AVBCW – Malvern – Current Status

Unlike my other “flat” pages on this site, this page will be subject to updates reflecting the ongoing narrative around the games played based in the Malvern vicinity.

As the Civil War starts to intensify: with more LDVs being formed up and down the country (despite alleged interest fading away); and more weird and home grown factions and items of equipment being rushed into production by unscrupulous arms dealers in their garages; so the situation around the Malvern Hills changes.

Herefordshire, having been brought back into the Royal fold with the expulsion of the Anglican league aligned Bishop is still restive. From their enclave near Ross, the Anglicans strive to link up with other forces opposed to the King. To this end, they attempted to drive a force of troops up towards Ledbury to take advantage of routes down to the Forest of Dean, and across into Glucstershire and southern worcestershire.

The BUF, operating out of Bromyard and the periphery of the Malverns, countered this. In a Big Battle, rogue elements from across the Three Counties converged on Ledbury early in 1938. The battle was long and hard fought, but Ledbury was divided between encroaching BUF forces, and remains contested.

The MHC, in a series of skirmishes, have seen off anti-Royalist Anglicans but have also surreptitiously helped them out when the Anglicans are fighting against the BUF. It seems the MHC are increasingly ill-disposed towards the presence of the BUF in the region of the Malverns. Whether this is of their own violition, or one inspired by their Royal patron is a talking point in many of the public houses and subject to speculation throughout the area. The MHC are concentrating their forces on protecting the Malvern Hills and surrounding areas. They have received some unexpected support from the Abysinnians (see below). Their forces are comprised mostly of the Malvern Hills Rangers (Infantry), some Quad bikes with HMGs and Cavalry.

The Abysinnians are a wild card in the Civil War. Despite protestations from Moseley, the King concluded that out of fraternal royal repest, Hailie Selassie ensconsed in The Abbey Hotel merited his own armed guard to protect his Royal Highness in these dark days. Selassie streteched this somewaht and ended up with quite a large number of armed guards. Rumour has it he also has a few Abysinian Lions kept on a farm in the area and they have on occasion escapedc requiring these armed guards to roam the countryside searching for them. Wilder rumours claim that this included actual engagement with the BUF in the Battle of Ledbury !

The Three Counties Legion BUF forces have also been building up their forces n order to protect the royal court at Madresfield and they have acquired a respectable amount of armour. Not that this is much use in and around Malvern with its steep hills, so the BUF have yet to really deal with the somewhat rebellious petit-bourgois MHC who are proving an ongoing nuisanxce to the mostly urban sourced and restless young men of the BUF.

The Chancers as they are known, based at Drugger’s End at Castlemorton, are operating a black market operation and providing fuel and arms to any and all who can pay for them. A single punitive raid has been carried out but this hasn’t halted their activities.