28mm Australian Home Guard - '100 club' project from Eureka Miniatures

[commissarmoody]

Thanks! 

[has.been]

Trades Hall Militia? You know that the VTHC has a not so secret but devastating weapon?

It’s the Victorian Trade Union Choir, a group so unmusical, so tuneless and just so generally dire, it can make grown men cry. It’s certainly brought me close to tears on a number of occasions. Fuck only knows why they do’t deploy them against the bosses rather than the workers.

Think Cacofonix from the Asterix cartoons and dial it up to 11


We have something similar in the UK. The Portsmouth Symphonia.
Started by some musicians who wanted to be in an orchestra, but were
not nearly good enough. They have a rule that if you get up to a half
decent standard, you have to leave. I first saw them on a Candid Camera
type of show. The hidden cameras were covering the audience reaction.
They had no idea how bad the musicians were & were expecting the
usual high quality standard. Great fun watching their faces as the
 concert/train crash unfolded before them.

[Splod]

Trades Hall Militia? You know that the VTHC has a not so secret but devastating weapon?

It’s the Victorian Trade Union Choir, a group so unmusical, so tuneless and just so generally dire, it can make grown men cry. It’s certainly brought me close to tears on a number of occasions. Fuck only knows why they do’t deploy them against the bosses rather than the workers.

Think Cacofonix from the Asterix cartoons and dial it up to 11.

Ah, the old Trades Hall choirs. Any volunteer organisation where willingness is the only measure for entry has to deal with the untalented and unmusical from time to time. But I have to admit, I'm quite a fan of belting out a round of Solidarity Forever while deep in the cups on Labour Day; but then what sort of Union Official would I be if I didn't?

[carlos marighela]

Ah, the old Trades Hall choirs. Any volunteer organisation where willingness is the only measure for entry has to deal with the untalented and unmusical from time to time. But I have to admit, I'm quite a fan of belting out a round of Solidarity Forever while deep in the cups on Labour Day; but then what sort of Union Official would I be if I didn't?

One who works for the SDA?

No, that’s a trick answer, everyone knows the SDA isn’t a union, it’s a Catholic glee club. 

I can be inveigled into singing Solidarity Forever, The Red Flag or even Avanti Popolo (when in my local supermarket) with remarkable ease but I draw the line at having to listen to the VTUC. I blame a part-Welsh heritage but a collection of warbling grannies and tone deaf galoots hurts my sensibilities. I always try and position myself as far away as possible, which usually has the added benefit of being largely deaf to the public speaking abilities of cretins like John Setka.

[Splod]

One who works for the SDA?

No, that’s a trick answer, everyone knows the SDA isn’t a union, it’s a Catholic glee club. 

Haha, beat me to it

I started my Union career (if you can call volunteer elected positions a career) in Tasmania, and the Tasmanian Grassroots Union Choir seems very similar to the VTUC. They highlight the fact they're 'non-audition', which should be adequate warning in itself  Hmm... I wonder if anyone does a 28mm choir?

[SirRoystonPapworth]

I do hope this range goes ahead. I've told Nic to put me down for about 60 figures, hopefully enough others will follow my lead...

[carlos marighela]

For anyone thinking about using these for an Orrstrayan Civil War, here’s some inspiration/ food for thought.

https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/113889/2/b1576526X_Cathcart_Michael.pdf

Better yet, find yourself a copy of Cathcart’s Defending the National Tuckshop, which is an expansion of the thesis and contains quite a bit from the personal papers of those involved along with some great oral history.

Oddly enough, I used to work with Blamey’s great niece, which given we were both working at a bed of leftist subversion must have caused the old bastard to rotate in his grave. She had few kind words for her relative btw.

[Poiter50]

Not many people did.

[Splod]

Reminder all to get your orders in by the end of this month!

30 April is tomorrow for those of us in the Antipodes 

[Splod]

Update from Nic at Eureka for those playing along at home!

100 Club 28mm Australian Home Guard project update:

With our attention being taken towards other pressing real life problems, we have allowed this project to get away from us. Consequently we are extending the deadline until the end of May.

The Pathe News newsreel which brought about this idea can be found here: https://www.britishpathe.com/video/on-guard-home-guard-aka-australian-home-guard/query/Malvern?fbclid=IwAR0VgYOz-YvnlrMtXH1Bk7QGcTIU4m1pX6fB_33s4k1On6RT8-cUSWH6Hwc
We can also now announce that our agents in the UK: (https://www.eurekaminuk.com/) and USA: (https://eurekaminusa.com/) can accept pre-orders for these figures, which will mean that postage will be much cheaper. Just send Nick and Rob an email and they should be able to help you.

The figures will be 28mm and sculpted by Kosta Heristanidis and will be perfect to fight against our forthcoming 28mm WW2 Japanese. Kosta has just brought us two snipers for you to have a sneak peek at.

Our proposed list is below, the number in brackets will be the number of variants. Price will be AUD$2.95 per figure (plus GST if purchased in Australia). The Vickers gun and two crew will be AUD$11 (plus GST if purchased in Australia).
1. Home Guard/Ex-diggers with Rifles (6)
2. Home Guard/Ex-digger Lewis Gun and Loader (2)
3. Home Guard/Ex-digger Vickers with crew (1)
4. Home Guard/Ex-diggers with beer bottle bombs (4)
5. Home Guard/Ex-diggers in hessian sack “ghillie” suits with rifles (4)

Please contact us by e-mail at nicr@eurekamin.com.au with your pre-orders. Our target is to reach AUD$3000 in order to complete the project. If we achieve over AUD$3000 we might "even scrounge up a ‘dummy’ tank". This offer is extended until 31 May 2020.

[carlos marighela]

Put my order in.

[Splod]

Put my order in.

Me too! I'm down for:

• 6x Home Guard/Ex-diggers with Rifles (6)
• 2x Home Guard/Ex-digger Lewis Gun and Loader (2)
• 1x Home Guard/Ex-digger Vickers with crew (1)
• 4x Home Guard/Ex-diggers with beer bottle bombs (4)
• 4x Home Guard/Ex-diggers in hessian sack “ghillie” suits with rifles (4)

That gives me a full Home Guard/Old Guard platoon for my Australian Civil War games, plus extra figures to round out my Trades Hall Militia 

[carlos marighela]

Great minds think alike!

I’ll probably end up with the better part of two platoons worth. Some as LDV types with double service as New Guards and some  ‘reds’.  Have to work out how I’ll manufacture a 1930s stye Wimmera grain silo at some stage.

[Splod]

I had previously thought about that. I was thinking of falling back on the old 'Milo/Nescafe' tin/Pringles Can combo?  Maybe even hit up the lads at Knights of Dice to see if they could do a handy conversion pack?

I've been saving photos of heritage town buildings to get ideas of what I could need to make a suitably Australian town, rather than just appearing as a generic Normandy battle.

[Poiter50]

I reckon the Perry Miniatures/Renedra ACW buildings make good Aussie outback/country buildings. The latest one (ramshackle) is yet to grace our shores IIRC. There are some Aussie style windmills around too just can't remember the maker.

I had previously thought about that. I was thinking of falling back on the old 'Milo/Nescafe' tin/Pringles Can combo?  Maybe even hit up the lads at Knights of Dice to see if they could do a handy conversion pack?

I've been saving photos of heritage town buildings to get ideas of what I could need to make a suitably Australian town, rather than just appearing as a generic Normandy battle.