Third Afghan War

[Ignatieff]

Great references!

[Arlequín]

Although I have a long running game board project of this era, I have never come across these images. They are great!
A certain image in particular peaked my interest:



 Have never before seen images of people from this area in fez.

... and you probably still haven't. The 'Karachi' stamp is merely where the photos were developed. I'll put money on it being taken in Egypt, while in transit to India through the Suez Canal.

[carlos marighela]

Indeed, vis the traditional RAF song from the period.

There's bags of batchy airmen, way down in the sunny Sudan,
Where everyone is batchy and so's the old man,
There's bags and bags of bullshit, saluting on the square,
And when we're not saluting we're up in the fucking air.

We're leaving Khartoum by the light of the moon,
We're sailing by night and by day,
We've just passed Kasfereit and we've fuck all to eat,
'Cause we've thrown all our rations away.

Shire, shire, Somersetshire,
The skipper looks on her with pride,
He'd have a blue fit if he saw anyone shit,
On the side of the Somersetshire.

This is my story, this is my song,
I've been in this air force too fucking long,
So roll on the Rodney, the Nelson, Renown,
They can't sink the Hood 'cause the fuckers gone down,

Tooralay, Tooralay,
Oh we'll fuck all the SPs who come down our way.

[Arlequín]

I reckon a kicking backbeat and a few donks here and there would work wonders for it. Stick on Queen Farida as a b side and we've got a hit!

[carlos marighela]

'Twas sung to me at a tender age along with 'We're flying Flying Fortresses at Forty Thousand Feet', a rather ribald version of 'Bless 'em All' and other assorted RAF ditties. It stuck.

[Bindonblood]

Just seen this thread. Lovely looking figures, and ones that I may get.

However, at £7 for 4 figures they priced similarly to Foundry, and a lot more than North Star, but no one complains about the price. Funny that...

[the commissar]

Any news on any additions to this range - Afghan War or any other "Jazz Age" conflicts?

[Earther]

Any news on any additions to this range - Afghan War or any other "Jazz Age" conflicts?

That.

[Paul @ Empress Miniatures]

The sculpter is just starting work on a very large number of figures covering personalities. infantry, support weapons, cavalry, etc. Quite a lot of packs. 

These will be released over the next couple of months or very soon after.

The aim is to complete the Afghan - Pathan - tribesmen ASAP. Then we move onto other Jazz Age stuff. Probably Brits, possibly regular Afghan forces. time will tell. 

Paul

[Genialjim]

Paul,

Any thoughts as to how you will overcome the pith helmet conundrum; Woolsey pattern or Bombay bowler; separate heads?

Regards

Jim

[Paul @ Empress Miniatures]

Nope.

Not got that far yet. 

[Ignatieff]

The Fakir of Ipi, as featured on the pages previously, will be making an appearance.......

[Ignatieff]

And if anyone has any detail on Baluchi horse furniture that would be of help. I've got the one line drawing from 'Risings and rebellions' (the Herbert book), but a few more wouldnt go amiss.  thanks in advance

[Hammers]

I shall have a look.

I have among other things the wonderfully exciting full twelve volume illustrated tomes of "Stirrups of the Afridis" by Sir Eyehave Strange-Hobbies.

Seriously , I think I do have some books which may be of help.

[carlos marighela]

I think the Wolseley was far more prevalent than the Bombay Bowler up until the late 1930s.

That said It would make sense to make head variants. If you did a body in greyback shirt, '08 webbing, boots and hosetops, with suitable head variants it would do for most British and Indian infantry from about 1922 on. A similar figure but wearing sandals would cover pretty much everyone else, including Gurkhas, all you would need would be separate kukris.  I think there is a crying need for different Indian heads, not just the 'Muslim head' and Sikh head so beloved of other manufacturers. More scope to cover characters and support weapons if you stick to a basic figure type and provide the DIY components to provide variety.