The second anniversary of my blog

Firstly, happy new year. It’s two years since my first post here, and what a couple of years we have all had. Against the backdrop of a global pandemic I have collected some 5,794 page views and six followers, although I cannot imagine that these six are responsible for all those page views. Limits to personal freedom and movement weren’t all bad though, as these circumstances enncouraged downtime focused on my Sudan project.

I thought it time to take stock. I work slowly, seeming to spend a lot of time on research and modelling (the Gatling gun limber model is a very good example of this), and not enough time actually painting miniatures.

All the same, I seem to have got quite a bit done, including a handful of scenic items comprising buildings, a fortification, supplies, barricades, trees, shrubs, and thorn bush.

The Mahdists are ahead in terms of finished miniatures, with a rub comprising a camel mounted band, two bands armed with spears and swords, a band armed with rifles, and a command group. Another rifle-armed band and a brass gun battery are finished (both destined to join the main command group. (I don’t think ‘flags’ as such were a form of organisation deployed by Osman Digna.)

Within a few weeks I should have added another Naval Brigade contingent (from HMS Hecla) and a RMLI company (from HMS Carysfort) to the Empire forces.

My first rub, which I have dubbed the Blue Rub because of the blue accent to the flags.

Mahdist brass gun battery; it’s very likely that the guns were spoils of the disastrous Hicks Pasha expedition.

A second rifle-armed band.

Naval Brigade contingent with Gatling gun battery, deployed by HMS Carysfort. Colonel Fred Burnaby is ready for anything at the front, while Melton Prior sketches at the rear.

Medical Staff Corps Number 3 Field Hospital.

A strong point built to protect the construction of the Suakin to Berber railway … a whole other project waiting in the wings.

Three buildings at this scale seems like plenty … but we shall see.

Medical Staff Corps: No3 Field Hospital

Casualties are inevitable, from enemy action, disease, illness, and injury, so I decided to include a small Medical Staff Corps unit.

No3 Field Hospital was one of four which served Graham’s Suakin Expeditionary Force in 1885. It was commanded by Surgeon Major Edward Riordan, assisted by Surgeon Abraham William Bate and Surgeon Robert Colquhon Johnston.

There’s more interesting information here:
British Army Medical Services and the Malta Garrison,
1799–1979

Inspiration for this ensemble was provided by Frederic Villiers’ drawing of the aftermath of Abu Klea, for The Graphic, a section of which is shown above. I assembled small barricades from various items, some of which are WWII stores for armoured vehicles. These will have lots of uses, of course. Perry Miniatures’ figures and Renedra tents.

Basing and scenics

Off-and-on this week I’ve made quite a bit of progress, to the point that I envisage having a number of items finished before the bank holiday weekend is over.

Apart from progress with basing figures, I sorted something which had been nagging since I assembled the Renadra 108mm two-story house: the thinness of the walls, especially when compared to the (very much better) mud brick house.

Quite a few based figures ready for the application of various grasses. The Naval Brigade Gatling gun crews are varnished and ready to base, which I am really looking forward to doing.

A bit of balsa and household filler sorted the appearance of the Renedra two story house. Just a bit of weathering to add and the base to finish.

Terrain: dwellings, trees, and hills

After getting out my terrain boards and ordering some additional features, I have pressed on with modelling hills and making more small trees.

I’m quite excited about the new terrain boards (sad, I know), which will provide a set of narrow boards for extending the gaming area. There will also be a wadi, a feature exploited successfully by the Madists on more than one occasion.

Six of the eight boards I have, all 610mm x 610mm (2' x 2'). The new boards are half this width, which will provide quite a bit of flexibility length-wise and width-wise.

The Renedra mud brick houses. I joined the short wall sections to make a longer feature.

Acacia trees, getting that windswept look …

… I’ve planted a few more … picture wire and clump foliage.

I’m re-modelling a couple of old Tiger Terrain hills with polystyrene, Polyfilla, and cork, to give a rocky appearance and more elevation …

… with scree slopes …

Scenic progress

Following a post to the Colonial Wargaming group on Facebook I had a bit of a breakthrough: I discovered that the manufacturer of my terrain boards was Total System Scenic, and I am now in discussion with them about the production of the new modules I would like.

Having looked at the costs of purchasing raw materials it is clear that it will be less expensive to have TSS make the new modules. I have eight 610mm x 610mm boards at the moment, and I am considering four or six new modules 610mm x 305mm, which will provide quite a bit of flexibility while increasing the playing area.

I want a wadi, and I think this could occupy two or three modules. The others may be undulating ground, that is smooth small hills (rather than TSS’s terraced style).

While I work this out I have been making a bit of progress with some of the scenic items. I have based the mud brick houses and painted the low barricades. I’ve based the Medical Staff Corps tents and the small trees too. The next stage is to add various grades of sand and stones and a handful of tuffts, finally adding flock the edges to match my terrain boards. So much to do …

Renedra’s mud brick houses don’t look too shabby. I’ll add some domestic items such as pots to make them look inhabited.

Low barricades assembled from an assortment of crates, tarpaulins, and sandbags.

More Beja, and mud brick houses

I had a bit of time over the last two days to make some progress with my project, so I decided to get stuck in to the plastic Ansar.

I have three boxes of Perry Miniatures’ plastic Mahdist warriors, and assembly looked like a daunting task. Nevertheless, once underway I discovered pleasure in scanning the sprues for likely head, arm, and weapon options, and satisfaction as each unique figure emerged while the liquid cement dried.

The next Beja band, armed with swords and spears. Some will have shields added once the figure has been painted.

One of the joys of the plastic sets is the alternatives which are possible. I assembled two commander figures, but the first (left) looked a little too ‘come and ‘ave a go if you think you’re ‘ard enough’, so I assembled another which looked the part for the headlong charge.

The mud brick houses are beginning to shape up, but there is still a bit of finessing to do.

Happy New Year!

Once again I begin the year full of good intentions. Having managed to get spome momentum into the project I am a bit more optimistic for progress this year, even with demanding professional commitments. At least I have almost finished decorating the interior of my house!

My plan is a modest one: to paint all the figures I currently have before ordering more. It’s likely that assembling (literally in the case of the three boxes of plastic figures that I have) the Mahdist hoards becomes an on-going task parallel to any other parts of the project.

A little more progress …

Small two story house

I had a bit of time today so turned my hand to the small two story house. It’s quite different to the mud brick house, having a more refined render; perhaps it will be inhabited by a tribal leader.

The fit of parts wasn’t as bad as the mud brick house, but some filling at the corners is necessary to give an impression of seamlessness. I eschewed the interior detail (a couple of rather nice moulded carpets and a sofa) and glued the roof on. I will repurpose the ladders, plate and pot, and a spare trap door.

A superior residence for a tribal leader … perhaps.

Coming apart at the seams

I was keen to see how Renedra’s little mud brick house would shape up. Firstly it’s not so little; secondly it’s not so easy to assemble.

The instructions on the back of the box suggest assembling the model upside down, walls first, then dropping the roof in at an angle, clicking it in to place. I made a dry fit of the parts and concluded a better approach would be to fit the walls together around the roof. Using liquid plastic cement this proved practical, allowing a little movement to achieve the best fit.

I am left wondering what was going on at Renedra when they assembled the test mouldings for this kit. The fit of the parts is not great. In fact the external staircase and small wall take no account of the undulations in the surfaces they are to attach to. This was disappointing in the light of my experience of their mouldings for Perry Miniatures. Nothing so bad that a little (or a lot of) filler cannot remedy. I also used some household filler to fill and match the texture of the moulded parts.

The roof is a slightly loose fit …

as are some of the walls …

remedied by a combination of ProCreate and Polyfilla. (I haven’t glued the stairs or small wall to the main structure yet.)

Christmas comes early

Renedra have a multi-buy offer on for their mud brick house, so I thought to take advantage of the saving.

I bought two and an accessories pack. I also bought a medium sized two story house and sand bags. The latter will be used for adding to field positions, detailing an armed train and a gunboat.

Enough to be going on with for the moment.

Medical Staff Corps field hospital

Since there are likely to be casualties I plan to include a field hospital as part of my field force. 

The 1885 Suakin Field Force’s medical support was organised as follows:

– Base Hospital

– Stationary Field Hospital

– No 3 Field Hospital

– No 2 Bearer Company

I shall field No3 Field Hospital under the command of Surgeon Major Edward Riordan, assisted by Surgeon Abraham William Bate and Surgeon Robert Colquuhon Johnston.

The field hospital vignette includes a small barricade, and I plan to make a small red cross flag. The tents are by Renedra, the figures are Perry Miniatures, and the barricade is fashioned from Fields of Glory WWII vehicle stowage sets.