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Miniatures Adventure => The Great War => Topic started by: Auspainter on December 05, 2014, 02:36:02 AM

Title: Need help with WW1 Western front Australian uniform
Post by: Auspainter on December 05, 2014, 02:36:02 AM
Hi guys,

I've recently bought a few Woodbine designs British ww1 infantry with Brodie helmets. I was wondering if I bought lemon squeezer heads if the uniforms would be suitable as Western front Australian figures or if the uniforms are quite different? What other troop types could I use the British for?

Thanks in advance for all the help :)
Title: Re: Need help with WW1 Western front Australian uniform
Post by: Pennyflower on December 05, 2014, 03:43:41 AM
I think the Lemon squeezer was New Zealand. Ausies would wear thier slouch hat when not in combat areas.

I'm not sure about the exact details but I think the commonwealth uniforms were almost all identical on the western front during the late war.
Title: Re: Need help with WW1 Western front Australian uniform
Post by: Auspainter on December 05, 2014, 05:33:49 AM
Ah yeh I was looking on the woodbine designs page at head accessories and had only seen the lemon squeezers. Opened page 2 and there were the slouch hats haha.
Title: Re: Need help with WW1 Western front Australian uniform
Post by: Infman on December 05, 2014, 08:57:17 AM
I've inherited a studio of my Australian great-grandfather and his mates from the 35th battalion showing him wearing a lemon squeezer in 1917. I haven't been able to find out why he wasn't wearing a slouch hat.

I've painted my Western Front Australians the same as the British.

Title: Re: Need help with WW1 Western front Australian uniform
Post by: Auspainter on December 05, 2014, 11:33:39 AM
Thanks for that! Will most likely do the same
Title: Re: Need help with WW1 Western front Australian uniform
Post by: Plynkes on December 05, 2014, 11:58:39 AM
If I were doing such a force I would be tempted to put just a sprinkling of slouch hats among the tin hats, just to give it some Aussie flavour (maybe just one or two guys - or whatever is the minimum number you can buy). Historically dodgy perhaps, but visually satisfying.

Besides, in the war comics I used to read as a lad, the Aussies wore their slouch hats all the time, no matter what.  :)
Title: Re: Need help with WW1 Western front Australian uniform
Post by: Trooper on December 05, 2014, 02:07:17 PM
Brodie helmets would be fine, although as Plynkes says a few slouch hats would give them the Aussie look. Don't forget the AIF collar dogs and distinctive shoulder patches either.
Title: Re: Need help with WW1 Western front Australian uniform
Post by: Driscoles on December 05, 2014, 02:27:30 PM
Iam with  Plynkes ....great idea.
In Charley s war the Aussies wear slouch hats.  :)
Title: Re: Need help with WW1 Western front Australian uniform
Post by: JArgo on December 05, 2014, 04:59:46 PM
I can recommend the Australian TV series Anzacs which you can find on YouTube - pretty sure it's a fair reflection of uniforms and the like.

Title: Re: Need help with WW1 Western front Australian uniform
Post by: Auspainter on December 07, 2014, 12:16:34 AM
Sounds good I'll look into that. I went and bought a few slouch hats off the woodbine designs site as well so they should come up nicely hopefully. Thanks for all the help
Title: Re: Need help with WW1 Western front Australian uniform
Post by: carlos marighela on December 07, 2014, 06:06:01 PM
If you really want something distinctively Australian that's historically appropriate then simply paint the battalion flashes on the shoulders of your units.

http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-badges/patches/inf-ww1.htm
Title: Re: Need help with WW1 Western front Australian uniform
Post by: Auspainter on December 10, 2014, 12:40:46 AM
Thanks for that Carlos
Title: Re: Need help with WW1 Western front Australian uniform
Post by: Old Goat on December 17, 2014, 09:11:10 PM
The Aussie uniform was actually pretty different, the colours varied the same as for every other nation but british colours will work.  They wore breeches rather than trousers and the tunics had blouse like sleeves.  in 28mm though as some others have said a slough hat and the div markings will differentiate.  Also for you Gallipoli veterans they wore a little golden A on the div flash.  A blob of gold paint will look great!
Title: Re: Need help with WW1 Western front Australian uniform
Post by: Auspainter on December 20, 2014, 10:05:30 AM
Sweet thanks. Were the breaches and tunics more of the Gallipoli scene than western front?
Title: Re: Need help with WW1 Western front Australian uniform
Post by: Old Goat on December 20, 2014, 06:18:45 PM
No fella, what happened moving forward was that uniform was dictated by pragmatism.  Breeches and the more bloused tunics were well in use through '16, '17 and well into '18 though towards the end of '18 you got what you got.  Slouch hats and ANZAC insignia were always highly prized though.
Title: Re: Need help with WW1 Western front Australian uniform
Post by: Auspainter on June 02, 2015, 12:18:32 PM
Hi guys,

Thanks for the help regarding my uniform questions. I've finally got a few results to put up (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Au8iOBF3QgM/VW2He3norjI/AAAAAAAAANU/F5JAPnAwhiI/s320/P1010618.JPG)

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fRhShw-4cxc/VW2HeyAqXKI/AAAAAAAAANQ/u-K_FTJL3C8/s320/P1010617.JPG)

Painted them up as the 22nd AIF battalion (its a bit easier to see the patches with the pics enlarged at my blog)
http://rogerspaintworks.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/ww1-woodbine-designs-australians.html (http://rogerspaintworks.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/ww1-woodbine-designs-australians.html)