WW1 in Palestine

[valleyboy]

Thank you for your help and encouragement gents

Scott am I correct it assuming that the Woodbine British range is not suitable then for Palestine as they are in the wrong uniform?

I've decided to put a hold on the Brits for the moment and press on with some Medieval arabs and El Cid opponents for now, just ordered some from Gripping Beast though did order a few more Woodbine Turks for now. I'll need to have more of a read and keep the British figures in mind as a suggestion for my Xmas present

Would you be kind enough to suggest a few useful books so I can get up to speed.

As it happens I'm off to the Big Smoke (Auckland) this weekend so I'll make a point of visiting the museum while my wife does some shopping

[harmonkeys]

Thanks VB,
As to books my personal favorites are the various official histories. They are expensive but I'm constantly using them http://www.batterypress.com/Book/index.cfm?method=searchBookresults&bcategory=0&statusID=all&CFID=14410985&CFTOKEN=90934312. The Australian one is available online (though personally I'd like to get a print copy; does anyone know if it's in print?) http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/first_world_war/volume.asp?levelID=67893
Some other good ones are Hell in the Holy Landhttp://books.google.com/books?id=uI5Osq9_WKkC&pg=PP1&dq=Hell+in+the+Holy+Land#v=onepage&q=&f=false, Steel Chariots in the Deserthttp://books.google.com/books?id=gQjMPQAACAAJ&dq=steel+chariots, The Battle for Palestine, 1917http://books.google.com/books?id=3SVvryoR2A0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Battle+for+Palestine#v=onepage&q=&f=false, The Fighting Cameliers http://www.leonaur.com/books/booknumber.php?bookid=16 I know that Soapy is working on a Palestine range, which I am "patiently" waiting for as the little previews he has posted look good. Also I would suggest perusing your NZETC and other NZ online archives as there seem to be a lot of really good things digitized...http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH1-Sina.html

AS to uniforms the Woodbine's  are not correct for Palestine, though I have tried in vain to find a reason to use them. One is that they were apparently wearing Serge + wolseleys (sp?) in 1920 in Palestine which is enough for me to feel like I should own some (see a posting someone put  in the Back of Beyond  list last year).

Oh by the way, sorry about being so "sensitive" the whole ANZAC versus Anzacs thing is a revelation to me...
Must go...
Scott Pasha

[Plynkes]

There's a picture of the surrender of Jerusalem with Tommies wearing a combination of serge jackets and KD shorts. Not quite there, but it is justification enough for me to use my Gallipoli Brits as reinforcements to make up the numbers in Palestine games. The chaps at the front will be in shirtsleeves order and shorts at least, but the day will have got a bit colder by the time the second wave pitches in. 

Not quite cricket really, but I just don't feel like painting a whole new bunch of Tommies just for that. 

[harmonkeys]

Yeah, I thought, based on that picture (Jerusalem Surrender), that I would find a picture somewhere that would show troops in serge in the middle-east but so far I've only found this in photos that are clearly "parade dress" occasions. But you're right the only thing that is "wrong" is the pants and there's really no reason to suppose that these weren't worn at some point in the winter of 1917/1918. Besides, Soapy's figures are so good and that "look" is just so cool! I've wanted to paint some figs in that way since seeing that plate in the Osprey Book showing Serge + tropical helmet. And you can get bombers that way unlike with every other manufacturer...
The photos in that previous topic just sum up the appeal so well...
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=5167.0
Scott Pasha

[Stecal]

I don't usually buy board games anymore, but I may be picking up this one just released in hope it can fuel miniatures campaigns:
 
Osmanli Harbi  The Ottoman fronts: 1914 to 1918

Middle East Campaigns (SPW 2009) covers all three Ottoman fronts (Trans-Caucasus, Mesopotamia, Palestine) plus an addition to the Serbia game extending it south to Salonika and covering the rest of the war in Greece, Serbia, and Bulgaria extending Der Weltkrieg Series to the Ottoman Empire. Four maps, three counter sheets.

Five separate scenarios:

Kalfas Cephesi - Caucasus: 1914-17
The Ottoman Empire joins the Central Powers in the World War. The Turks stop a premature Russian offensive and then launch a disastrous counter invasion. Thus begin three years of fighting in the desolate Trans-Caucasus mountains.
Sina-Filistin Cephesi: 1915-18
The Ottomans attempt to seize the Suez Canal. The British advance across the Sinai wastes to invade Palestine. Both the desert and determined Ottoman resistance impede British efforts to seize the Holy Land and threaten Turkey from the south.
Irak Cephesi - Mesopotamia: 1914-18
The British move quickly to secure the Abadan oil fields with the Indian Army. The Indian colonial government lobbies to push further into Mesopotamia, with Baghdad as the objective. The British led forces move deep inland and encounter serious difficulty.
Canakkale Cephesi- Gallipoli: 1915
The plan was as brilliant as it was simple. Rapidly seize the Dardenelles and place Istanbul under the guns of the Entente fleet. This simple plan proved difficult to execute. Poor planning, difficult terrain, and dogged Turkish resistance bring the amphibious invasion to a standstill. Gallipoli becomes the birthplace of Australian and New Zealand national identities, as well as that of modern Turkey.

Makadoya Cephesi - Greece: 1915-18
Serbia's imminent collapse causes the Entente to occupy the Greek port of Salonika. Combined British, French, Serbian, and finally Greek forces fight against Bulgarians and their German and Austro-Hungarian allies on this strategically important front.


http://www.decisiongames.com/html/mid_east_campaigns.html

[Aaron]

Ooh, nice find Stecal! The map is a bit ugly, but the subject is compelling.