1938 A very British Civil War

[Ascent]

Are we maybe going to see a return to the Auld alliance? I'm sure the Scots would welcome some French armour.

Would also be a good way of justifying using some of the French figures out there.

[Bungle]

The church is getting its supplies from France.

So French armour and french helmets for Anglicans?

[Mort]

Regiment Games Naval landing party would work very well for this setting to.

Hehe I have a unit of these and am about to start painting them

So do I and they are painted. 30 or so. I converted the Brens to Lewises

  .And another one joins the fold.

An appeal to Simon (Hastings) & friends.

When considering all the (already being at hand) info about factions & alliances throughout the realm and apart from future sourcebook-like publications, would it not be advisable to create a website around a map of the UK whereby one could click on certain areas to reveil what factions are operating there (and a short background), perhaps with the factions' flags?

On this proposed website the flag pictures could be barred with the text "copyright" or something to make'm useless for downloading (after all these are offered as a commercial product).  I think this would be a great step forward in creating (yet) more interest in the subject.  The theme was simple enough at the start, but since it now leads a life of its own (good!), to a newcomer it might start to look like the 40K universe...

Rudi

We'll have to see how we get on with book 2. May be we'll put a map in book 2 or put one on the net later in the year. For me not having a map is good because then people are not tied down to what troops are in what area.
So much of the history was/is being made by the players why tie new people down by saying you can only have this or that army in that area.
For me this is the fun bit watching other people going off in ways and areas we could never have thought of.
I will say the Devon LDV are called The Devon and Exeter Farmers Rifles DEFR.

[Mr. Peabody]

I'll jump in and echo that PDF source material is very tempting.
I'm not likely to play this wonderful setting for quite some time, (a year or more unless someone at our club picks it up) but I would be very tempted to add the source material to the old electric library.

Thomas

[Hastings]

Only been away a day and so many interesting threads- we so need GWP back! I hope we havent lost all the stuff on there, it was getting quite an archive- Would Lead adventure give us a 1938 page on our own?

Big hello to Tadportly- Bromley being my place of birth and home for 25 years and with its links to HG Wells had to figure in this somewhere. So im afraid quite selfishly I have retained at least some Bromley units for my Anglian League force- who are about to embark on an odyssey in aid of the Bishop of Bath and Wells- but that my friends is another story! In the source book Scenario 2 of the Kent campaign, the Bromley Company pitch in at the Medway so im just assuming they are joined by the LDVs as well. The West kent's also had a cycle company based at Tonbridge I knew about the Ashford ww1 tank which is I believe still on display. However in reality (not something we have much to do with) it was turned into an electrical sub station prior to 1938. I believe the Royal Navy had the last operational mkIV or V defending a base in 1940. So I hope we see some of these giants on the table before long. German artillery is a good laugh as well. Ive got a picture of several 77's? on display outside Worcester Guildhall and I was going to give one to the Worcester Yeomanry. Main problem would probably be ammo? Maybe restrict their firing in a game? Let us know if any campaigns materialise up your way.

Maps, yep great, It maybe a possibility for a website later in the year.
Im hoping to gety a site for Solway Crafts and Minis done so we can cut our costs on ebay, it maybe possible to add some 1938 pages which would be good. As far as book 2 goes I can say im drawing several maps at the mo. One thing id like to include is information people can take away and use as they like rather than being totally prescriptive- obviously at times we compromise this to make a coherant story. But maps are a great way to put out a lot of info and say right do what you like with it. So im working on TA units, Regimental depots, major road and rail networks, key industrial sites ports oh yeah and Anglican Dioceses. Id also like to do some distribution stuff on Trade union communist party and BUF membership/branches- but thats going to take a lot more research , and one ive just started distribution of International Brigade veterans-which is a lot easier than you might think cos the info is in the appendix of Bill Alexander's book.
Anyway process is all this gets chucked at our comrade and editor Rob and see what he says Yes to ( is Rob the man from Delmonte?)
I spent two hours this morning planning what im going to submit and found its quite a list so a library of stuff in PDF format would be great and once we have a stable base maybe its something we can work on.
I cant remeber who wrote what but folks that submitted stuff previously on the Airforce and Navy can you e-mail me direct (solwayminiatures@aol.com) for a chat as these are areas we do wish to include.
Speaks later
Cheers Chaps

[Hastings]

Ah the French! Yes as Bungle says French Anti-Fascist aid is coming into Dover, Folkestone, Ramsgate etc and going first and foremost to the Anglican league
But there is also the possibility of French fascists on the other side (I did a flag for the Bretons as well!)
As for Scotland- hadnt thought of it, but small bands of mercs or volunteers would work.
What we were not envisaging was the arrival of French armoured divisions! (tempting as maybe) There is no official French government intervention so kit is limited. RT17's a probability, Char B's unlikely id have thought unless stolen!- Sorry just had an image of a Michael Caine figure with a Char B stuck on the back of a transporter hanging off a cliff saying 'Lads i've got an idea...!'
Adrian helmets im certainly mixing in with other militia types for my leaguers, along with bits of  dark blue uniform it gives them a nice distinctive look. and there are some nice SCW types around. Other figures that  i think look good as leaguers are the Anglian Assaltos

[commissarmoody]

I would like to see the Map idea put into action myself, being a Yank, with only a vary limated time spent in the England. (a 5 day holiday to check out london dosent count as a compleat if you ask me, ran into more tourest then I did londeners!)
So it would give Me and the guys i am trying to work with over here a more compleat pictuer. they like to have there maps and good background basies before they jump in you know.
I already have a pretty sizable BUF assulte force made up, and am going to be useing my IWI for LDF.
What I would really like to do is do norther Ireland, Useing the Nationl army aginst orange men, And Scotish forces arriveing to help clam the North for them selfs. ^_^.

[Geudens]

I would like to see the Map idea put into action myself, being a Yank, with only a vary limated time spent in the England. (a 5 day holiday to check out london dosent count as a compleat if you ask me, ran into more tourest then I did londeners!)
So it would give Me and the guys i am trying to work with over here a more compleat pictuer. they like to have there maps and good background basies before

That's exactly the reason why I suggested it in the first place.  Even though I'm rather familiar with our UK friends, the flow of information about particular areas and alignments coming from their side is overwhelming for me, living in Belgium (and no doubt to other non-UK residents too).  I'm not suggesting to replace the book(s) (lovely stuff!) by a website, but I'm sure that - even a basic one with a short introduction, maps and pics of units (you know, everything that gets a wargamer going  ) - will raise interest in the project even more.  I'm thinking of what some sites did for colonials (e.g. The Major-General's site - and others).  There could also be a battle-report section, where contributors (through the webmaster's filter) could share the fun they experienced...

Rudi

[Ook]

the flow of information about particular areas and alignments coming from their side is overwhelming for me

It's a bit confusing at times for me even Rudi, and I'm a UK resident 

[TadPortly]

Hi Hastings.  Must admit not much gaming done at the moment, mainly figure collecting, but that will now change as there's been quite a few things that have taken my fancy of late - this subject in particular.  Just out of interest do you game at a club or at home?

I knew about the Ashford Tank, the Tonbridge one as scrapped in the 1930s I believe, but as this is fiction it could be resurrected (I might just do it too).  Just out of interest this link lists all English and Welsh towns given MkIVs post WWI:

http://www.thelincolntank.net/presentation.html

A little more digging on my Grandfather's unit and I find he was in 387 battery, 97th (Kent Yeomanry) Field Regiment Royal Artillery. I guess I shall be purchasing the Great War Miniatures 13lb and crew.

I also fancy a big gun, so maybe 309 H.A.C. Siege Battery and the HLBS 8 inch howitzer.

2nd County of London Yeomanry (The Westminster Dragoons) transferred to the Tank Corps as 22nd (London) Armoured Car Company (Westminster Dragoons), fitting my invented background rather nicely.

I was also musing that the Imperial War Museum would have been a good source of military hardware, as would the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich.

As for Bromley's Home Guard, there was a book published in 1945: A History of the Bromley Home Guard: A History of the 51st Kent Battalion.  However, I have only seen it advertised for silly money.

[Hastings]

All good stuff Sir!
Yep im a member of Dumfries Wargamers which meet at the 5 Arches pub on Annan Road in Dumfries every Tuesday- if anyone is passing this way. When in Bromley I was a member at SELWG for about 4 years.
My Grandad was in the Bromley Home Guard, he was in a reserved occupation as a Bus driver but then got called up for RASC in 44
Got a nice pic of him with the hull of a V2 he brought back on his Scammel- personally I thought that was taking war souvenirs a bit far!
Ive got a few interesting bits on the home guard including some of the weired and wonderful stuff, cavalry, river patrols, roller skaters, mad weapons etc. Ill keep an eye out for the Bromley book at a reasonable price.
Im not sure what to do about the Imperial War Musuem. As you probably know the collection was housed at Crystal Palace until sometime before the fire. I did have ideas for a Reichstag style plot where the BUF would accuse the Communists of trying to fire the palace, but actually having it saved by the quick actions of the local  LDV (who probably would reappropriate a lot of the kit). This possibly would leave Lambeth Road as Bedlam!
Thats a great list of ww1 tanks didnt realise there was anything like that many- another mapping exercise! A-team style customisation next perhaps?
Apologies to our overseas comrades- I do appreciate that the level of detail bouncing about can be overwhelming. I will work on some maps asap that we can make available somehow. Thinking about it, it was a bit of a glaring error not to include one in the first book- sorry chaps! The plan was also to put one in the Albions Trumpet Newsletter but im afraid that didnt get done for Penarth and that was down to me- more apologies! It will be done for Sheffield Tripples and if Musketeer Bill is agreeable through him at Salute. But we will also need a net version and ill try and sort that. In the meantime please ask if any details need to be clarified- enthusiasm is great but I know we get carried away at times!
On specifics- We have not done anything on Ireland. In the first place because it is still a very sensitive issue and very easy to unintentionally cause offence. I think also there was the feeling that it would just be an extension of earlier conflicts which are covered elsewhere, mainland Britain really was something new. If however the Irish aspects of the BCW  is the line you want to  personally explore its pretty open.

[Paul E]

Gentlemans Wargames Parlour.

Good and bad news good people.

The bad news is that we are not back on line with Xsorbit 

The good news is that we are currently decorating a new club house which is much improved on the last.

We hope to open the doors late next week.

I will keep you posted.

[commissarmoody]

Gentlemans Wargames Parlour.

Good and bad news good people.

The bad news is that we are not back on line with Xsorbit 

The good news is that we are currently decorating a new club house which is much improved on the last.

We hope to open the doors late next week.

I will keep you posted.

Yippie skippie!

[Hastings]

Well thats a relief- well played Sir!
Will you be able to get back the stuff previously posted or are we starting from scratch?

[Bungle]

The yahoo group has a few bits to add to the new site, and can be used as a repository for stuff just in case there are access problems.