Tommies in Tin Helmets.

BEF 1914 Great War Miniatures

Some of my latest Tommies from Great War Miniatures.

Painted up to represent the Rifle Brigade, 1914.

Painting the Great War. Why I do this.

I paint miniature figures depicting the armies of the Great War. Why? Well much has to do with Alf (left). He left England on Christmas Eve, 1914 on board the S.S. Oxonian. He died on 5th May, 1915, during the Second Battle of Ypres. He has no known resting place. His name appears on the Menin Gate. I met his sister. She was my wife's Grandmother. She died, aged 100, in 1998. Gran introduced me to this studio photograph of her brother.

In 2000, we got the family history bug and the National Archives allowed me to piece together Alf's movements from enlistment to death. Alf served with 1/12th County of London Regiment (The Rangers), a Territorial Rifle Regiment. Since then I've been fixated with the Great War.

I used to paint figures as a lad...but I grew up, stopped, met Sue, married, had children (two girls) and got a career. Eighteen months ago I found my old paint box and that was it. I began to paint again.

This blog (the eldest child laughed when I got home and said "Guess what? I've set up a blog!") is to chart what I paint.

Mark