Lamming French Napoleonic Cavalry original range FC 26 Mameluke with Blunderbuss

A very recent acquisition - a first series Lamming Napoleonic Mameluke with Blunderbuss.

Very welcome for a number of reasons:

1. It is an extremely attractive figure
2. I have not seen many Lamming original series cavalry, they have mostly been the reworked "heroic" figures
3. I have had an example/examples of the later series figure for years and have always wondered what the original figure looked like - the later one holds his blunderbuss vertically.
4. I have a large number of S Range Mamelukes from the French Revolution & Egypt Campaign to paint at some point (these are different to the French Napoleonic ones in carrying small round shields) and he will make a good and distinctive leader figure for them.

First of all pictures from different angles to show the figure off in the round:

And then a comparison shot.

Unfortunately I don't have the later FC 26 figure to hand so this is the FC 27 Mameluk Officer.

This photo is not very successful in showing the difference in size and build of the two figures but if I can find the later series FC 26 figure I will do a further comparison shot with that.

PI/5 Lamming Prussian Guard Grenadier Officer

A painted example of the Prussian Napoleonic Guard Officer, also seen in the bare metal in this previous post below.

https://theoldmetaldetector.blogspot.com/2020/05/lamming-napoleonic-figures.html

More Lamming Napoleonics - BA/11, 12, 13, 14 - British Foot Artillery

There were two further Royal Artillery figures, of which I do not yet have examples - BA/9 gunner with match and BA/10 gunner with lever.

Lamming artillery pieces were considered very fine, with Don Featherstone for one a big admirer of them.

More Medieval and Roman siege artillery

Last week I ventured into my loft for the first time in about eighteen months.

I have recently acquired a number of Rose and Hinton Hunt ACW units and I needed to see what I already had, and put them into the best combinations as units.

I also knew I had a small number of additional painted Rose Napoleonic units which would just need rebasing to my new Rose standard.

Then I had my RJW project, where I needed to find again the ones in the loft I already had painted. Figures are mostly Jacklex with some Stonewall ones thrown in. The bad news was having fairly recently finally tracked down the Stonewall figures on their website (not easy, I promise you) and having taken an inordinate time to paint the 60 or so Japanese infantry I had in the queue ... I found I hd another 60 or so of the blighters undercoated in the loft. So more work on them, then...Still it puts forward the evil day when I have to try to put together the handrails on the two new Japanese field guns I bought a while ago from Mark at Jacklex.

But a collateral benefit was this group of medieval and Roman artillery pieces. I think that is now the ninth Lamming medieval ballista I've found I had, together with some type of mini trebuchet and two Roman scorpios. I've no idea who made these last three items - the scorpios are definitely right bu the "trebuchet" has been assembled from a box of bits including some other frames and a catapult arm. These will all have been odd bits which were included with something else I bought and which I had wanted at the time.

Glad to have (re) discovered them now - I had no idea they were there.

Next post will be the Rose Napoleonics - more of the same as in previous posts, but only one more Old Guard battalion which means the ration of line to Guard has improved a bit.

Then I will do some posts on the Rose and other ACW units once I have done the photographs.

And eventually something about some Hinchliffe System 12 figures and accessories which I have recently acquired -- though that might be on Vintage Wargaming.

So all in all I'm hoping to increase tyhe productivity of my logs a bit in the near future, Good intentions, eh?

Something different from Lamming - medieval Cogs

These are the 1/2400 scale Medieval cogs made by Bill Lamming and introduced, I think, at the same time as his medieval Campaign rules. I never had any back in the day, although BL sold them for pennies. They are now available again from Tony at ERM but cost a bit more these days.

I obtained these - all vintage castings - in two lots, in the last three or four motnhs. One set have a small cast on sea base, the other lot just a plain hull. I have put both types on basetexed pennies, to give a robust and protective sea base.

I'll add a bit of context to this post in the next few days.

Mystery Napoleonic Prussian Fusilier with Lamming heritage...

This figure was included in a recently arrived bunch of figures from eBay which amongst other things had around 30 Lamming first series Napoleonics, infantry, gunners, and cavalry. While not quite the same style as those first series Lammings, and also being slightly smaller, it shares some unmistakable Lamming DNA.

As I knew the Hinton Spieler was interested in this figure (and has posted a photograph from Charles Grant's Napoleonic Wargaming of part of Peter Gilder's collection including a unit of these), I sent him a copy of the picture above and have had an email discussion with him about it. He will be posting his views there, but I can't yet agree that they demonstrate a third, "intermediate", Lamming Napoleonic range, either before or after the first series.

It is well documented that Bill Lamming remodelled the figures in 1974/5 into a chunkier, heroic 25mm format, dropping eight French infantry codes at the same time. However there is no suggestion anywhere else of a third range - this would only have worked if they were forerunners of the original range. and this is entirely possible but is only based on this particular figure (although the Spieler has also been tipped off of pictures of another in similar style on eBay).

I would want to see at least five or six different figures before accepting there was such a range. Given the longstanding interest there was in Bill Lamming's short lived Sven Years War range and the energy which went into looking for information on it (see here) I don't think a whole range could have disappeared without anyone noticing or mentioning it.

So I think perhaps these were one or two early figures which might have been resculpted as the first range built up. The figures themselves look like Alberken or Minifigs 20mm figures which have had Lamming faces or heads transplanted onto them. They also have an attempt at the scratched grass effect on the tops of their bases. I think they may have been home cast although the Spieler doubts this. Peter Gilder certainly had a record of using others' figures in designing his, and it is interesting that they have emerged in the context of his collection - so he may have made them himself for his own use.

Interestingly I have another photograph (the one above) which is certainly made up of the same figure and I think actually are the same figures and unit as the one in the photograph from  Grant's Napoleonic Wargaming in the link above.

It came from the late Mike Ingham, who took the Wargames Holiday Centre over from Peter Gilder, and who asked me to help to identify the manufacturers of the figures from PG's original 20mm collection at the WHC which he wanted to sell - this was later replaced by the collection of Connoisseur and other figures which will be more familiar to some of a particular vintage.

The basing is the same, the flag looks the same, also the Hinton Hunt officer and converted ensign (below).

We may never know anything more for sure, but it will be interesting to see if anyone else has any of these figures, or any light to shed on the matter. I know Matthew at the Hinton Spieler has some more, relevant photos so I am looking forward to how this discussion might develop.

Lamming Napoleonic Figures

A recent eBay arrival contained, among other things, around 20 Lamming Napoleonic foot and eight mounted figures. There were one of each of the foot figures and some duplicates among the mounted, which included four different types of horse.

This is a significant addition for me as I have never had sight of most of these figures - I have a couple of units (yet to be repainted) and a few odds and ends, mostly command figures.

The foot figures contain more of these (command figures), two four man artillery crews (RHA and French Foot), and a number of standard infantrymen.

The artillery crews do not quite include all the gunner figures which were produced. There is also one slightly intriguing figure, of which more anon. With this exception they are all from the first series Napoleonic Range (before Bill Lamming replaced them all with "heroic 25 mm" versions. While all the figures are very welcome additions, I am particularly struck by the mounted figures as I am not sure (without an all-day expedition into the loft) whether I actually have any of the first series cavalry already.

I will also need to do some further investigation into the horses, in case I can identify and/or find a list for those with visible codes - this may provide a further post.


BRITISH FIGURES

British Line Infantry BI 1,2 and 5 - advancing, officer and drummer

British Light Infantry BI 8 - advancing

Royal Fusilier Officer BI 10

Royal Horse Artillery BA 1, 3, 5, 6

Royal Scots Grey Officer BC 6

FRENCH FIGURES

French Line Elite Company FI 1

Imperial Guard Grenadiers FI 4, 6, 3 - officer, drummer and advancing

French Line Fusilier FI 8

French Line Foot Artillery FA 1, 3, 5 and 6

French Cuirassier Officer FC 8

Dutch or Polish Lancer FC 19

PRUSSIAN FIGURES

Prussian Line Infantry PI 3 - officer

Prussian Guard Grenadiers PI 5, 2 - officer and advancing

FIGURES - IDENTIFICATION NOT CONFIRMED

I have not been able to provide confirmed identification of these figures and any help with this would be gratefully received. In some cases I have a strong idea but don't yet have 100% certainty.

Mystery Prussian Line Infantry - PI 1?

French Hussar Elite in Busby FC 13; or FC 1 Chasseur a Cheval of the Guard? Or other? Horse is not necessarily a clue - haven't done any work on the horses so mounted at random

Possibly British Hussar BC 1

I have two further British Cavalry figures to photograph - British Lifeguards BC 3 and 8 - trooper and officer.

When I have done whatever I can on the identification of the horses (which may not, of course, have been the right ones to start with) I will add new photographs. I also hope to add individual posts for each of the figures in this post.

And next I will post something about the mystery Prussian Fusilier pictured above. I have been talking to the Hinton Spieler about this figure and I think it is fair to say we haven't reached a consensus on it, so I think Matthew will be also be posting about it there,

Douglas Spanish Infantry Grenadiers NP2

If you have been waiting years wondering how to paint those Douglas Spanish Grenadiers - your wish is my command

Rose Napoleonic project 2019

Back in September 2018 I posted on Vintage Wargaming about the acquisition of some Rose figures from Peter Goldsbrough's collection of 20mm Napoleonics. In addition to these I had quite a large number of unpainted figures from a previous purchase, which I intended to combine in a project I thought I would document on line. The Goldsbrough figures included a lot of conversions, some of them very interesting, and which required a degree of repair and refurbishment.

That original Vintage Wargaming post can be found here.

For various reasons all the fun and excitement were soon drained out of the project and I put it aside for eight or nine months, and even thought seriously of throwing all the figures away. However, then after finishing various other things I decided to have a go at seeing it to completion. This meant a further two or three months sticking at it and grinding out about 20 battalions and 10 or 12 guns and crews. While it wasn't very exciting while it was going on it was a good feeling of achievement to get it completed. It also meant I still haven't had to face up to painting hundreds of Hinton Hunt French and British line infantry figures.

I have always liked the stylised nature of the Rose infantry, all of which are in two poses, marching and advancing.They are almost semi flat or demi-ronde, and I had always thought they would look very good en masse. I also changed my normal basing standard (20mm x 20mm for foot) to two ranks of two figures each on a 30 mm frontage with a 40 mm depth to fit the style of the figures and was very pleased with the result.

This photo would have illustrated this point better if I had stuck the figures a bit straighter on the base.

Having acquired a large number of Rose officers of various types, but all in the same pose, waving their sword in a right arm that looked just a little too long, I got quite fond of using them with Les Higgins units, to give a slightly more animated command option than the LH bloke standing on a football and pointing.

The Rose Napoleonics range was small and doesn't seem to have expanded hence the need for conversions for anyone with ambitions beyond this original list. This might be to add more detail, to get the troop type you wanted, They were first issued in 1963-4,  therefore a little before the Hinton Hunt 20mm range, which took the alternative route of being as large and comprehensive as possible.

I had also come across the DBN Napoleonic Rules which operate at a grand tactical level and are really designed for 15mm figures. In the couple of games I played  I found them really well thought out and clearly thoroughly play tested. Although this isn't the level I would choose to do moist of my Napoleonic wargaming I am now wondering whether the Rose armies might provide an option for DBN.

The Rose figures are a bit of a sideline and curiosity really - I'm not sure for example how they might work with my other 20mm figures, like Hinton Hunts and Alberken - so thinking of a particular role for them is a good thing and very welcome after the time and work put into them.

So in the end I think a useful project to create some unusual armies and I'm glad I stuck with it.

Rose Napoleonic project 2019: British Army

The British Army.

It comprises:

5 battalions Line Infantry
1/2 battalion Highlanders
1/2 battalion Rifles

1 squadron Life Guards
1 squadron Royal Horse Guards
2 squadrons Light Dragoons
1 squadron Hussars

3 guns (Hinton Hunt) and crews (Rose)

Rose Napoleonic project 2019: British Infantry

Line infantry - five battalions of them - two refurbished, three painted from scratch.

Half a battalion of heavily converted Highlanders from the Peter Goldsbrough collection. There is an officer to add who needs a repair to his sword arm.

Half a battalion of lightly converted Rifles, with their rather nice command element.

Rose Napoleonic project 2019: British Cavalry

Life Guards

Royal Horse Guards

Light Dragoon command, including trumpeter conversion. No later Light Dragoon figure was listed so I don't know what the base figure for these and those below was.

Later Light Dragoons

Light Dragoon 1800 - I only have one of these,unfortunately.

Hussars - again I am not sure what the base figure is, I suspect it is the French Hussar MFR 4

The only two British cavalry figures listed were MBR 1 British Horse Guard 1800-1815 and MBR 2 British Light Dragoon 1800.

Rose Napoleonic project 2019: British Artillery

British Foot artillery - Rose gunners and Hinton Hunt guns.

I did have one Rose British gun but I can't identify it- I painted up my entire British artillery park prior to finishing all my remaining gunners and I can't positively identify the Rose piece. I do remember it was a nice clean model and casting.

Rose Napoleonic project 2019: British Command and casualties

Ubiquitous Wellington figure converted with a shako into a British mounted colonel.

British line infantry command bases including Miniature Figurines 20mm mounted officers as colonels. These are one piece castings.

 British line infantry bases using only Rose foot command figures.

Two photos of the British Rifles command conversions, bugler and officer.

British infantry casualties, Rifles, Line Infantry, and Highlander.

British cavalry casualties