militia tradition he has asked the troops to vote on which "Colour" they want to carry.

Please cast your vote for either:

A) The RED flag,

or

B) The BLUE flag.

You can see the Regiment in question HERE!

THANKS!!!

(Vote by place in comment simply saying "BLUE" or "RED".

The Army Flags: Part Two (The Militia)

Where as the Royal Army has set regulations for it's Colours, the Militia has taken a very liberal approach to the procurement if it's flags.
Basically the design of the flags are approved by the Regimental CO, with final approval to come from the King. This is rarely done however, with the King often seeing a particular Militia Regiment's flag for the first time when either conducting an inspection or on the field of battle!
Militia Regiments carry only one flag, a "Regimental" or "Colonel's" Colour.
Flags are often designed by an individual from the regiment, (and sometimes the wife of the CO, RSM, 2IC etc). Occasionally they are a collective effort, such as the Clairmont Militia's Regimental Colour. Their colour was selected by vote after the CO ran a compitition. The Best design (as voted on by the Officers and RSM) would earn the budding "Artist" an extra seven rations of Rum!
Consequently some of the most bizarre and / or impressive flags belong to the Militia Regiments.
Example of some are below:

Mormoan Militia: Part 1 (continued)

The Van Demon's Land Legion: Like many nations everywhere, The Holy Mormoan Kingdom of New Wales authorized the raising of Militia units, (Regiments, Battalions, Legions etc) very early in their history. The unit we will look at today is the Van Demon Legion

NAME: The Van Demon's Land Legion
Date Raised: 21 March 1731

MOTTO: "Ready, Aye, Ready"
Unofficial Motto: "The Good Die Young".
Nicknames:"The Demons", "and “The Devil's Parrots"
Battle Honours: "Cadbury Hill 1733", "Launceston 1734", "Van Demon's Land Campaign" .
Brief History: In 1730 King Michael sent his Brother, Grand Duke Colin with 3000 subjects and 500 troops to establish a colony on a large Island south of the mainland called Van Demon's Land. This became known as The Grand Duchy of Van Demon's Land. The 500 troops Grand Duke took with him were predominantly men that had recently arrived from the “Old World” (the British Nth American colonies). These men, (and their families), were keen to prove their worth . As we know, these men formed the Clairmont Militia

Grand Duke Colin soon realised that a second Regiment would be required, and proclaimed that "A body of fine young men is required to be raised to assist in the protection of the Island Colony of Van Demon's Land".

Consequently the Legion was raised from the sons of those men who were serving in the Clairmont Militia, (and had been to young to join at the time of that regiments formation), and young gentry who had sailed to Van Demon's Land several months later in search of land to make their own.

As a result the average age of the "Rank and File" was quite young, (only 18 years).

Also, there was initially a shortage of uniforms and weapons, so they had to initially drill with spears! Additionally the only coats they initially could get were made from green cloth and quite large, as they were originally meant for the Clairmont Militia, who rejected them in favour of their Brown uniforms.

When the unit drilled or performed "exercises" (manouvers) the soldiers were often mocked by the "old Hands" in the Clairmont Militia; "This island is to small for two Regiments, and you parrots are too small for our hand-me-down coats"!!!

This is why the "Parrots" are a Legion. Their CO, an young officer named Daniel Dunbar replied one morning whislt they drilled, "Those old farts are right, this island is indeed to small for another Regiment, but we are a Legion"!!!

Like the Clairmont Militia, This Regiment fought at relief of Fort Clairmont in 1735, where they supported the Clairmont Militia well, but as they didn't fire a single shot, this isn't a Battle Honour for them.

Regimental anecdotes and traditions:

The first time the Legion saw action was at Cadbury hill when they were marching with the Maiden Guard, but somewhat to the rear. When the Natives attacked the Adjutant of the Maiden Guard rode up to the Legion an exclaimed, "The Maiden's are engaging the natives, will the Legion be able to support us"?

Major Dunbar replied "Aye Ma'am, we are ready! The good die young"!

Drummers in the Legion wear "Reversed Colours" as seen below:

Mormoan Militia (Part 1 continued)

The Clairmont Militia
Like many nations everywhere, The Holy Mormoan Kingdom of New Wales authorized the raising of Militia units, (Regiments, Battalions, Legions etc) very early in their history. The unit we will look at today is the Clairmont Militia:
NAME: The Clairmont Militia
Date Raised: 8 January 1726

MOTTO: "PER ARDUA" (Through Adversity)
Unofficial Motto: "We Hail From Struggletown".
Nicknames:"The Black Swans", “ Rawling's Swans” or "Kane's Geese"
Battle Honours: "Cadbury Hill 1733", "Launceston 1734", "Relief of Fort Clairmont 1735", "Van Demon's Land Campaign" and "Vinegar Hill1738".
Brief History: In 1730 King Michael sent his Brother, Grand Duke Colin with 3000 subjects and 500 troops to establish a colony on a large Island south of the mainland called Van Demon's Land. This became known as The Grand Duchy of Van Demon's Land. The 500 troops Grand Duke took with him were predominantly men that had recently arrived from the “Old World” (the British Nth American colonies). These men, (and their families), were keen to prove their worth .

These colonists had endured great deprivations to arrive in New Wales. They left the North American colonies due to religious persecution, and had lost over a third of their number on rout due to attacks from French and Spanish "supported" pirates, and severe storms at sea.

Prior to their movement to Van Demon's Land the new colonists, (including some 178 retired Royal Army soldiers) formed a Militia Regiment under the command of one Joseph Rawlings, who had been a well to do farmer back in the American Colonies. Consequently he had the funds and inclination to raise a Militia Regiment of 500 muskets. Rawlings was smart enough to draw all his NCOs and many of his Officers from the 178 ex-regulars. Consequently his Regiment was one of the finest and best drilled Militia units in the service of the King.

Initially they called themselves "Rawling's Regiment of Foot", but after they arrived in Van Demon's Land on 6 February 1730, re-named themselves The Clairmont Militia after the settlement they established.

The Regiment fought particularly well at the relief of Fort Clairmont in 1735, where it was heavily engaged against musket and spear armed natives who were supporting two battalions of the "French Pacific Island Company" (FPIC).

Regimental anecdotes and traditions:

When the Regiment formed in 1726, one of the drummers was a negro boy named Kane, (he was a runaway slave who had been with the Regiment's RSM since fleeing from a Virginian plantation). Whilst on a training march the Regiment stopped near a small lake and observed some Black Swans. Never having seen swans other that the white variety, one of the Soldiers commented that "...them thar geese are as black as Kane".

Drummer Kane rallied the Regiment at Cadbury Hill in 1733, when despite serious wounds stepped forward of the firing line in full view of his faltering regiment and beat the tune "STAND TOO". Suitably inspired, the regiment repulsed the enemy's charged with a devastatling volley and the bayonet, when many thought the regiment was on the verge of breaking into rout. They drove their opposite numbers from the field of battle. The Senior Drummer of the Regiment is always a Black Drummer. Kane later transfered to the Van Demon's Land Legion as Senior Drummer and helped train the drummers in the new Battalion!

Some Eye Candy

Hi all

Here are some pictures of work in progress, (near complete) of some New Wales Units.

I say "near complete, as I still need to add to the Militia their Colour (flag) and a bit more "ground scatter" to the bases.

First (above), we have two pictures of the now "Based" Raechel's Troop of the Maiden Guard. Below we have three pictures of the YARRA MILITIA, (or "Raggity Anns" as they have been nick-named). The miniatures are a mix of PERRY MINIATURES (AWI range), OLD GLORY (AWI), and EUREKA MINIATURES, ("Ragged Continentals"). I only wish I could paint well enough to do the figures justice. The PERRY and EUREKA figures are little works of art. OLD GLORY can be a bit "hit or miss" in my opinion.

Fortunatly for me, the OLD GLORY AWI Range of figures is one of their better lines.

Mormoan Militia (Part 1)

The Yarra Militia
Like many nations everywhere, The Holy Mormoan Kingdom of New Wales authorized the raising of Militia units, (Regiments, Battalions, Legions etc) very early in their history. Many of the Militia units actually have a longer "Regimental" history than any of the Royal Army units.
The unit we will look at today is the Yarra Militia:
NAME: The Yarra Regiment Militia
Date Raised: 21 January 1680
MOTTO: "Second to None"
Unofficial Motto: "First To Fight".
Nicknames:"The Paupers", "Raggity Anns".
Battle Honours: "The Hostile Wars", "Port Philip 1728", and "Vinegar Hill1738".
Brief History: When the Mormoan colonists declared themselves to be a "Free and Independent Holy Republic", they expected that before too long the mother country would send troops to forcibly "return them to the fold". Consequently the Mormoans started forming militia "units" to defend themselves. One of the first units to be raised was the Yarra Regiment militia.
The Regiment was raised on the banks of the Yarra River, (hence the name), by colonists that had established a successful trading "hub" at the southern tip of the continent. When the expected British army failed to show, there was talk of disbanding the militia units; however, conflict with the natives (and occasionally Neue Sudland mercenary units in the pay of the natives and "unfriendly" old world governments), ensured their ongoing service.
The Regiment first saw action during the "Hostile Wars" when they marched off on a "punitive" strike against a native Warband that had attacked a few of the sheep stations established nearby.
Due to their Command Officer's insistence that they "travel light" the men only packed one uniform, (the one they were wearing). As a result, when the Regiment returned six months later, they were wearing rags. The locals were so shocked at the appearance of the regiment some offered them coins as the march back into town. Others mocked them and called the "Raggity Anns". The Regiments CO at the time was one Major Eboneza Ann
Regimental anecdotes and traditions: The Yarra Regiment Militia believe they were the first "military" unit raised by the colonists, (they were not; the first unit raised was "The New Wales Artillery"); hence the Yarra's motto, "Second to None".
The Yarra's initial motto was "First To Fight". Their Regimental colour (flag) bares both mottos.