Highlanders in tropical gear - any suggestions?

[Ignatieff]

I am looking for highlanders in kilts, with kilt covers but wearing Wolsey helmets.  Can anyone suggest any solutions?

Thanks in advance

[Plynkes]

Great War Miniatures early war Highlanders (the late war ones have too much trench kit and cold weather stuff on) and a couple of sprues of Gripping Beast Wolseley heads. They won't be in shirt sleeve order, but that wasn't always worn in the tropics.

[Ignatieff]

Thanks Plynkes.  Do they have kilt covers on though?  It's not clear on the North Star website if they do or not.

[Over Open Sights]

Musketeer Miniatures (now through Gripping Beast) sculpts by His Excellency Paul Hicks are simply the BEST WW1 Highland troops on the market in my humble opinion. Perfect amount of kit for Scots in hot places and with kilt covers! I've not tried lopping off their glengarry wearing heads and replacing them with Woodbine Wolseley heads.... but they should work as the general proportions of the Woodbine figures are closer to Musketeer Mins rather than GWMs. Shame, but this would loose the excellent faces on the originals. You could try cutting the glengarry off, removing the head from a Woodbine and just using the Wolseley helmet.... much depends on how much time you want to spend on the conversions.

A straight swap of Woodbine Wolseley heads with GWMs early war Scots, as Ignatieff says, would be a dead cert.

When you do a trawl through books and photo collections available on the web, it never ceases to amaze me the wide variation of headgear in the "tropical" theatres of operations. I've seen highlanders in brodie helmets, wolseley helmets, India pattern sun helmets, glengarries, cap-comforters.... everything but knotted hankies!

[Plynkes]

Thanks Plynkes.  Do they have kilt covers on though?  It's not clear on the North Star website if they do or not.

Judging from this photo from Mr. Bickley's site I would say yes.



I just saw some on eBay a minute ago, too.


Edit: Forgot Musketeer did Highland laddies. That is another option. As Over Open Sights says, they are very, very nice sculpts. I think the few BEF I painted of theirs are the nicest Great War figures I've ever had the joy to paint. A little on the small side compared with the rest of my collection, though, but not ruinously so.

[Over Open Sights]

Right on, brother! Compare the above with these for sculpt quality and pose:

[Ignatieff]

Great debate and info all.

Here's the rub though comrades: the Musketeer minis are TINY, compared to Copplestone and GWM.  If they could be pumped up a bit, I am with you Mark, but way too small methinks.  Help convince me otherwise (please), and once you're finished Shep's commission, are you up for a challenge???

[georgec]

Musketeer Miniatures (now through Gripping Beast) sculpts by His Excellency Paul Hicks are simply the BEST WW1 Highland troops on the market in my humble opinion.

Musketeer Miniatures are scuplted by the very talented Bill Thornhill, as opposed to the very talented Paul Hicks.

[Hammers]

I've used Musketeers Early WW1 Scots and supplied them with Wolseleys.

I only have a photo of one, like so...



...but I think it is quite representative. Khaki apron in place, as you can see. Long sleeves and Highlander cut on the jacket, I am afraid. I painted him with Gordon Highlander socks.

[Plynkes]

Musketeer Miniatures are scuplted by the very talented Bill Thornhill, as opposed to the very talented Paul Hicks.

I think you may be mistaken. The Musketeer BEF and Inter-War ranges were done by Paul Hicks rather than Bill, weren't they?

[Hammers]

I think you may be mistaken. The Musketeer BEF and Inter-War ranges were done by Paul Hicks rather than Bill, weren't they?

I am sure of it.

[Ignatieff]

I've used Musketeers Early WW1 Scots and supplied them with Wolseleys.

I only have a photo of one, like so...



...but I think it is quite representative. Khaki apron in place, as you can see. Long sleeves and Highlander cut on the jacket, I am afraid. I painted him with Gordon Highlander socks.

Super work Hammers.  And although we Scots are notoriously short (in stature and temper), they are just too short for my liking.

[OSHIROmodels]

I think you may be mistaken. The Musketeer BEF and Inter-War ranges were done by Paul Hicks rather than Bill, weren't they?

I think some of them were especially the more civvie types.

cheers

James

[georgec]

I think you may be mistaken. The Musketeer BEF and Inter-War ranges were done by Paul Hicks rather than Bill, weren't they?

My apologies,  I certainly am mistaken.  Bill did the Russian WW1 figures but Paul Hicks scuplted the BEF and Inter-War figures.

[Hammers]

Super work Hammers.  And although we Scots are notoriously short (in stature and temper), they are just too short for my liking.

I don't think it is so bad. if you are happy to use Brigade or Foundry next to your Copplestones, Musketeer should not be a problem. plus they almost paint themselves.