2nd Battalion 60th Rifles (Kings Royal Rifle Corps) Battle of Kandahar / Baba Wali - 1 September 1880

I have been working on my NWF collection for decades. I started my collection in 15mm and later changed to 28mm in the early to mid 90's. With multiple other gaming interests, two young sons, dedicated family time, playing and coaching ice hockey, I can rarely stay in one genre for long, hence the long term unfinished project. With my good friend the Mad Guru working on another epic NWF game, the Battle of Kandahar / Battle of Baba Wali 1880, I was motivated to paint up some units for use in his game. You can see pics and read about the preparations and progress on his awesome blog.  http://maiwandday.blogspot.com. He has been working on this game for about a year. I have been planning to fly across the county to join the game as one of the players and have committed to paint up and supply a couple of units. This post is about one of those units. Anyone even remotely interested in colonial gaming or the 2nd Afghan War in particular needs to check out both of Mad Guru's sites as they are a treasure trove of information, a visual treat, a source of inspiration, and one of the best blogs and websites on the web. www.maiwandday.com

For this project I decided to start with a unit of 28mm British colonial infantry, one of the plastic Perry Miniatures kits that I had gotten from a friend. These were already built and painted but needed touch ups, re-basing, and changes to make them the 2nd Battalion 60th Rifles - Kings Royal Rifle Corps 1880.

Here is the painting reference from the back of the Perry Miniatures figures box.

I painted all the waist belts, haversacks, 1871 Valise Equipment, bayonet scabbards, and rifle slings black. I painted the cap dark green as well as the puttees on one of the officers and the pants of another officer. The remainder of the work was touch ups, corrections, and basing.

Here's a bit of historical data for the 60th KRRC 2nd Battalion for this battle:

The Third Infantry Brigade
Commanded by General Charles Metcalfe MacGregor

2nd Battalion 60th Rifles (King's Royal Rifle Corps)
Commanded by Lt. Colonel Joseph James Collins. The 60th Rifles joined the South Afghanistan Field Force, Reserve Division, at Multan in October 1878. November saw some companies of the regiment on escort duty to General Stewart and various Royal Artillery divisions, before they arrivied via the Bolan Pass at Quetta towards the end of December. On 8th January 1879 the 60th Rifles marched through Kandahar, which had surrendered on the previous day. They had an expedition to Kelat-i-Ghilzai before returning and camping at the old 1839 British barracks at Kandahar (where Collins joined and took command of his regiment), until the end of March 1880 when they marched with Stewart to Ghazni, taking part in the action at Ahmed Khel. After some time in the Logar valley, the regiment eventually moved to Kabul at the end of July. After the march to Kandahar in August the Rifles were engaged with the enemy during the reconnaisance of Baba-Wali, and during the following day in the Battle of Kandahar that defeated Ayub Khan. They reached Quetta again on 19th September, and then onto Sibi, where Lt. Colonel Collins died of dysentery. With Macgregor they went out against the Marri tribes and then finally returned to Mirat on 24th November 1880.

       2nd Battalion 60th Rifles Kings Royal Rifle Corps advance on the village Paimal, Battle of Kandahar 1880

Here's some of the research I used: 

The following are WIP, work in progress pics trying to get these figs as close as possible to the references I'd found and was provided by other gamers, most notably friends Ethan "Mad Guru" Reiff and Nick "I can draw anything" Stern.

Before...

                       After the 1879 valise equipment and gear was all painted black

“Wargaming is calling and I must go”

                                                    William "Bill" Pritchard

I cannot believe it’s been a year since Bill’s passing, just days before Doc. Once again this post was started and left unfinished to find pictures and the right words to commemorate a friend. While looking through the 20 or so started but unfinished blog entries I came across this un-posted post. 

But, better late than never....

It is with sadness that I must report the passing of one of our own friends and club members. Bill Pritchard passed away this afternoon (8/13/2019) after a long hard battle with multiple medical issues and being in and out of healthcare facilities for treatments. Sadly his wife is NOT going to have any kind of ceremony here in Fl. or in Mass. May I suggest we honor him at our next club game this coming August 24th. 

Bill was a voracious gamer and collector with many historical interest, his favorite being the American War of Independence, being raised in Mass. He collected all manor of military memorabilia and had (2) large collections of toys, one in Mass and one here in Florida. I'd known Bill for many a year as we had met at a Historicon some umpteen years ago. He collected, painted, and ran games despite his hearing loss from an illness as a very young man. We had collaborated on many games and were working on one just before he passed away. He'd sent me the map and scenario ideas for the game we were planning and which I will formalize and run at an upcoming HMGS-South Convention at an Orlando / Kissimmee venue in his honor. 

He lived for wargaming and the times he got to spend with his friends and club mates around a games table.

Bill entertained us with his lengthy and witty replies to any and all correspondences, his digital salutation always being “Wargaming is calling, and I must go.”

We will miss you Bill.

Best regards,

Jeff Baumal

The White Zulu by Howard Whitehouse

What a ripping good yarn! This book is a must read for any adventure gamer, British colonial history aficionado, historical fiction fan, and Zulu War enthusiast. Written by the well known wargame rules author and Game Master extraordinaire Mr Howard Whitehouse.

The book is very well written and is extremely entertaining. The main character, Colonel Binky Bagshot is fictional though he lives through the real life events centered around the actions of Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift in Anglo Zulu War of 1879. The adventures and misadventures of Colonel Bagshot are reminiscnet of the famesd Flashman series though

pleasantly different. The narrative transitions from the main character in his present day life discussing his service in the war to the actual events he lived through. 

Howard's writing style is excellent, flows well, and is a really enjoyable read. The dry humor and very well researched historical events make it spot on for me! I can't say enough positive things about this book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Cheers,

Sgt Guinness

Another Loss....Bob Doc Gallagher

Late last year we had lost another friend!

I started this post many moons ago, it languished while I decided to add some pictures of Doc and his games. Then as usual, real life got in the way and I never posted it. My aplogies Doc, you definitely deserved better! Below is the blog entry from one of his friends and clubmemners from the JDL. His words are way more eloquent and expressive than I could hope to do...

The Just Dice League

Recently the Lakeland Original Chapter of the League lost a member and dear friend. Doc was one of the first to “take the black” as a founding member of the JDLLO. He was also a Navy veteran and the very definition of a “renaissance man”. It was truly an honor to post the banner by his games knowing we were made better because of his skill crafting some of the most popular games at the HMGS-S conventions and beyond.

He was also one of my most important mentors. I learned much from him about the mechanics of running large games, choosing/tweaking rule systems for conventions and always focusing on the two, important goals: keep it moving and keep it fun. Watching him react to the players’ choices and mold the scenario off the cuff was always a treat. The personal touch he put on games such as “It Came From Beyond the Still”, which was already rooted in the delightfully bizarre, was a testament to both his creativity and humor.

Probably the best evidence of his GM’ing ability was how much fun people had playing some of the most cutthroat games you could possibly host. Whether it was the “sudden, but inevitable betrayal” of an “ally” in Pig Wars or a crowd of people chanting “10, 10, 10…” in hopes of your demise racing in the Circus Crapeous, you couldn’t help but laugh. Even as your prized pig was stolen or your chariot crashed spectacularly before you even made the first turn you loved every second. That was Doc’s magic.

To simply say he will be missed is to understate the sorrow so many feel knowing they won’t get to sit at his table at Hurricon in a few weeks. It’s devastating loss to the gaming community at large and a personal loss for many that will always hold him dear. You can be sure there will be many of us sharing stories from one of his games, like the time he convinced my wife to attack me with a bear. Or the pride I felt when I FINALLY made the first turn in my chariot…only to be felled by the second turn. Or the look of utter confusion on all first time players of Pig Wars as they realize that their fellow Vikings are standing over their dead miniatures splitting up the loot they had worked so hard to secure (or the smile that soon followed as they accepted the nature of the game and looked forward to their second game).

Doc: you are remembered, missed and loved. Until we meet again, game well my friend.

MR CUPCAKE
Lakeland Original

I was fortunate to count both as friends and I will miss both.  The main reason I enjoy our hobby so much is the camaraderie.  Our shows are important to me as it is the only time I see many of you.  It is a lesson to me not to take any of you for granted.

Marc R

(8/19/20)

Doc is another one of those gamers and peole that always made you feel comfortable and was a pleasure to be around. His tables were always well attended, his games big fun, and memerable. As Marc and others have stated, it's the people that make this hobby as great as it is. I always loved playing in Doc's "Pig Wars Games" and it was one of my nust do's every convention. You are sadly missed my friend.

Untill we meet again. Rest easy Doc.

Sgt. Guinness

SMG Club Game (2-29-20) WWI Wings of War

The South Florida Miniatures Gamers had a fun game of Wings of War WWI on (2/29/20) at our Fort Lauderdale clubhouse, Das Krieg Haus.

 This is a fast and simple card driven game system that is huge fun to play and very easy to set up. We played an "Escort Mission" with the British attempting to recon an area of the German forward outposts. The German mission, was of course to shoot down the recon plane so as to protect their forward assets.

The game was a hoot and I really love this system, I should definitely play it more often. I'm sure my kids would enjoy it as well as it's not one of those "ALL DAY GAMES" that they loose interest in after a few hours.

The British aviators won the day, they successfully reconnoitered our front lines and safely returned to base to provide the data to their forward HQ.

We had a small, but fun turnout. My regularly scheduled game was postponed due to my son's soccer team making it the championship game so I most definitely needed to be there, and in addition I'm one of the assistant coaches as well! Steve K was kind enough to drive up from Miami and host this game for us. Not only that but he brought amazing Jamaican style patties with him and treated us all. Thank you Steve!

Post scrip: Since this game the world has been turned upside down with the global COVID-19 Pandemic. That being said we've temporarily suspended all monthly club games for the near future. We hope to be back together as soon as things get better and we are allowed to congregate again.

Everyone be well and stay Healthy!!!! Cheers, Sgt G.

Here is Sgt G's tri wing plane that went down in flames ignominiously.

 Here's Steve K's plane, he flew much better and survived the day.

 Here is the card deck that runs the games, each person pulls (3) cards for each turn. Each card has a maneuver that ties into the last one. The cards are specific for each type of plane and have different turn radius', different maneuvers, and such.

Above is the range stick, there are two ranges, short and long. The range stick is placed at the base of the firing plane and must touch any part of the target's plane base, but must be within the firing planes arc of fire.

 Each plane comes with its own movement deck and flight stand, however a core game box needs to be purchased for the rules and range stick.

 From left to right: Steve K, Steve CQ, Capt Ron.

Front and Center: Sgt Guinness

The first two sets are Wings of War - Famous Aces (Nexus Editrice 2004) and Wings of War - Watch your back! (Nexus Editrice 2005). The first one includes a selection of fighters with personal colors of the most renowned aces of World War I: the planes are Fokker Dr.I and Albatros D.Va for Central Empires and SPAD XIII, Sopwith Camel and Sopwith Triplane for the Allied. WoW - Watch your back! adds other fighters and some two-seaters allowing bombings, recon missions and other special scenarios. WoW- Burning Drachens (Nexus Editrice 2005) is the newest set in the World War I series. It includes drachens, AA guns, machine guns, air-to-air Le Prieur rockets, trench systems, and optional altitude rules. WoW- Burning Drachens includes rules for solo play as well as multi-player dogfights, bombing runs, and strafing or recon missions. Each set allows 2/4 people to play; the number can increase using more than one set.

Wings of War Miniatures adds war game miniatures to Wings of War by introducing model airplanes on 1/144 scale that are used in place of the airplane cards. The miniatures are made of pre-painted pewter and plastic and come with a gaming base and a set of maneuver cards. A number of different miniatures have been created, and serve as an extension to Wings of War - Famous Aces, Wings of War - Watch your back!, and Wings of War - Burning Drachens.

Goodbye my friend....Rob Hall

It is with great sadness that I must advise of the passing of a close friend and club mate Mr. Rob Hall who left us this past Friday (1/31/20) late afternoon. He had been battling liver cancer for the past few months after successfully coming back from a stroke a few years ago. Rob was a good friend, a good person, and a great guy to game with. He was an avid gamer and historian who loved the horse and musket period. He worked for the railroad the majority of his adult life. I will surly miss him, his dry humor and wry wit. We will cherish the many memories of epic games, road trips, fun cons, Tajicon games, and the camaraderie of SMG games in Bill's Garage.
Rob was the kind of guy that would literally give you the shirt off his back, A kind, funny, unselfish, warm soul who was a pleasure to be around. He was always willing to help with a project, assist in running games and loved to be around his friends talking history and gaming. I don't think I'd ever heard him utter a negative word about anyone.

Below are just a few of the many comments I'd received when I posted the notice of Rob's passing to our SMG club mates ( the South-Florida Miniature Gamers). He was also a member of HMGS-South, HMGS-East, and the Jacksonville Garrison. He will be missed by many.

Rest in Peace my friend.....

I count Rob among my true friends. Rob gamed with our group in South Florida even though he had to drive all the way from Jacksonville. He always arrived at our home with a bottle of wine for Barbara and a bottle of scotch for me. He was always invited to stay, but always booked a hotel as he did not want us to be disturbed by his snoring. Rob accompanied me to Historicon, Cold Wars and Fall In countless times. He assisted me in running my games for many years at these conventions and both Recon and Hurricon. I drove up to Jacksonville, and stayed with he and his wife Robin prior to leaving for Lancaster, PA or other parts North.  He was always a pleasure to be around. Rob leaves a huge empty spot in our gaming community. My friend Vince and I were able to visit Rob a few weeks ago. He was still hoping to get in one more "big game" before he left us. I hope to have the opportunity to raise a glass in his honor at Recon as a group. He is truly missed.

Bill Moreno

Good times and great memories of our friend Rob.  Thank you Vince for being there for us. 

Tim Harwood

So typical of Rob to not let on the issues he was having.  Always the gentleman he made it a point each convention to seek me out and let me know how much he enjoyed the efforts and the convention.  For me the comradeship we enjoy is over half the fun.  I will truly miss Rob.  I have the feeling we have one heck of a great convention brewing in heaven.  

Marc R

Well said Jeff.  Rob was one of the good guys.  And a lot of fun to be around for his love of history and the game.  R/ Jim

He will be missed. We were blessed with his presence for too short of a time, in our gaming club.

Duane Cunningham

Dear Jeff and All Wargamers:

A true loss – an absolute gentleman and raconteur; we will all miss his entertaining dry wit.

Bill Mcintyre

CTMM - 25/28mm Terrain - 17th Century to present day European or Mediterranean Manor House

This exquisite European or Mediterranean Manor House is made by the famous Chris The Model Maker. It spans generations and is a custom piece with lift off roofs and multiple rooms. The detail and construction is top shelf, professionally made, and very durable, everything we’ve come to love and expect of CTMM’s work! It comes from a private collection, has been stored in a smoke free and pet free home, has no damage or wear, and is in mint condition. It’s only seen the gaming table a couple of times!

Figures not included and are for scale purposes only. 

eBay link: https://m.ebay.com/itm/CTMM-25-28-mm-Terrain-17th-Century-to-present-day-European-or-Med-Manor-House/124068304387?ul_ref=https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5575378759&campid=5338273189&customid=&icep_item=124068304387&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg&toolid=11111&srcrot=711-53200-19255-0&rvr_id=2284849693299&rvr_ts=0c704a8a1700a9cca1962500ffe78789&_mwBanner=1&_rdt=1&ul_noapp=true&pageci=7388e4b0-31bd-4390-aeb3-f811b335b0e0