Highlanders

[traveller]

I need to do some 28mm Highlanders in kilt for the Boer War. I am not sure if there was any notable change of their uniform (apart from the colour) from the 1880s (Sudan and 1st Boer War) to the 1890s (2nd Boer War). Can anyone advice? Thanks

[former user]

not sure about the childers reforms
there were a lot of changes in facing colours and especially tartans for highland regiments, because of amalgamation
possibly the webbing too
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childers_reforms

[Gluteus Maximus]

This might help.

Foundry North West Frontier range - 1890's


Perry Sudan range - 1880's


No huge differences, apart from the change in weapon. If you can ignore that, you could probably get away with using the Perrys -which is what I assume you are going to do, rather than forking out for Foundry etc.

[Plynkes]

In the South African War (2nd Boer War) Highlanders received khaki kilt aprons to reduce their visibility, just like in the Great War.



And as the war progressed many units switched from sun helmets to slouch hats.



As mentioned, your 1880s Highlander has the wrong weapon for 1899-1902 as well. Boer War helmets gernerally had a distinctive cover the Perry Highlanders lack and all (but that's quite easily fixable with a bit off putty).

[Plynkes]

If you're not doing the Boer War but the North West Frontier, the differences are not so pronounced. Apart from the weapon, uniform colour and again the helmet cover, your 1898 Highlander on the Frontier looks pretty much the same as he did in the 1880s.

[Lowtardog]

That bottom picture always reminds me of this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aXv1J9ewjY&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Elead%2Dadventure%2Ede%2Findex%2Ephp%3Ftopic%3D12955%2Enew&feature=player_embedded

(Fixed it for you: Plynkes)

[Lowtardog]

  no matter what it shows it twice?? hmmm stereo perhaps

[Plynkes]

You know, that reminds me of something I was watching yesterday. There was an all-day marathon of Great War documentaries on one of the war channels, and lots of footage of troops marching. The thing that really surprised me was seeing just how much the troops larked about in front of the camera. One scene showed a column of German troops marching, and every fifth man or so was acting the goat. When they saw the camera they would break into a silly comedy step or dance like Laurel and Hardy there, knock the hat off the chap in front, some even broke ranks to run up to the camera and pull faces at it before running back into the column. And these are the supposedly highly-disciplined Germans! You just don't imagine it, brought up on war literature and films. Where was the screaming sergeant, telling them to bloody-well pull themselves together and stop the skylarking? Just seemed odd, and goes to show things were not always how we imagine them to be.

Another surprising one was a scene from the first ceremony at the Cenotaph in London at the end of the war. Whenever I'm at a thing like that (funerals included) I am possessed with an almost uncontrollable urge to laugh, muck about or fidget. The weight of the occasion just does that to me. I always assumed that it was a failing of our feckless generation. But at this ceremony on the film, as the body of the Unknown Soldier is solemnly brought past them, you see two Jolly Jack Tars laughing, joking, nudging one another and again generally acting the goat. Again, nobody reprimands them and tells them to cut it out as this is supposed to be a sad, solemn affair.

So it seems we are not so different, after all.

[former user]

aren't the pith helmets different too?

[Plynkes]

They were some slight variations in style due to whether they were made in Britain or locally manufactured in India, but on the whole I don't think they changed noticeably between the 1870s and when they were replaced in the early 20th Century by the Wolseley and Indian-pattern helmets.


That reminds me. We need to nag Soapy to do an Indian-pattern pith helmet head for Woodbine's Great War range. Nobody makes them.

[OSHIROmodels]

I'll put a little word in his ear when I see him later 

cheers

James

[former user]

@plynkes

I am not sure of which period the german soldiers were you saw in the movie
I was drafted for one year in 1988, and maybe the german soldiers nowadays are a different breed, but at that time I was really not going to believe that the german army was able to defend anything, let alone their beer crates
and in addition, latently faschist, at least a lot of them
70% of the NCOs were either obese or drunkards
yes, fellow service men, there were exceptions, and not every unit is the same......
but basically that was it

as for the burial ceremonies - well it is a natural way to compensate the sadness, so noone should feel bad about wanting to laugh
I for my part had a little too many funerals in my life, and I feel compassion for anyone who rather would laugh
think of Graham chapmans funeral   
always look on the bright side of life...

[Plynkes]

Yeah. Cleese's speech was a classic.

"I want you to be the first person ever at a British memorial service to say 'fuck.'"  



The German soldiers in the film were from 1914 to perhaps 1916, judging by the uniforms. I would have thought them to be filled with too much Prussian "Gott Mit Uns" warlike spirit to play the fool so much in front of camera. It is nice to see that our British stereotypes about Germany are not true (as the LAF has already taught me, it must be said).

[Hammers]

One scene showed a column of German troops marching, and every fifth man or so was acting the goat. When they saw the camera they would break into a silly comedy step or dance like Laurel and Hardy there, knock the hat off the chap in front, some even broke ranks to run up to the camera and pull faces at it before running back into the column.

Do I see a new miniature in the making?

[traveller]

Excellent response!

and Gluteus is right. The Perry ones are a better option. Many thanks!