Some illustrations from Salonika

[argsilverson]

I think that the following link is interesting


http://www.gwpda.org/memoir/Salonica/salonpix.htm

[Plynkes]

Seems that account was written while the campaign was still going on, what with the present tense being used so much, and there being no mention of the 1918 battles (Edit: just noticed in the introduction "the present situation" refers to 1917).

Very interesting, thanks for posting it.

[Prof.Witchheimer]

found that interesting, too. like that pic and the comment:

OUR POLYGLOT ARMY IN THE BALKANS.
L. TO R., BACK ROW---ANNAMITE, FRENCHMAN, SENEGALESE, ENGLISHMAN, RUSSIAN, ITALIAN, SERBIAN (PARTLY HIDDEN), IN FRONT---CRETAN, BRITISH INDIAN.

that russian guy seems to be a 25mm one 

[Helen]

HI Guys,

Thanks Arg again for the lovely link to Salonkia. I was thinking that I can really use all my WW1 collection and some you haven't seen yet in photos for this Sideshow. The only think I can't used is my WW1 US Marines in this campaign.

Thankyou. 

[Plynkes]

That Senegalese fella would make a nice figure. Could use him for all sorts of things. Western Front and Cameroon as well as Salonika. Looks to me like the "Frenchman" is actually an African, too.

Hmm. Tropical-helmeted Brits in Serge Service Dress, and also in Khaki Drill but not in shirtsleeves order. In a perfect world I would have all these figures. 

[Hammers]

What a lovely melange!

It is better (or worse) than most UN forces I have ever heard of.

What's an 'annamite'?

[Plynkes]

Old way of saying Vietnamese, more or less. Though not quite. I don't think all of present-day Vietnam was Annam, but some of it was.

[argsilverson]

I have a question:

I think that Cameroon campaign was in the very early stages of WW1. Do the Senegalese tiralleurs wore the colonial uniform (blue with red fez) or the later french uniform with the long coat in khaki and red fez?

[Plynkes]

As far as I am aware, they wore Khaki with red fezzes. This is mentioned in Farwell's book on the Great War in Africa. It came up because the German Askaris in Cameroon wore Khaki with red fezzes, too, and there were many instances of misidentification, friendly-fire, failure to fire, etc.

I do not know if they wore greatcoats. I would think not in Cameroon's heat. Possibly a jacket like the chap in the picture above. I am not sure.


Edit: According to Osprey, French native units had been wearing khaki on campaign in Africa for quite some time. But when such units were sent to the Western Front they switched to the showier blue uniforms (madness!). This was until the change by the Metropolitan Army to Horizon Blue, at which point African and Asian units got their own new permanent khaki attire.

[Caporal Le Clou]

Looks to me like the "Frenchman" is actually an African, too.

You right, he does look a bit arabic; perhaps he's a "Tirailleur Marocain".

Some more photos from Salonika:
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/le_cri_de_vaux/orient.htm

and for Plynkes, a colour photo of a bulgarian uniform:
http://www.ww1remembered.org/BulgariaOne.htm

[Plynkes]

Thanks. That just brings up more questions for me, though, I'm afraid.

These Bulgarians are making me tear my hair out. Grey-Green, "Tobacco Brown" and now this very sandy light khaki. I'm struggling to figure out which Bulgarian troops wore what and when.

[Helen]

Thanks. That just brings up more questions for me, though, I'm afraid.

These Bulgarians are making me tear my hair out. Grey-Green, "Tobacco Brown" and now this very sandy light khaki. I'm struggling to figure out which Bulgarian troops wore what and when.

Hi Poly, go with what you think looks right for you. Know one will say that you are incorrect. There are so many interpretations on uniform colours and so many changes that its make it difficult to keep up sometimes!

[carlos marighela]

I think you'll find the  Grey green uniform offically replaced the 'tobacco brown' some time just before the outbreak of the war, although stocks of the older item still existed. Maybe kit your reservists in tobacco brown or just use it as a way of differentiating twixt regiments. To add a further layer, the Germans donated quite a bit of feld grau material and this was apparently in evidene in the later part of the war along with coal scuttle helmets. I've seen photographic evidence of the latter. Actually for a while I was thinking of using the Bob Murch Germans in hemets but the Tiger chaps look more distinctively Bulgarian.

[argsilverson]

In order to tempt you a little more, see the following link:

http://www.military-collections.com/Greek%20War%20Museum.html

In particular note the photo 13 legend says: "Krupp mobile armored carriage 1914"
in fact it was captured 1 year earlier during the 2nd Balkan War (1913)
A horse drawn tank???
or could be a bicycle/tricycle tank? [Sorry I posted it here, this could also belong to VSF as well]

[Caporal Le Clou]

In order to tempt you a little more, see the following link:

http://www.military-collections.com/Greek%20War%20Museum.html

In particular note the photo 13 legend says: "Krupp mobile armored carriage 1914"
in fact it was captured 1 year earlier during the 2nd Balkan War (1913)
A horse drawn tank???
or could be a bicycle/tricycle tank? [Sorry I posted it here, this could also belong to VSF as well]

It's a Fahrpanzer - a horse drawn portable defensive turret. More info (and pics) on the Landships site: http://www.landships.freeservers.com/new_pages/matador__fahrpanzer_kitreview.htm