Tuesday 30 December 2014

Reunited - more Grove and Benoy

Thanks to Harry who has kindly allowed the centre companies of the 33rd Foot to join their light company brethren at Vintage Wargaming Towers.

Previous VW posts about these figures can be accessed here

First off the gentlemen of the 33rd:


with apologies for the slightly wobbly photograph; then some horses (sadly no riders) showing wire bridles:


And then some guns, marked "heavy" and "demi-culverin", while clearly representing Gribeaval system pieces


While the horses are definitely Grove and Benoy, as shown by the clipped corner rectangular copper bases to which they are soldered, it is hard to be definite about the guns - they came from the same source, but I have not seen a photograph or description of them elsewhere. Garratt in Model Soldiers for the Comnnoisseur refers to Seamus Wade, on the sale of most of the figure to Allan Robinson-Sagar of Toronto retaining figures including infantry, cavalry, foot and horse artillery, bands, mules and wagons and the Duke of Wellintgton and a Spanish priest. Since mules and the Spanish priest are included in the other figures I acquired from the same source it seems likely these are part of Seamus Wade's collection and it is likely that these are the correct guns.

It would be very interesting to hear from anyone who has any of these figures or any photopgraphs of them.

Sunday 7 December 2014

BMSS Tactical Challenge Cup Final 1950


This is the report of the Tactical Challenge Cup Final of 1950 of the British Model Soldier Scoiety (BMSS) Wargames Section, written up in the Bulletin No 2 by Captain Sachs. The two finalists were Grant and Clayton. clayton is assumed to be A G Clayton, at the time both the Honorary Secretary of the BMSS and editor of its Bulletin. Whether Grant was Charles Grant is interesting to speculate but I have no idea whether he was involved with the BMSS at this time. The note to the article reports that Carl Reavley and a Mr Cass replayed this ngagement.

Thursday 4 December 2014

By Request


This is John Norris's Introduction to the Seven Years War article (Part 1) from Wargamer's Monthly magazine. So far it is uncertain that there ever was a part two, which is a shame as it would have covered the figures, rules and books available in 1977 for this conflict.

Wednesday 3 December 2014

Lost magazines - Wargamer's Monthly


Thanks to Harry for this curiosity - does anyone remember it? Edited by Sean O'Hogan, it was an attempt at a glossy wargames magazine, published in 1977. This is the only copy I have ever seen. Does anyone know any more, and whether it ever made it to a second issue? The editorial and list of contents are shown below.