Invasionietta

[Hammers]

I just reread the Time Life WWII series book about campaigns in forgotten parts of the world. The invasion of Madagascar sticks out as a rather cool scenario to game with its rich mix of troops involved in various stages. Various Lancashire regs. Welsh Fusiliers. Royal Marine Commandos. Matilda and  the KAR, Sout African Armoured Cars, Japanese mini subs. Tirraierues Senegalese. Vichy French. Valentine and Tetrarch tanks.

Has anyone had any plans for this? Where wouldone find good miniatures for them, esp. the KAR in their hobbit half-masts and particular blouses?

[Belgian]

Only know where you can find the tetrarch tank, http://shop.warlordgames.co.uk/tetrarch-light-tank-2071-p.asp For the rest I have no idea!

[Anatoli]

BEF does Matilda http://www.befminiatures.co.uk/

[Hang Tuah]

A few years ago Deal Wargames did a game (for Salute?) in 20mm, details of which can be found in an old issue of Miniature Wargames.

[Plynkes]

Nobody makes suitable KAR, as far as I know (but then again I haven't really looked). Brits in tropical gear with a bit of headswappery would be your best bet. Trouble is nobody makes African heads in tin hats or slouch hats as far as I know. So you'd have to do a double job: head and hat swap. As you know they wore collarless partially-buttoned smocks rather than the collared and fully-buttoned shirts the Tommies wore, so a bit of converting needed there too. By the time they get to Burma they dress identically to Tommies, but unfortunately that isn't the theatre you want.




This second photo is actually from the Madagascar campaign.


They didn't always wear shorts and smocks. Photos of them in the East African campaign against the Italians often show them in trousers with khaki woollen jerseys, quite often they look rather ragged, artillerymen are seen operating their guns stripped to the waist in two photos I have. They appear to have mostly worn 37 pattern webbing.

Sorry, not much help there.

[Captain Blood]

My father took part in the invasion of Madagascar. He was a British officer in the Indian Army. He fought the French. With bayonets. Quite a rarity after 1815   

[Plynkes]

Cool. Never even heard of them. 

They any good?

[gamer Mac]

Big 20 mm though.

[Hammers]

Nobody makes suitable KAR, as far as I know (but then again I haven't really looked). Brits in tropical gear with a bit of headswappery would be your best bet. Trouble is nobody makes African heads in tin hats or slouch hats as far as I know. So you'd have to do a double job: head and hat swap. As you know they wore collarless partially-buttoned smocks rather than the collared and fully-buttoned shirts the Tommies wore, so a bit of converting needed there too. By the time they get to Burma they dress identically to Tommies, but unfortunately that isn't the theatre you want.




This second photo is actually from the Madagascar campaign.


They didn't always wear shorts and smocks. Photos of them in the East African campaign against the Italians often show them in trousers with khaki woollen jerseys, quite often they look rather ragged, artillerymen are seen operating their guns stripped to the waist in two photos I have. They appear to have mostly worn 37 pattern webbing.

Sorry, not much help there.

Nice images. Thanks Dylan. Those hobbit trousers would be a problem to, they are very particular to the KAR/West African Rifles. The Brigade minis have to short shorts and puttees rather than gaiters.

[Hammers]

My father took part in the invasion of Madagascar. He was a British officer in the Indian Army. He fought the French. With bayonets. Quite a rarity after 1815   

...which was about the time closeby Mauritius was invaded. Cool. Did he have any war stories/memorabilia?

[Plynkes]

Hobbit trousers? I'm not sure what you're referring to when you use that phrase.

Raventhorpe are 20mm? Oh well, never mind then. 

[Hammers]

Hobbit trousers? I'm not sure what you're referring to when you use that phrase.

Raventhorpe are 20mm? Oh well, never mind then.  

EDIT: an image from Time Lifeattached

I have images from both Mollo and Time Life distinctly showing that the African regiments wore not standard issue tropical uniforms but special below the knee length trousers and collarless, one-third button down tunics similar to the Indian WWI tunic but with shoulder straps. I think you can see it in the image with the KAR in the truck which you provided, if youknow what you are looking for. Tin helmets or slouch hats seem to have  muscled out the askari fez of by gone days.


It's a rather illustrative pic, with the officer in tropical kit and the soldiers in the African variant. It is a darkly comical image, no pun intended, what with those rather scrawny, knock kneed officers next to the towering African soldiers.

[Plynkes]

Do you mean like the ones in this picture? Or something different?


All kinds of trouser lengths going on there, all within the same platoon. Note at least three of them are wearing shorts and puttees. That photo is from 1943.


I think the collarless smock is the same as (or very similar to) the ones worn in the Great War. I have photos of KAR in collared shirts the same as British Army ones, shorts and puttees, long trousers and gaiters, those 3/4 length trousers with no gaiters or puttees, the aforementioned woollen sweaters - all sorts during World War Two. I think there are a lot of uniform options really, if you are scrounging around for conversion possibilities.


Edit: Posted before you added the pic. 

[Hammers]

I've been trying to find images of Malagasy Vichy legionaires but I've had no luck. I have onlyu one image of them doing callisthenics in their whites.

[Plynkes]

Sorry Bezzo, I don't understand what you're driving at.