Victorian heroes

The modeller in me wants to feature significant personalities individually or as part of vignettes. Apart from the obvious people – commanders such as Lieutenant-General Sir Gerald Graham and Vice-Admiral William Hewett – I have ideas for characters ranging from Colonel Frederick Burnaby, who needs no introduction, to Private Thomas Edwards of the Black Watch (the Royal Highlanders).

Fred Burnaby is well underway, but today I thought to add Captain Arthur Wilson, a hero of second El Teb. Wilson was captain of HMS Hecla, a depot ship. During the campaign against the Egyptians in 1882 his Naval Brigade ratings improvised protection of wood, plate, and sand bags for a locomotive and rolling stock, and mounted an Armstrong 40pdr RBL gun on a railway carriage. Just over a year-and-a-half later, during the second battle of El Teb in 1884, Wilson won his VC in the thick of the action around a Naval Brigade battery, engaging Dervish warriors in single combat.

I had a suitably animated officer from the Perry Miniatures’ Naval Brigade command code (SB14), but he had no beard! Now I am no sculptor, but a few minutes with a very small quantity of Milliput gave a passable result.

Captain Arthur Wilson’s record at VC Online
Link

The improvised armed train, Alexandria 1882, inspiration for a planned modelling project.

Wilson in the thick of it at second El Teb, February 29, 1884.

Now he has a beard this figure will pass for Captain Arthur Wilson, ready to pitch into the defence of a Naval Brigade battery. He’s in good company with Colonel Frederick Burnaby.