No pictures to post this late evening, but I promise to follow up with some within the next day or two so that you can view the progress that I've made on the 83rd (Dublin) Regiment of Foot. As of this evening, I had completed four companies of 12 infantry plus two ensigns and 2 grenadiers, for a total of 52 foot. So I'm halfway there to the eventual goal of 102 figures. I have also painted Colonel Fitch and Major Banastre Lee-Mallory.
My order of reinforcements from Elite Miniatures arrived in record time: 3 days! A tip of the cap goes out to Peter Morbey for his excellent service. I wasn't planning on seeing the box for at least another 5 to 7 days. I immediately opened the parcel and sorted the various figures into their eventual units: Royal Horse Artillery equipment and crew, regimental officers and brigade officers, and some light infantry company figures for the 83rd.
I cleaned up Colonel Fitch and RHA Captain Hew Grant and gave them a coating of grey primer last evening so that I could paint them today. I only had time to work on Colonel Fitch, but managed to complete the painting of the mounted officer. This was due primarily to the need to finish the fourth center company today and to get a start on the grenadier company, which now has the primary colors blocked in. Once the tedious block painting is done, then the real fun starts as I begin to add the details and start shading and highlighting the uniform colors. At this point, the painting really begins to pick up speed and I can see the proverbial "light at the end of the tunnel" with the 12 figure company.
Forty eight figures in a two deep line looks rather impressive (and long). This has caused me to reconsider the size of the regiment. I may reduce it from 102 to approximately 80 figures. That would work out to 5 centre companies (60 figures total) and 2 flank companies (24 total), or 84 figures plus 4-6 figures in the color guard. Hmm, 90 figures is not that much of a space savings afterall. So maybe I will only have 4 centre companies (completed as of today) plus 2 flan companies for a total of 72 figures plus the color guard. I can always add more companies later.
I've been giving some thought to the names of the officers in the regiment and have decided that each company captain must have a name, along with names for the senior officers and staff.
Forty eight figures in a two deep line looks rather impressive (and long). This has caused me to reconsider the size of the regiment. I may reduce it from 102 to approximately 80 figures. That would work out to 5 centre companies (60 figures total) and 2 flank companies (24 total), or 84 figures plus 4-6 figures in the color guard. Hmm, 90 figures is not that much of a space savings afterall. So maybe I will only have 4 centre companies (completed as of today) plus 2 flan companies for a total of 72 figures plus the color guard. I can always add more companies later.
I've been giving some thought to the names of the officers in the regiment and have decided that each company captain must have a name, along with names for the senior officers and staff.
Regimental Colonel - Colonel Fitch
Major = Major Banastre Lee-Mallory
Regimental Sgt.-Maj. - Sargeant Major Padraic Quincannon
Regimental Chaplain - Barry Fitzgerald (he could also be a company captain)
Company A - Captain Patrick Fitzgerald
Company B - Captain Konrad Kinch
Company C - Captain Christoper Duffy
Company D - Captain Sean Thornton
Company E - Captain (to be named later if I paint a fifth centre company)
Grenadier Company - Captain Trevor Howard
Light Company - Captain O'Toole
I am sure that some or all of these names are familiar to all of my blog readers and followers, in some fashion.
Did British regiments have two majors? Then if so, I would also add a Major Dundee to the cast.
At my current painting pace I should have the regiment close to completion by the end of this month, July 2011. The grenadier company is currently on the painting table, with the light company to follow. For the latter company, I selected figures that are more active than the advancing pose used in the other companies. So the light company will have figures firing and loading and also have their own mounted officer.
The two companies of 95th Rifles and 3 sections of RHA will follow the completion of the 83rd, sometime in August.
If you need more names (and some not of blogging/gaming luminaries) you are welcome to use my "British Name Generator":
ReplyDeletehttp://colonelhuds.blogspot.com/2011/05/british-name-generator.html
I've used it to name all of the soldiers in my Afristan Campaign . . . but it will work for Nappies just as well.
-- Jeff
Top man that Peter Morbey of Elite.
ReplyDeleteJust an idea, but have you considered doing the rifles as the 5/60th? A more colourful uniform and they were historically more often detached at one or two company strength than the 95th.
Great stuff, looking forward to seeing more.
The enemy progresses!
ReplyDeleteAny reason you chose Col. Fitch? From the regimental history, Col. Fitch was killed in action in Jamaica in 1795.
2/83rd Foot was commanded in the Peninsula by Lt.Col Gordon (KIA at Talavera), then Lt.Col Collins (Promoted to command a Brigade of Portuguese after Bussaco), then Major (promoted Lt. Col after Badajoz) H. W. Carr.
If you name one of the ensigns, might I suggest Lt. Pine? He carried one of the colors at Talavera, despite many of the standard bearers being shot down, and being severely wounded himself.
The only Battalion Sgt. Major I've found a name for is Sgt. Hazlust. He was a Sgt of the Light Company who single-handedly protected his wounded captain, was recommended for promotion with Captain Powys' dying breath, and promptly made the battalion Sgt. Major. The regimental adjutant at Salamanca was Swinburne.
I also recommend a company of the 5th/60th instead of the 95th. Colville's brigade had one usually attached in every OB I can find, while the 95th pretty much stayed in the Light Division.
Look forward to more!
Rob & Dave that's a good idea about using the 5/60th as the two rifle companies. The red facings are more colorful as a bonus.
ReplyDeleteRob: thanks for the great information about the regiment. So I think that my senior officer will be a Lt. Colonel (to be named later). I've confirmed that there could be two majors with the battalion. Great stuff!
Jim
The regimental history is action packed for only using ~12 pages to cover the Napoleonic War.
ReplyDeletePlus, it's on Google books, for free. As much as I prefer paper to electrons, free is hard to resist.
It's not as easy when you're building regiments at 1:20-1:90 to name individual figures, but my steadily growing Colonial forces are all named. Where possible, I use historical names of menbers of the unit, for authenticity. For the British and Americans, it's pretty easy. Everybody else is at least historically plausible.
As General Pettigrew shows, it's little things like that that really add to a miniatures collection!
Maybe you should supplement the Seaforths with the County of Dublins or their successor, the Royal Irish Rifles!