General Service Wagon Mk1 Royal Engineers

General Service Wagon Mk1 Royal Engineers, originally uploaded by MrTeld.

Lt Chard Posing next to his new General Service wagon,  
Today I have managed to finish the construction of the last of the wagons for the Rorkes Drift game,all three still require painting but I feel quite pleased as this is another thing I can tick off the list of scenic requirments for the scenario.
I plan on using this one  in the Rorkes Drift game for the abandoned Royal Engineers wagon that was left outside the defensive perimeter on the other side of the rough stone Kraal.
As to the question of authenticity, well I have no idea if the Wagon General Service mk 1 R.E  was used by Engineers in 1879  but it just made a nice touch.
Line drawings for a lot of victorian Artillery and Engineer transport can be found at the following link :

http://www.palmerstonforts.org.uk/art/wagons.htm

Boer Ox Wagon number two

Boer Ox Wagon , originally uploaded by MrTeld.

I managed to make another ox wagon yesterday, just got to look at what colour to paint it now. This one is of a slightly different design to the first one. I think I will just paint it and leave it without any oxen so it could be used for defensive positions, I may in time make enough of them to make a laager only time will tell.

scratch build Boer wagon

scratch build Boer wagon, originally uploaded by MrTeld.

Today I have been busy making the first of the scratch built Ox wagons. It took a little longer to make than I expected and is a little on the rough side but I have learned a good bit in the making of this one that will help when It comes to making the next one. Hoping to be able to make a couple more over the weekend.

A few Rorke's Drift Characters

Today I managed to take a few more pictures of some of the characters I have done so far for the Rorke's Drift game, although I do plan on using them  in a lot of different scenarios in the future under diferent names.

Hospital defenders 

Privates Horrigan, John Williams, Joseph Williams

and Private Hook in shirt sleeve order.

 

Commissariat and Transport Dept.

Acting Commissariat Walter Dunne, Assistant Acting Commissariat James Langley Dalton 

 

Acting Chaplain to the Volunteers

Rev. George Smith

Natal Mounted Police

Troopers Green, Lugg and Hunter. 

plus a Sergeant who will be used in other scenarios

Commissariat and Transport Dept.

Acting Store Keeper, Louis Byrne.

and Pip the dog

Hospital Corps

Corporal Rowland Miller, Second-Corporal Michael McMahon and Private Thomas Luddington.

 Complete with two patients on stretchers one who is past helping.

plus a wounded Private Frederick Hitch of the 24th foot receiving treatment

The first of the bedridden wounded which I am quite pleased with, I may well have a go at making a mould of the next one I do, as there are varying accounts as to the number of bedridden patients in the hospital at the time of the attack.One account puts the amount as high as eleven another as low as three. Given the different figures given I will have a go at casting a dozen, I’m sure I can find a use for any I don’t use in this game.

Because we're here, lad. Nobody else. Just us.

Following on from the posting of the main part of the Zulu army painted up so far (I managed to find a few more in another box that I had missed) its time I posted the British painted so far.

I have painted up just over 50 British so far ... Much more of a slow slog to paint compared the Zulus. The good news is that this as the amount required to play Rorkes drift with TSATF rules... Hurray!!!!!.

The bad news for me is that I decided early on that I wanted to have a go at doing the British at 1:1 with the Zulus regenerating as required, So as to save money on the Zulus, plus there is no way my table or wallet will accommodate 4500 Zulus.

In the mean time while painting up the remainder of the British I can make a start at scratch building the station at rorkes drift and hopefully have a test game or two. In reality I think the painting of the British will be done before the buildings, I have made a start and done the cookhouse and outhouse and part of the meelie bag defence so some progress has been made and I will post pictures of them soon.

Been blabbering on again time for the pictures

Empress Miniatures figures firing line

Empress Miniatures  " at ready"

The above is the line figures painted so far the charector figures will follow tomorrow.

Terry

The sentries report Zulus to the south west .......... Thousands of them !!!!

Ok maybe not thousands of them, or for that matter hundreds of them, but the few that I have finished painting.

  From the title of the post you can properly guess that  thescenario im working on during the first part of the project is the battle of Rorkes Drift. As such this first lot of Zulus have been painted to represent the amabutho present at the battle, at the moment the individual Ibutho are all approximately 30 to 40 figures strong, This is only half of the amount of figures required for the scenario so upon completion some of the Ibutho will be considerably larger which will be more in keeping with the actual deployment on the day.

 Uthulwana 

 Or the "dust raisers"  which is the rough  translation of Uthulwana  which numbered approximately 1500 men on the day of the battle. Made up of mainly wargames factory plastic zulus with four black tree uthlwana in full ceramonial dress. There are another 20 black tree uthulwana figures partly painted at the present time awaiting finishing, the Ibutho should number 60 when completed .

Indlondlo

The "Horned Vipers"  the smalist of the amabutho present on the day numbering aproxamitly 900 men . At the present time there are 37 figures in this ibutho again the main bulk of the figures bieng used are the plastic multi part wargames factory figures with a few black tree and empress figures mixed in. This regiment only requires another 3 figures for its final strength of 40 figures.

Udloko

The "Savage Fighters"the younger of the ringed or "married" regiments of the loins or resurve,  this Ibutho made up the main part of the force that attacked rorkes drift numbering aprox 2500 men , at the moment this is only 30 figures strong, a third of the required strength another 60 are reqired to bring this up to the right strength. At the present time another 30 are in the painting que and are part painted. 

Indluyengwe

"Leopards Lair " or the Spots  the Unmarried or unringed  ibutho which was part of the loins or reserve of the army numbering approximately 1000 men on the day, I have not counted the figures but I think there are 40 figures give or take one or two , Again we have the main part of the regiment  being made up of wargames factory Zulus with a few empress, black tree, and Redoubt figures. The main part of the Zulus with firearms in the above picture is from Redoubt. 

This Ibutho is at the present time finished having the needed number of figures, but I will in the near  future separate off the redoubt  figures with firearms  to use as a separate skirmish unit , so there will be the need for other 10 or so figures to complete the regiment.

IzinDuna

Last but by no means least the Induna or commanders and witch doctor

Renedra Bell Tents

I was hoping to post a brief overview of the project and the current state of affairs with a few pics but unfortunately the weather has not been great and this resulted in bad lighting for taking good pictures, so I will hold off and wait till there is better light for that post. In the mean time a snap of my attempts with the renedra plastic bell tents from the Perrys.

I purchased the 19th /20th century Bell tents which includes 4 tents, 2 camp beds and a fire. This at the time cost £6, quite a lot cheaper than the resin equivalents available.

I am quite pleased with the results and will be buying another set soon, they are quite small, though just about right as a small bell tent when used with the empress and foundry figures but may look to small with larger 28mm figures. They would also work very well as the larger 14 man bell tents with 20mm figures.

Terry