Saturday 22 March 2014

The British are coming...43rd Monmouthshire Regiment

Ready for action - the 43rd prepare to deliver a withering volley with an additional +1.  Thanks Dr. Brown!

Well the first of the British Regiments has now hit the table thanks to the wonderful skills of good friend Nathan at Lonely Gamers at the wonderful castings that he sells from Elite Miniatures.

For those new to the blog, a big project of mine is getting the Light Division up and running for some lovely General De Brigade Napoleonic gaming with my boys.  We have set a gaming day at the the NWS on April 5th as the first venture of ours in the Peninsular as a team and we are all very much looking forward to it, me especially!!



Another view of the lads.  GMB flags that need their edges painted in and
Front Rank finials.  Such animation in these castings.
 The 43rd were part of one of the genuinely elite formations that fought in any theatre of war during this period.  Comprising elements of the 43rd, 52nd, 95th Rifles (often fighting in closed ranks with two battalions), the Portuguese 1st and 3rd Cacadores, KGL Hussars and Royal Horse Artillery.  In addition having the Portuguese 17th and 20th line regiments attached as well.



The distinctive "unofficial" scarlet pelisse on officers of this regiment stood it apart.

The 43rd also were different from the run of the mill uniforms of the other light regiments by having their officers elegant additional apparel.  According to Haythornwaite in his excellent "Uniforms of the Peninsular War" Captain Hobkirk reputedly spent an additional 1000 pounds a year on his uniform and when captured by the French in 1813 was mistaken for a general by none other than Marshall Soult!

I think we all agree that they do look rather resplendent on the field and should prove a stiff opposition to those dastardly French.
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15 comments:

  1. Vinnie22 March 2014 at 20:10

    Nice work Carlo the boys are looking very sharp. I hope they do well in their first engagement.

    Regards

    Nathan

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  2. Phil C22 March 2014 at 21:46

    gosh...the miniatures look great! plus the flags... marvelous!

    cheers,
    Phil

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    Replies
    1. Carlo22 March 2014 at 23:12

      Thanks Phil - absolutely love Grahames work at GMB and he is such a good egg! Great bloke to deal with and those flags do look the business!

      Delete
  3. Carlo22 March 2014 at 23:10

    Thanks Nathan - hope the basing does them justice. Really nice job on the painting mate.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Gonsalvo23 March 2014 at 10:57

    Wonderful looking troops - love the officer in Pelisse, evidently part of a regimental competition to see who could outspend whom!

    Peter

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    Replies
    1. Carlo23 March 2014 at 23:22

      Hi Peter,

      Sounds like a few wargamers I have known in my days!!

      Cheers

      Carlo

      Delete
  5. James Fisher24 March 2014 at 08:36

    Good looking unit Carlo; pity that they are in red uniforms though (hehe!)

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    Replies
    1. Carlo24 March 2014 at 15:40

      Thanks Fish - that's why I will be leading the French and Italians! As you know Cookie, Marty and Steve all have French and I haven't been able to get my own bots in blue on the table for decades!!!

      Delete
  6. Anonymous24 March 2014 at 15:09

    Hi Carlo

    Just awesome. I really wanted to see more of these Elite figures than the pics on Elite Minis site (both the UK and Aus versions) and these are just the job. I have done the 43rd in Victrix plastic. A decision I kind of wish I had not made. While they look good I fear for their safety on the board. Call me paranoid but those bayonets are awfully fragile.
    https://woolshedwargamer.wordpress.com/2013/07/04/43rd-monmouthshire-light-infantry-28mm-victrix/
    Maybe another battalion of the 43rd in metal is in order :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Carlo24 March 2014 at 15:42

      Thanks Brian. BTW I love visiting your site and your Connoisseur Spanish are sensational. Agree on the figures being on manufacturers web sites as it is hard to get a real feel for what one actually looks like. Even the old line drawings in the older style Redoubt Catalogues was better than nothing. Bethany's for your kind comments.

      Delete
  7. Vinnie24 March 2014 at 16:58

    Carlo I think you might find that the majority of Brian's Spanish are in fact good old Elite Miniatures.....shame on you for not recognising them Old Boy.

    Regards

    Nathan

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous25 March 2014 at 16:28

      They sure are. I love painting those March Attack Spanish infantry. Getting another Elite order together to see me over the winter months...

      Delete
  8. Carlo24 March 2014 at 17:03

    Sorry Nathan completely had a brain fade - beautiful Elite figures. About to send a few battalions of my Connoisseur Spanish off to get painted and if they are half as good as your old Division that you sold to Dean all those years ago I wil be very happy!!

    Cheers

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  9. Vinnie24 March 2014 at 19:42

    I will forgive you mate....Those old Spanish were not that good my new Front Rank were the bomb

    Thanks Carlo

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    Replies
    1. Carlo24 March 2014 at 21:01

      Mate - I simply adored those old Spanish of yours - still have a few old fashioned photographs of them in action at MOAB down in Sylvania all those years ago.

      Delete

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