Royal Engineers Balloon Detachment, Suakin, 1885.

I have had a desire to build this for quite some time. The figures are Perry Miniatures from the Sudan, Victoria's Little Wars and Mafeking ranges, both plastic and metal. Some have had headswaps. The two wagons are scratchbuilt, based on images of vehicles used by the RE School of Ballooning at Aldershot in the 1890s. The balloon itself is a 12cm polystyrene ball covered with the plastic netting that oranges are packed in. The whole project was great fun and I thoroughly enjoyed researching the exploits of Major James Lethbridge Brooke Templer (OC Balloon Detachment, Suakin). He is the figure on the ground in a blue patrol jacket holding binoculars. Lt Mackenzie, his second in command, is in the balloon basket.

The detachment was led by Maj. Templer RE, with Lt Mackenzie and eight other NCOs and Sappers. They took out with them three 13000cu/ft observation balloons, "Sapper", "Scout" and "Fly" and enough hydrogen in 9ft x 8ins cylinders to inflate a balloon twice. They also took with them a portable hydrogen production plant but due to a shortage of trained manpower, they never used it. Each balloon was made from goldbeater's skin which, as you all know, is made from the membranes of the intestines of Oxen. Each 13000cu/ft balloon was created using the intestinal membranes of 74000 oxen. Almost all of this material came from South America. Maj. Templer did not fly in a balloon in the Sudan. He made his last flight in a balloon in England in 1881. The balloon, involved in an experimental free flight, crashed on the coast on landing carrying one passenger, a Mr Powell, over a cliff to his death. Templer would go on to be a great advocate of military ballooning, becoming Lt Col. and Officer Commanding the School of Ballooning established at Aldershot in the early 1890s. He was accused (and acquitted) of passing on Ballooning Intelligence on the manufacture of military balloons to a foreign power (Italy) in the mid-1890s. The case collapsed. 

As this group will no doubt play a vital part in tabletop scenarios and also provide some table dressing, the decision was taken to add a splash of colour by painting them up in plain red frocks and blue trousers rather than grey serge.

Riverine Project 4.

The Turkish stern-wheeler and crew and now complete. The final model is quite large and so is somewhat difficult to photograph as it does not fit into my photography set-up, so please forgive the dodgy photos. The crew are sailors from the Oshiro Models Boxer Rebellion range, sculpted by Andy "Soapy" Dormer and a couple of American Sailors from Pulp Figures. I found three different references for Ottoman sailors' uniforms from WW1, one of which was the white rig, so I decided to paint the crew up in all three varients. The only conversion work was removing the visor from the officer's peaked cap.

Riverine Project 3.

WW1 Turkish Stern-wheeler and British Launch with gun barges now fully equipped with armaments, observation platforms and bits and pieces for the deck. The crews will follow shortly. I will be using British sailors from Pulp Figures and utilising the Oshiro Models Japanese Boxer Rebellion sailors as generic naval crew for the Turks.

Riverine project 2.

A few more images of the British Tigris Motor Launch (now named M34) and the two barges  carrying 4.7 inch guns and ammunition lockers. Just need the white ensign, deck clutter, a observation platform and a crew. This is based on a watercolour illustration to be found in "Sailor in the Desert", the memoir of Philip Gunn published by Pen and Sword.

Riverine Project 1.

A couple of of WIPs for you all to look at. These go alongside the Airboat on the previous post. The Sarissa MDF Stern wheeler kit, a Sarissa MDF River Launch, a couple of resin flat bottomed boats from ebay and some scratch built 4.7 inch naval guns. All destined for action on the Tigris, 1917-18. The armament on the stern wheeler still needs to be added along with a lightweight structure on the roof for artillery spotting, but I ain't worked out how to do this yet.

Airboat and another T. E.Lawrence.

Adrian sent me some photos... his usual modus operandi for giving me a creative prod. So, here we have a British Airboat for patrol along the Tigris, 1918.

I have also painted another Tactica 2108 Lawrence figure. Just like the last one but with a little more colour on the camel saddle furniture. 

The Big Push 2.

The new camera arrived yesterday so I had a good excuse to play with it and photograph the latest progress towards the display game at Colours, Newbury, this September. The Anti-aircraft theme continues with an Austrian Schwartzlose Machine Gun team from Scarab Miniatures and a Scratchbuilt (by Adrian Shepherd) pedestal mounted 75mm AA gun and crew (figures from Woodbine Designs and Perry Miniatures). We found a photograph of German "technical specialists" seemingly instructing a turkish crew with what appeared to be a French 75mm gun on a pedestal so Adrian replicated it. A few weeks ago I bought a battered Matchbox Models of Yesteryear 1911 Damiler for very little money. It was originally yellow and it just cried out to to be made into a Staff Car so here it is with a Driver from Warbases and a Staff Johnny, an Empress Miniatures SCW driver figure. The last session at the painting table saw the first of the French troops get some greenstuff added to their headgear to try to create something that looks a little like dismounted Spahis. I played around with some colour choices to get the distinctive French Khaki. By rights they should be wearing Adrian helmets by 1918 but a few figures with this distinctive headgear will add some visual interest. The mounted unit will follow eventually. While all this was going on, in the background, lurking, was a Russian band from Tsuba Miniatures. Instructions were to paint them up to add to an existing collection.... nothing to do with the Big Push but they were fun to paint.