Third Afghan War

[Ignatieff]

I would certainly relish some more Pathan tribal types, armed with more up to date weaponry. I can use them for the campaigns in the 1930s, which means I can use fun toys like Hawker Hinds, Crossleys and light tanks. Who doesn't want to play a game that features the Fakir of Ipi, who resides in a place called Arsalkot?

Who he?  tell me more?

[Captain Blood]

It will have tribal Pathans (infantry and cavalry), regular afghans (inf, cav and artillerymen + officers) and a few 'character' figures.....

Ooooh - excellent news! 

[carlos marighela]

Who he?  tell me more?

 A most troublesome gentleman.  Villain of the piece (or hero, depending on your pov) in the 1936 Waziristan uprising. That's the campaign that features in John Masters' Bugles and a Tiger, the classic NWF memoir. It's usually the source of those photos you see of light tanks and Crossleys/India pattern Rolls Royces you see in books etc.

The gentleman in question was never caught by the British, he kept causing trouble through to independence. He got a Times' obit on his death. Of course mispronunciation of Faqir and Ipi no doubt gave British servicemen a rare chuckle during the campaign as would have Arsalkot, the location where he hid out in a cave.

I reckon a figure of him would be a cracker. Most imposing looking chap.

Incidentally, there's a couple of good articles on frontier tactics on this site, one of which talks a little on the '36 campaign.

http://www.king-emperor.com/Articles-Frontier-a3.htm

[Westfalia Chris]

I know of two rather interesting books on the Waziristan theatre, which I read last summer when still in Hull and doing my NWF-ish Brits:

Operations in Waziristan, 1919-1920 / compiled by the General Staff, Army headquarters, India.

Uckfield : Naval & Military Press, 2004.

Warren, Alan: Waziristan, the Faqir of Ipi, and the Indian Army : the North West Frontier Revolt of 1936-37.

Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2000.  

The first is a collection of offical military reports, including maps and interesting sociographic data on the Waziristan tribesmen (including their equipment and tactics). The second is more of a general history, and I cannot comment on its accuracy as I was looking for an overview to get me started, but it is an interesting read and appears to be reasonably reliably researched.

[Ignatieff]

A most troublesome gentleman.  Villain of the piece (or hero, depending on your pov) in the 1936 Waziristan uprising. That's the campaign that features in John Masters' Bugles and a Tiger, the classic NWF memoir. It's usually the source of those photos you see of light tanks and Crossleys/India pattern Rolls Royces you see in books etc.

The gentleman in question was never caught by the British, he kept causing trouble through to independence. He got a Times' obit on his death. Of course mispronunciation of Faqir and Ipi no doubt gave British servicemen a rare chuckle during the campaign as would have Arsalkot, the location where he hid out in a cave.

I reckon a figure of him would be a cracker. Most imposing looking chap.

Incidentally, there's a couple of good articles on frontier tactics on this site, one of which talks a little on the '36 campaign.

http://www.king-emperor.com/Articles-Frontier-a3.htm

put a couple of bullet belts round him and you've got a right bad 'un!

[Arlequín]

The general impression you get of the North West Frontier throughout colonial history is that some Faqir was always in revolt somewhere.

[carlos marighela]

The general impression you get of the North West Frontier throughout colonial history is that some Faqir was always in revolt somewhere.

Whereas in the Middle East it was more often a case of someone being in close proximity to a distant, man-made, body of water.The far canal, as opposed to the nearer one.

[Wirelizard]

Over the weekend I had a rummage through the Internet Archive and the US Army's CARL Digital Library, both great sources of pre-WW2 military manuals and other publications.

Here's the British government's 1925 Manual of Operation on the North-West Frontier of India http://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p4013coll7/id/778/rec/19

Operations in Waziristan 1919-1920 http://archive.org/details/operationsinwa00indi - this is not the history of the Third Afghan War, but the official record of parallel operations in Waziristan around the same time. I haven't read it, but it could be interesting.

The Official History of the Third Afghan War is available in print from Naval & Military Press, but doesn't seem to be online anywhere. Pity, but what does and doesn't get scanned and made available seems to be pretty random.

I'm doing up a longer and more complete list as a blogpost, which I'll hopefully get done sometime this week, but figured a few links now would help!

[Hammers]

It will have tribal Pathans (infantry and cavalry), regular afghans (inf, cav and artillerymen + officers) and a few 'character' figures.....enough, or my tongue will cut out!

What about 'Highlanders' in tablecloth kilts and pith helmets? Maybe they were out of fashion by 1919...



My man at Ospreys calls it a 'Gilbert & Sullivan appearance' which I find condescending. If I had a personal guard I would dress them up in the very same. Or in tutus and upturned terracotta pots for helmets.

[LCpl McDoom]

Mr Ignatieff,

I have 'Crisis on the Frontier' (Robson) and the Third Afghan War Official Account reprint from N&M Press and happy to loan them if you've not seen them. And somewhere in the house, currently eluding me, is an old North-West Frontier map for the period or very near to it - cloth backed and in a slip case. I'll have to get Mrs McDoom to go a-searchin' - she's good at that 

Still contemplating a stroll to Bytham this Saturday? If so, could see you there 
 

[Ignatieff]

Mr Ignatieff,

I have 'Crisis on the Frontier' (Robson) and the Third Afghan War Official Account reprint from N&M Press and happy to loan them if you've not seen them. And somewhere in the house, currently eluding me, is an old North-West Frontier map for the period or very near to it - cloth backed and in a slip case. I'll have to get Mrs McDoom to go a-searchin' - she's good at that 

Still contemplating a stroll to Bytham this Saturday? If so, could see you there 
 

V kind McDoom!  I've got both those books, but I'd love to see the map.  Will be there about 10.  Can only stay the day though

[LCpl McDoom]

Well, found the map, after a long hard scrobble in the bookshelves.

There tomorrow evening, so will hopefully RV @ some point post-10:00hrs on the Saturday.

PS - the trophy wife is armed, often dangerous, so will distract with a ruse involving chocolate buttons and cute fluffy bunny rabbits!

[S J Donovan]

Has anyone looked at Tiger Miniatures Afghan Regular Inf and Cav.

[Hammers]

Has anyone looked at Tiger Miniatures Afghan Regular Inf and Cav.

They are rubbish. Awful.

[Arlequín]

Don't be so circumspect, say what you mean...