East Africa Rifles

[vsfguthroth]

Hi Can anyone suggest 28mm figures for the East African Rifles, Uganda Rifles and Central African Rifles pre 1900 ?

This website includes pics of large lead Britains-type figures which suggest khaki jacket and trousers or shorts, and short red fez or blue jersey and floppy hat

https://kingsafricanrifles.com/

TIA

[sjwalker51]

For pre-1900 Askaris I'd use the ones in the British section of Wargames Foundry Darkest Africa range.

[Andrei1975]

http://www.copplestonecastings.co.uk/list.php?cat=5&sub=27&page=1

[Plynkes]

That's interesting, I'm doing all three at the moment. For the Uganda Rifles I use Foundry Darkest Africa figures.

Here's my prototype...



He's slightly converted, I added the animal-skin adornment (they were rather fond of personal adornments in the Uganda Rifles). He should really have an Egyptian-issued Remington rifle, or after 1895 a Martini-Henry rather than a Snider-Enfield, but oh well. My conversion skills only go so far.

The standard uniform for the Uganda Rifles was dark blue jersey, red fez and white trousers (they were Sudanese troops, and these were, I believe, their original Egyptian uniforms). But they were isolated for long periods of time and notoriously neglected, so personally-acquired items had to make do when issued gear wore out (such as turbans, skirts, slouch hats, etc.) Hence you see some variety in their appearance. As said, they were also fond of adding their own decorations to uniforms.







So I figured rag-tag askari would do, in the absence of any dedicated range.





For the Central Africa Rifles I would go to the same range. These pictures belong to fellow LAFer Dr Mathias, I'm sure he won't mind me showing them off...







He has a whole thread on this really cool project here, it's worth a look:
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=56120.0

The CAR also fielded Sikh troops:

(Another Dr Mathias pic)

They don't seem to have become quite so ramshackle as the Uganda Rifles, keeping a slightly more military appearance for longer. I've got a feeling the toy soldier painter got the fez colour wrong for the CAR figure. They had black fezzes, which I believe continued when they became the Nyasaland battalions of the KAR (though I'd have to look that up).

This fellow is one of the original British Central African Askari, they would go on to become the Central Africa Rifles, then Central Africa Regiment and ultimately the Nyasaland battalions of the KAR. I don't think the uniform changed drastically when they were reorganized and renamed the Central Africa Rifles in 1896 (they didn't really have a name before that).






For the East Africa Rifles (who appear to have been the smartest-turned out of the three, even wearing boots!)  I plan to convert some Perry British Camel Corps (from the Sudan Conflict), chopping off their heads and giving them new African heads wearing fezzes. The bandoleers might not be exactly right, but everything else looks the business, so I'm prepared to let that slide. They will end up looking something like this...



Ignore the black fez, he's meant to be Nyasaland KAR, but the conversion will be the same (only with a red fez). I just haven't done it yet.

Hope that gives you some ideas.

[vsfguthroth]

Hi. Great answer, and link, many thanks.

I'm painting for a speculative Anglo-German war set in the late 1890s. At the moment the Germans will have their Askari and Seebattalion troops while the Brits will have some regulars, plus a Naval Brigade and some EAR will add something a bit different.

The Great War demonstrated that the German Askari were excellent troops, certainly the equal of the second line regulars and Indian army, but I get the feeling that the British Askari were not so commited to 'the cause'. Would you agree ?

[Plynkes]

Not sure I would. Not entirely. I don't see the German Askari as being particularly committed to a cause, after all enough of them changed sides during the Great War to form two KAR battalions. It's more a question (with both sides) of them being treated well, being well paid and well led. If you did that you got good soldiers for your money, if you didn't you got what you deserved.

The KAR were probably the most capable troops the British deployed against the Germans in East Africa during the Great War. It's just they faffed around for so long before deploying them because there was so much settler paranoia about arming too many of the locals. They had to find out the hard way by throwing away the lives of many Brits, South Africans and Indians first, that the people best qualified to fight this campaign were the local soldiers.

The Uganda Rifles mutinied because of the terrible way they were treated (they were neglected abominably). But it seems to me that when you didn't treat them like shit the men of those constituent forces that were eventually merged into the King's African Rifles were excellent soldiers.

It is all rather hypothetical, considering we're talking about the 1890s rather than 1914+. I am inclined to give the Schutztruppe Askari the edge, but I'm not sure how much the whole Lettow-Vorbeck mystique is influencing my thoughts there. Yes, he and his men came out with a glowing reputation (probably deservedly), but I've always felt they had the easier task. In the formal part of the war they were on the defensive, and in the Guerilla phase they were the guerillas (both of which I'd rather be if I had to fight that war).

Who had the better native troops in the 1890s? I honestly don't know. 

[italwars]

the Schutztruppe Askari the edge, but I'm not sure how much the whole Lettow-Vorbeck mystique is influencing my thoughts there. Yes, he and his men came out with a glowing reputation (probably deservedly), .......

Who had the better native troops in the 1890s? I honestly don't know. 

I recently read a very interesting intelligence report from about 1904 by Lt Charles Meinhertzagen in his famous and controversial book "Kenya Diary " (that i stronly suggest if you find a reprint not only for the excellent photos and very good description of Askaris rifles and some battles) which described the German Schutztruppe as not particularly motivated ..well trained in drill excercises, parades ecc...but with a very poor musketry if compared also to KAR (which was'nt in any case a very well trained force) ..they lack initiative abd their officers did'nt had any charisma over their men because the treat them with contempt..something different from British trained Askaris...anyway in DOA the Army was weel organised along German lines including good equipment, good facilities and also a good inteligence service...it seem also that the author consider both german native troops and their officers a little in naif,,,

[juergen c. olk]

..I have read many accounts ..from both sides...and in the end ..I consider the Schutztruppe askari and KAR ..pretty much equal..the difference being as in any unit the officers leading them..which lead from the front, they had to.For the German Askari..it was the prestige ..and double pay.But Askari Companies ability varied from Company to Company . There were certain tribes that were just better Askaris.And during the war Askari prisoners would join the KAR and visa versa.A paycheck was a Paycheck.It was Meintherzhagen who campaigned for the KAR..early on,,but fell on deaf ears...Tanga slowly changed that.And yes the Von Lettow-Vorbeck fact or Myth..does influence thinking..how can it not. Now all the new scholars spend more time tearing it down...I still believe in his accomplishments,,either way . I think Plynkes has pretty  much nailed it ..with his observations and I would go with that.

[Plynkes]

By the way, Italwars, did you mean Richard Meinertzhagen, or were there two Meinertzhagens tramping around East Africa in those days?

Interesting fellow, either way, and a pretty controversial figure himself, for numerous reasons. I tried reading a biography of him once, but the author was so infatuated, and the book such a love-letter to the man that I couldn't get very far into it. There was too much arse-licking for my taste. I haven't read his own book, I really must do so some time. Thanks for the reminder about him.




Edited for my inability to spell Meinertzhagen. 

[Hammers]

That is a right stonking collection of Africans, Dylan. I can't recall ever seeing this part of your collection before. Who makes the two askaris at attention? I've been looking for minis like that for a while.

[Plynkes]

Not mine, H. As said above those ones belong to fellow LAFer Dr. Mathias.

The two figures are from the Foundry Darkest Africa range. The saluting one may be a conversion as I don't recall that particular pose, not sure.

[traveller]

Great thread! Thanks for sharing!

[Hammers]

Not mine, H. As said above those ones belong to fellow LAFer Dr. Mathias.

The two figures are from the Foundry Darkest Africa range. The saluting one may be a conversion as I don't recall that particular pose, not sure.

Ah, sorry. I just went for the pictures and assumed...

It must be OOP miniatures. They are unmistakenly Copplestone but I can't find them @ Foundry nor Copplestone casting...

[Plynkes]

Just had a rummage through my enormous Darkest Africa lead mountain. I have both figures. They are definitely Foundry.


Take another look on the Foundry site. The saluting one comes with DAO92 Sikh and Askari NCOs, and the other one comes with DAO97 Askari Mountain Gun.

[italwars]

By the way, Italwars, did you mean Richard Meinertzhagen, or were there two Meinertzhagens tramping around East Africa in those days?
Edited for my inability to spell Meinertzhagen. 

yes ..i'm sory i was meaning Richard Meinertzhagen
the book in question is this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Kenya-Diary-1902-1906-Richard-Meinertzhagen/dp/0907871100
it's a very strong reading and absolutly not "politically correct" (that's one or the reason why i like it)..it's an autobiography..written in a very realistic way...i strongly suggest you to read it as you like and are such an expert of the period...Kikuyu revolt and other minor police operations are told in detail..including KAR everyday life..being in the form of a diary there is also a long narrative about shooting freely at game..which could ennerve somebody but not me...a great picture of the beginning of British East africa..at the end the author succeed in making a good inteligence trough German East Africa ..envisaging a conflict to come....in 1914 during WW1 is notorious hat he was choosed as the top inteligence officer in east Africa and then M.E thanks to his experience and unconventional manners