Paddy Griffith remembered

The current edition of the Nugget, journal of Wargame Developments, is dedicated to memories of Paddy Griffith, and for this reason has generously been made available for free download by anyone.

If you are interested in reading some affectionate tributes to a larger than life and much missed character, who had a substantial and thought provoking impact both as an academic military historian and on wargaming, I would encourage you to browse it here.

Rospaks: Macedonian Phalangite

Among the figures resulting from a quick visit to Harry (see also Lone S Ranger for further details) was this single Rospak Macedonian Phalangite, from set AG 4, which seems to be quite rare.

Blog recommendation

I would like to point people in the direction of Tony's discursive new blog, Prometheus in Aspic, which I think is likely to be of interest to many readers of Vintage Wargaming.

Terry Wise: Building a Boer War Armoured Train, from Airfix Magazine July - September 1976

Typical of Terry Wise's modelling articles in Airfix Magazine, this series of three on modelling a Boer War armoured train was inspirational and very memorable. Thanks to Peter and Alan for providing the scans and attachments. The first two (of the first article) are not of the same quality as the others as they are derived from photos rather than scans, photoshopped for perspective correction and high pass sharpening.

Terry Wise's Observation Post: Battle is dead, long live Battle

This is Terry Wise's first Observation Post column in Military Modelling Magazine from Novemeber 1978, once Battle ceased independent publication
.

Paddy Griffith on Fortress Games

Drawing together a couple of recent themes - making some of Paddy Griffith's writings more accessible, and siege warfare - is this article from the Batttle for Wargamers Wargames Manual, of 1983. Billed as a Military Modelling Magazine Extra, this dated from after the incorporation of Battle for Wargamers into Military Modelling (of which more anon). Among other things the 82 pages included Steve Hezzlewood on the Boucharde Raid, John Bennett on Solo Wargaming, and Terrain for Wargamers by Terry Wise.

Rospaks

You might be forgiven for thinking hard plastic wargaming figures were invented by the Perry Twins, Valiant, Victrix, Wargames Factory, Plastic Soldier Company etc. Some us however might remember Springwood Plastics, the Esci hard plastic British Paratroopers, or the short lived Rospaks 25mm hard plastic Ancients figures.

This last range was available only briefly from December 1981 to October 1982 when they were withdrawn. I don't currently have a listing of them but I will look for some contemporary ads or reviews in due course. It is very difficult to find pictures of them so I thought it would be worthwhile and of interest to post some pictures, both of unopened packs and of some of the figures, both Romans and Greeks, below.

Rospaks: Romans

The seemingly very rare Roman legionary command figures


Roman legionaries - there is a second type of figure with separate arms


Auxiliary spearmen


Auxiliary archers


Roman cavalry

Rospaks: Ancient Greeks

The picture shows three different packs of Rospak Greeks - AG1 Greek Hoplites, AG 2a spear armed peltasts, and AG 3 Greek Cavalry. One of these packs is stamped on the reverse of the header card by the seller, Military Services (T S Walsh), 87 Ellacombe Road, Longwell Green, Bristol, B'tton 4085.

For a more detailed account of these figures take a look at Hugh Walter's post on his Small Scale World blog here.

I have a commercial interest in this post as I currently have some of the Greek figures available for sale, including bagged sets of hoplites (these are the later versions without shield transfers). I also have some loose hoplites, peltasts, archers and cavalry figures. If you are interested in buying any of these hard to find figures, you can contact me using the e-mail link in the right hand column on this page under Contact Vintage Wargaming (below the list of blog followers).

Operation Sealion as a wargame: Terry Wise from Airfix Magazine January 1976

French Foreign Legion Forts by Terry Wise, from Airfix Magazine Annual 6 1976

Terry Wise

The passing of Terry Wise has just been announced on TMP here.

I never met him, but was inspired by his books, rules, modelling articles in Airfix Magazine, and observation Post in Military Modelling (incorporating Battle). I also bought some books and figures from him through the catalogue he published from time to time. In my limited dealings with him he was always courteous - a real gentleman - and I am sure he will be missed by many.

His appearance as Wargamer's Newsletter Wargamer of the Month was posted earlier here. In the guise of Athena Books he was the publisher among many other titles of the compendium of Wargamer's Newsletter rules.

I shall be looking out for some appropriate material to post in tribute in the near future.

Lesser Known Wars - the Vendee

For those who appreciate the chance to war game less familiar conflicts, this article by Christopher Lance Scott from Wargamer's Newsletter #190 from January 1978 covers the War of the Vendee. Of more general interest is the insight provided by Don Featherstone's Editor's Note.

Omdurman June 1977

It seems to be Battle Report Week on VW this week so here is another, from Wargamer's Newsletter #189 of December 1977. It presents a June 1977 wargame of Omdurman put on by the Wargame Study Group of the Victorian Military Society at the Aldershot Army Show in June that year. The players were Staurt Asquith, Jack Alexander, and Ted Herbert, with Dave Langley umpiring.

(By the way, if anyone has a spare copy of Ted Herbert's Handbook for Colonial Wargamers I have been looking for one for several years...)

More David Barnes - the Battle of St Hilary 1808

This Napoleonic battle report appeared in Wargamer's Newsletter 187 in October 1977

The Battle on the River Elbow: Seven Years War, by David Barnes

This Seven Years War battle report by David Barnes appeared in Wargamer's Newsletter No 202 in January 1979. It is a good example of his illustations, including maps, portraits, and vignettes from the action.

Ton up

After a few weeks of watching the number of followers of Vintage Wargaming stuck on 99 the nervous nineties are over - having been away from the internet and e-mail for a few days I came back to see a couple of new joiners had taken the numbers obver 100. A small landmark but it made me smile - clearly a watched blog never boils.

The Wesencraft Weather Gauge, from Wargamer's Newsletter 109, April 1971

I always think of Charlie Wesencraft (see other posts here) as one of the unsung heroes of early wargaming. It's good to see his books Practical Wargaming and With Pike and Shot made more easily accessible through their inclusion on John Curry's list of republished classics.

The weather gauge was included in Practical Wargaming, published in 1974, so this is an earlier public appearance. I recall mine was made from a Pocket Mastermind board (remember them?)

Tribute to Charles Grant, 1979

In the Editorial to Wargamers Newsletter #208 of July 1979 Don Featherstone wrote this announcement and tribute to Charles Grant.

It is with the greatest regret and sorrow that I report the death of an old friend and veteran wargamer Charles Grant. Apparently it occurred recently and was very sudden but I have no details. Charles was perhaps the most experienced wargamer around, being in the hobby long before I ever became aware of wargaming and his contributions to it, both practical and literary, played a major part in the great advance to its present status. At various stages in my early acquaintance with wargaming, I had stimulating meetings and wargames with Charles, although in recent years we have not seen much of each other. This knowledgeable and experienced senior statesman of our hobby will be sadly missed and there are many of us who will remember him fondly for years to come.

D.F.F.

The Don Reviews Lachouque

from Wargamer's Newsletter # 204, March 1979



One of the pleasures of looking through old copies of Wargamer's Newsletter is browsing the book reviews, either for reviews of classic books, or mentions of books which have previously escaped you notice. With the advent of the interweb and sites like Abebooks (or even e-bay) it is much easier to track down and obtain some of these more obscure titles.

Falling firmly in the classic category is this review of Lachouuque's (or more properly perhaps Tranie and Carmigniani's) Napoleon's War in Spain.

My own copy is of the Arms and Armour Press English language edition of 1982. The format of the book is a little too wide for my scanner but hopefully the picture gives a good impression of the cover.