It was past time to bolster the British Cavalry arm, which has been woefully understrength compared to their French counterparts, so it was the turn of the 13th Light Dragoons to get touched up and given the shiny treatment. Dick Tennant originally painted 18 of these, and by adding an NCO as guidon bearer, I was able to keep my standard 18 troopers, and pull out the officer figure to mount as Lieutenant Colonel Charles Morland.
 |
| The regiment nicely posed in a newly painted backdrop inside a little portable light studio I use to photograph miniatures. |
 |
| Being able to use the original officer figure as the Lieutenant Colonel was very useful as finding matching figures is near impossible these days. |
 |
| The troopers are no doubt BN 209. I am unsure what figure Dick Tennant used as this officer figure, but Dick was fond of conversions so it is often difficult to tell. |
 |
| The guidon was hand painted based on a description I found in a regimental history. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/54908/54908-h/54908-h.htm#Page_20 |
 |
| The NCO for the guidon bearer was a one piece casting by Dave Clayton of BN 50. |
 |
| I was also able to add an additional NCO as guidon bearer for the 9th Light Dragoons, completing the Brigade under the command of Major General George Anson. |
 |
| Brigade and regimental command |
 |
| Another example of the commander painted originally by Dick Tennant, not mounted separately as Lieutenant Colonel Michael Head of the 9th Light Dragoons |
 |
| Major General George Anson |
 |
| Lieutenant Colonel Michael Head |
 |
| The NCO guidon bearer for the 9th Light Dragoons. Points for anyone who spots my egregious error... |
 |
| Love this trumpeter! |
 |
| Captain leading the command squadron |
Coming down the pike is the 1st battalion of the 2nd Regiment of Nassau as employed by the French in 1811-12
 |
| Originally painted by Dick Tennant, I am just repairing these and adding some shading and highlighting. They are ready for their bases! |
 |
| Lastly we have Oberst Leutnant Meder who will lead the 2nd battalion. Oberst Von Kruse of the 1st Battalion is still taking a bath in paint stripper, but will make an appearance soon. Meder is a converted Der Kriegspieler figure of an Austrian/Russian general that I added as a battalion leader and will be based separately. |
Fantastic Napoleonic eye candy.
ReplyDeleteThey do look rather nice all ranked up together. Thanks so much!
DeleteQuite superb, lovely looking figures, the guidon bearers and trumpeters are really cracking. Super work all round and great to see them.
ReplyDeleteThanks Donnie. Getting the Guidon right took some doing and I had to hand paint them in the end, but it was worth the extra effort!
DeleteWonderful work David - a joy to behold!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ian. Always fun to see Dick's work all cleaned up and pretty.
ReplyDeleteAlways so pleasant to see and read.
ReplyDeleteThe name of Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Morland is familiar to the French. In 1805, General François-Louis Morland commanded the Guard horse hunter regiment. Were they distant relatives?
General Morland is the only general who was killed during the Battle of Austerlitz. (General Valhubert, mortally wounded, died a few days later). Napoleon wishing to erect a monument to him, the body of General Morland was placed in a barrel of rum. Several years passed, the barrel broke. It was then noticed that his mustaches had grown excessively. Medicine took over the body. The family had to sue to get it back.
Today the memory of General Morland lives on through a Parisian boulevard along the Seine as well as a Sully-Morland metro station. (Sully was the minister of King Henry IV, assassinated in 1610 while he was going to visit him).
You know, of course, that the British cavalry did not take its standards and guidons into theaters of operations. They remained in the barracks; well sheltered; in United Kingdom. Wellington feared, rightly, that they would be "stolen" by the French.
But when we painted 18 riders and as many horses, it's hard to resist.
I couldn't resist. My three regiments of light dragoons all have a guidon, and one of my two regiments of hussars has a camp pennant, intended to mark the location of the regiment but which serves as a standard.
That is interesting and entirely possible given the migration of the French in 1066... As for the Guidons, yes, it is hard to resist a little colour. My sources said they may or may not have been carried in the field through 1811, so it is possible they were carried, though unlikely I imagine. Of all people I was surprised you did not spot my error on one of the guidon bearers. Perhaps you should take another look. :)
DeleteSergeant's stripes?
DeleteNope. I think those are OK. :) I'll give you a hint if no one notices in the next day or so.
DeleteThe guidons of my British cavalry regiment have cords in the color of the buttons. To make them; I burn a pipe cleaner and recover the metal part.
DeleteFurthermore, the trumpeters wear the same uniform as the troop but their shako is adorned with an entirely red plume.
https://centjours.mont-saint-jean.com/detail_uniformes_uniteBR.php?rubrique=U&uniformes=63
Perhaps in 1815, but remember I am sticking to the Peninsular war, so around 1811-12 when possible. Take a close look at the shabraque for the guidon bearer of the 9th light Dragoons.
DeleteOn the engravings of British light dragoons that I have been able to consult, the officers' shabraque is regulated in black sheepskin, but there are exceptions with natural sheepskin. The heavily laced fabric shabraque is only worn during parades.
DeleteWhile all excellent points, we tend to paint in parade dress and not sure an NCO would qualify for the black sheepskin. What I'm thinking of can be a bit confusing to find, since I have both the 9th and 13th light dragoon guidon bearers in this post.
DeleteWell, since no one has noticed, or been too polite to say anything, the 9th LD Guidon bearer has XIII LD on his shabraque instead of IX LD. Personally, I'm just impressed it is actually legible!!!
DeleteBeautiful work as always David….
ReplyDeleteThe Nassau regiment should look rather lovely when it is finished…
All the best. Aly
Thanks Aly. I am very excited with how the Nassauers are turning out. I have some custom sized bases on the way from Warbases, which should make mounting them up a breeze.
DeleteThe collection really is coming on a treat, that LD brigade looks really impressive - my cavalry regiments would barely look like a squadron stood next to it.
ReplyDeleteIt's a blessing and a curse. The big regiments look great, but wow they take time to paint!
DeleteAs ever, your refurbishments and embellishments have really brought DT's lovely collection to life. The guidons are brilliant. Very nice indeed.
ReplyDeleteThanks Matthew. Hopefully the Nassauers will turn out equally as well. The second battalion is on my painting desk now, about to get prepped for repair and the shiny treatment.
DeleteGreat work as always! I love hand painted flags! I just started on an Austrian Army for Age of Eagles Napoleonic battles (you've seen my French and Russians) and thought oh these will be easy, white, white, white, then I tried the Austrian flag!!!
ReplyDeleteGiven how skilled your painting is, I will be eager to see how the flags turned out! Let me know when next you have a game of AoE, as I'd love to give it a try.
DeleteThe shabraques have the wrong regimental number?
ReplyDeleteWe have a winner!
DeleteAnd the prize is the Lt Dragoon Brigade? ;o)
DeleteHah! The prize is the great satisfaction and pride you must feel knowing you are the only one who caught it. :)
Delete