A Lighthorseman of the Marches

[Roo]

As the current O.I.C of the Kings Own Colonials in the Herefordshire VBCW campaign this was a great read. 

[Plynkes]

Well, I finally got it done. My tribute to trooper Frank...


Trooper Frank Cowles, 4th Australian Light Horse, 1915.

Sorry for dragging my feet on this one. I painted it a little while ago, but have been avoiding taking a photo. Honestly I find that harder than the painting part these days. But I have been praying that his bayonet didn't get knocked off while he was sitting in a box and thought I'd better get it photographed before we lost it. Seriously, it is so flimsy. I really don't think it would survive much gaming. Nearly knocked if off half a dozen times painting the thing. I do like the figure despite that, but he is tiny. Would look like a midget fighting my Brigade or Copplestone Turks.

[Driscoles]

Well painted and a nice tribute!

[Helen]

Nicely painted miniature Dylan an a great tribute.

[Silent Invader]

Lovely painting 

[Blackwolf]

Lovely painting 

[Diablo Jon]

What a cool little thread. Really interesting seeing Plynkes original post being expanded on with others adding info until we had the full story of Frank's military service. Followed up by a cracking little miniature tribute.

That's a great paint job for someone who hasn't painted in a while to well done Plynkes .

[Iron Haiden]

Great thread thanks for posting

[carlos marighela]

As others have remarked it’s far from uncommon to find British nationals amongst the ranks of Australian war dead. Australia is a young country, it only came into being in 1901 and the vast preponderance of immigrants pre the late 1940s/50s were from the UK.

One of the most famous ANZACs at Gallipoli,  John Kirkpatrick, AKA John Simpson, he of Simpson and his donkey fame was born in South Shields. I believe there’s even a statue of him in his home town.

On the other side of the equation, the man who is (at least to date*) Australia’s most infamous war criminal Harry Breaker Morant was also UK born and bred.

Even in the ‘50s and early ‘60s Australia’s tiny regular army had a disproportionately high representation of UK born British nationals leading to the old joke that the Australian Army was a great little British Army fucked up only by the presence of a few Aussies.

Ian Mountain sculpted some exquisite ALH figures a few years ago and they were IIRC variously sold by War Times Miniatures and at least one other company. The biggest problem was that they were tiny, closer to 25mm and not a good fit with the Brigade Games range either in heft or aesthetics. Speaking of which, only the BG mounted versions are vaguely correct and even then there are detail problems, puttees rather than leather leggings. The dismounted versions bear no relation to dismounted ALH in terms of kit.

Eureka don’t do ALH in 28mm, although they do a 15mm range. They do on the other hand make a small but lovely mounted Imperial Camel Corps range. Hopefully dismounts to come.

Don’t know of anyone else producing ALH in 28mm which is a mystery given thecpotential gaming fodder of their storied campaigns.

* He will likely have some competition in the not too distant future with possible charges hanging over the heads of a number of serving and former SAS members including Australia’s most recent VC recipient.

[carlos marighela]

That figure you painted is one of the Ian Mountain sculpts. OOP now I believe.

[Plynkes]

That figure you painted is one of the Ian Mountain sculpts. OOP now I believe.

I got him from an outfit called Lancashire Games a couple of years ago. Still showing as available and for sale on their website.

[SJWi]

They are under “Blaze Away Miniatures” on the Lancashire Games website.

[NurgleHH]

With all these background information about him this figure comes alive. Thank you, Sir.