The British in Zululand...

[Yankeepedlar01]

I've started on some British figures from Empress Miniatures for my Zulu War project, the Infantry are the 80th Staffordshire Volunteers.  My progress to date ~



The figures to the rear are the two versions of Lt Bromhead which were given away free for WI subscribers a few years ago. They will be a 'Hero' counter in our Zulu War rules.



David

[Malamute]

I love the sight of redcoats And to see Maurice Mickelwhite making an appearance too.
Splendid stuff indeed, great figures those Empress chaps.

[answer_is_42]

Awesome, really, really, awesome. I must buy some of these.

However, they should really have brown (tea-stained) helmets...
  

[Plynkes]

However, they should really have brown (tea-stained) helmets...
  

Possibly, but not in every case. I haven't any pictures of the 80th foot on campaign to hand, but I know of photos that show both the 91st and the 99th in Zululand wearing unstained white helmets. The 99th even still have their helmet plates on. In any case, I think they look much better on the table top with white helmets. Years ago I painted all my 15mm Zulu War British infantry with tea-stained helmets, and always regretted it. 

Looking forward to seeing more of these.

[Yankeepedlar01]

However, they should really have brown (tea-stained) helmets...
  

Not necessarily. The ones in the Regimental museum are not brown stained, but faded white. You must allow for a little artistic license you know, they are only toys in a game after all.
David

[Helen]

Lovely work David. Glad to see the rocket battery in the photos.

Interesting about the helmet. I've been reading "Washing of the Spears" an it mention in the Rorkes Drift chapter that Hook had his regimental badge shot off his helmet and he received a slight wound to the scalp.

What sort of numbers are you looking at for both sides? What rules are you looking at using?

Helen

[Paul E]

First things first the figures look great. The white helmets look superb with the red and blue uniforms and at the end of the day they are your toys so paint them how you want. Great job 

However......big deep breath.....the historic fact is that prior to the invasion Chelmsford issued a standing order that all troops would dye their helmets brown. To add to this order, which was circulated to all units, a colour swatch was attached to show exactly what colour brown they should actually be.

By the time of the Sudan war, when a similar order was issued, the military actually had a chemical dye that was issued to ensure uniformity. Damn clever these Victorians.

As for the badge it was also ordered that these be removed. There have been over the years examples of these found at Isandlwana but the simple fact is that they probably fell out of the packs during the Zulu looting.

Photographs taken of units such as the 99th crossing on a ferry are now believed not to have been taken during the war and so are considered very suspect.

The Washing of the Spears by D.R.Morris is a superb rip roaring read. However it is very much a book of its time, the mid 1960's. It contains a great many 'mistakes' or examples of convenient history. Many of these have created a lot of misunderstandings especially as they were picked up by film makes.

I will not bore you with lots of examples but will use the one that Helen mentions.

The quote from The Washing of the Spears concerning Hook is "...and a bullet struck the regimental badge on Hook's helmet, sending the headgear spinning and tearing his scalp."

In actual fact the information is taken from Hook's own words which are "All this time the Zulus were trying to get into the room. Their asegais kept whizzing towards us, and one struck me in front of the helmet. We were wearing the white tropical helmets then. But the helmet tilted back under the blow and made the spear lose its power, so that I escaped with a scalp wound, which did not trouble me much then."   

Spear not bullet, no mention of badge, does say white although this is probably used to discribe headgear to the uninitiated reader/ listener. Lord Chelmsford was not the kinda guy whose orders you ignored!

The 24th had already fought one campaign in South Africa against the Xsoha before the Zulu War which had been skirmishes in very close wooded countryside. They had dyed helmets for this and many had adopted local floppy hats. They were a very seasoned unit by the time of the invasion and knew exactly what was best. Lastly before I drone on too much I have read comments that the garrison of Rorkes Drift kept white helmets as they were not part of the invasion force. This is unrealistic as the company were only chosen for the job at the last moment and another company left in Helpmakaar, which is even further inside Natal, had dyed helmets as is shown in some photographs.

Sorry to hijack the thread    Did I say that the figures look great

[Phil Robinson]

Knew old Maurice would find employment at some point (hope I don't have to wait as long )

Shall look forward to keeping the British end up with these, white helmets or other wise

Oh and yes they will certainly do.

[Helen]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your explanations an especially about "Washing of the Spears."

I know everything is interpreted differently by folks and sources of the day and our own loungeroom authors who pen a book with what is at hand and their own opinions.

So in your own mind and wealth of knowledge which book or books stack up for Islandwana an other columns in the first invasion?

Helen

[Yankeepedlar01]

As I said, they are toys in a game, so lets not get 'obsessive' about minor details. I prefer the white look, they are my toys, so they will stay white. I did actually think of spaying one side red and the other side blue you know and sticking them on beer mats, its only a game after all....

Helen, I'll probably adapt my Sudan rules to begin with, til I get a feel for what I want to do. Unusually for me I've got a plan for this project! I have about 40 Brits at present and about 100 Zulus. I don't see the game evolving to a full battle scale, but neither a skirmish, just smallish actions. But then, I started my Sudan project just like that too....

David

[Helen]

As I said, they are toys in a game, so lets not get 'obsessive' about minor details. I prefer the white look, they are my toys, so they will stay white. I did actually think of spaying one side red and the other side blue you know and sticking them on beer mats, its only a game after all....

Helen, I'll probably adapt my Sudan rules to begin with, til I get a feel for what I want to do. Unusually for me I've got a plan for this project! I have about 40 Brits at present and about 100 Zulus. I don't see the game evolving to a full battle scale, but neither a skirmish, just smallish actions. But then, I started my Sudan project just like that too....

David

Thanks David, that sounds like a plan.

Keep up the great work.

Helen

[Paul E]

Not sure about wealth of knowledge   A couple of suggestions would be.....

Anything by Ian Knight although I am sure that he would agree that he is constantly discovering more and more and some of his earlier works, especially the Osprey guide have some incorrect bits of information on uniform details. The newer the better really.

I recently read Ian's book on the death of the Prince Imperial and I highly recommend it as it does a very good job at explaining the Victorian mind.

Lt Colonel Mike Snooks two books on Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift are very detailed well researched books that he is able to write from the position of one who has military experience as well as having a very detailed and methodical style. His writing brings the battles to life.

I believe that both of these books are due to be published in paperback very soon.

Happy reading.



 
 

 
 
 
 
 

[Keith]

Cracking figures - particularly nice bases too!

[Helen]

Not sure about wealth of knowledge   A couple of suggestions would be.....

Anything by Ian Knight although I am sure that he would agree that he is constantly discovering more and more and some of his earlier works, especially the Osprey guide have some incorrect bits of information on uniform details. The newer the better really.

I recently read Ian's book on the death of the Prince Imperial and I highly recommend it as it does a very good job at explaining the Victorian mind.

Lt Colonel Mike Snooks two books on Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift are very detailed well researched books that he is able to write from the position of one who has military experience as well as having a very detailed and methodical style. His writing brings the battles to life.

I believe that both of these books are due to be published in paperback very soon.

Happy reading.

Thanks Paul,

I've some of Ian's books, but I'm always wanting to delve more into periods that I enjoy reading and gaming.

I'll certainly look upon these books when they do become available in PB.

Thanks again,

Helen

[answer_is_42]

However, they should really have brown (tea-stained) helmets...
  

Not necessarily. The ones in the Regimental museum are not brown stained, but faded white. You must allow for a little artistic license you know, they are only toys in a game after all.
David

The ones in the regimental museum are that colour because, I suspect, they never went to Zululand...

Only TOYS?! 

@Paul E – Thank you! This isn’t the first time such a conversation has arisen, but I've never seen it explained so well!