BoB: White Russian Cossack Plastuns

Say what ? Plastuns ?

A Plastun or plastoon (Ukrainian, Russian: пластун) was a Cossack foot scouting and sentry military unit. Originally they were part of the Black Sea Cossack Host and then later in the 19th and 20th centuries Kuban Cossack Host.

Another ten of the Copplestone White Guard (the remodelled BU34, the originals turned up minus rolled up greatcoats – see my Colourful White Russian Infantry for examples and I don’t think these are available anymore) turned up and so I pondered how to paint them anything other than khaki. So at least using the idea of the plastuns gave me some blue breeches.

There was a lack of horses during the RCW due to all the privations of the preceeding WW1 and ongoing hardship, so it is only natural that there would be more plastuns than usual.

So this unit, should be a nice variant on ordinary infantry, and maybe conferred with some sort of ferocious rule as their members try to prove their worth and get some cash to buy a Cossack pony to return them to their proper status.