SI’s Dorking 1875: UD 11/4 British Lifeguards converted

[Silent Invader]

Vibe La France, indeed!

Would be an easy and interesting diversion. And help lead to a FPW game as well.
I wonder if they would be interested in invading the Channel Islands... 

The French taking the Channel Islands is a brilliant idea! That is now - most definitely - another part of the project

Thanks folks - there’s been so much inspirational feedback in this thread.

[OSHIROmodels]

The French taking the Channel Islands is a brilliant idea! That is now - most definitely - another part of the project

Won’t be a big part. A few sheep and some potatoes won’t be a hard conquest 

[commissarmoody]

I was just tossing ideas out there, and the Channel Islands just seemed like an easy target. 
There was a Royal Jersey Militia and Royal Guernsey Militia. And some Martello towers around the islands.

[OSHIROmodels]

There was a Royal Jersey Militia and Royal Guernsey Militia. And some Martello towers around the islands.

Booo 

I’m supposed to be the good guys though so every little helps 

[commissarmoody]

Booo 

I’m supposed to be the good guys though so every little helps 

You can still shoot the sheep and stamped the potatoes if you want to. 

[OSHIROmodels]

 

[commissarmoody]

Love how the different yeoman and vollenteer rifle units just went ham with their uniforms. Kind of remind me of the pre war and early war state militia units at the start of the US civil war.

[Silent Invader]

Love how the different yeoman and vollenteer rifle units just went ham with their uniforms. Kind of remind me of the pre war and early war state militia units at the start of the US civil war.

Yeah that’s one of my favourite parts of the project: so many different units on the British side, who wouldn’t normally feature in a wargame, and who in a lot of cases are barely remembered. It’s interesting that uniform standards were at times prescribed, but a lot of units just ignored that. Lol

[OSHIROmodels]

Huzzah!

[Elk101]

You can't help but admire the dedication that goes in to your projects.

[carlos marighela]

I admire the taste for the exotic and unique. Fabulous when you see something produced that no commercial manufacturer is ever going to touch.

Essex Militia. Does this portend a diversionary landing at Canvey Island? The Battle of Buckhurst Hill?

[Silent Invader]

Thanks all 

You can't help but admire the dedication that goes in to your projects.

Cheers Steve, though the dedication can be followed by loss of enthusiasm, disinterest and sale 
Not this one though as too many elements are tired into my wider interests.

[Malamute]

They are going to look spectacular 

[Silent Invader]

Thanks

Does this portend a diversionary landing at Canvey Island? The Battle of Buckhurst Hill?

That’s insightful! You’re pretty much spot on.

From my project book, where I collate info and progress (essentially, it’s a much more detailed version of this thread), I have the following scene-setter:

It’s 1875 and the German Invaders have landed near Worthing, advancing north through Horsham to what could be a decisive battle near Dorking. Meanwhile there’s been a feint landing at Harwich and an attempt will be made to seize the Woolwich Arsenal. So far, so “Reminisces of a Volunteer”, written by George Chesney and published in 1874.  However, I’m not following the book as it is written, both in varying the units involved and in including a separate landing, by a Bavarian Corps, on the north of bank of the Thames. The latter being intended to seize intact the Royal Gunpowder Mills at Waltham Abbey, the Tower of London and the East End docks after taking out the Artillery ranges at Shoeburyness and the fort at Tilbury.

Buckhurst Hill is, of course, just south of the Royal Gunpowder Mills.

As it happens, I was at the Hadleigh Hills yesterday for Parkrun (it’s the site of the 2012 Olympics mountain bike course). The hills overlook Canvey Island and the Thames Estuary. I hadn’t previously appreciated that in Victorian times the Sally Army (which owns the land) had used the site as a Brickfields complete with elevator tramway and narrow gauge steam railway. I am very much inclined to include the brickfields - as they were then - as a battle site, especially as the Shoeburyness/Fenchurch railway line follows the coastline at the base of the hills with - in Victorian times - it being possible for a direct train from Shoeburyness (with its Royal Artillery barracks) to be routed under the Thames straight through to Crawley, Horsham and Shoreham on the South Coast.







Cue atmospheric picture of Hadleigh Country Park, with Hadleigh Castle to the left.



PS: Of the 500+ Parkruns in the UK, Hadleigh is, I believe, the 18th hilliest.

[commissarmoody]

Thats another great idea, a fight in a Victorian industrial zone.