BoB: Chinese Warlord film 1930’s

28/08/2013

Here’s an interesting find, some footage of the Chinese Warlord troops. Showing some of their equipment and the conditions they fought in. You can spot some Big Sword troops in here as well. And lots of umbrellas. The Chinese Copplestone troops came equipped with them !

Later on there is the international forces in the Shanghai concession – American, British, italian and French including some FT17s. You can spot some Thompson SMGs with the round barrel magazines.

Not sure of its provenance, most likely communist propaganda given the comments about the fecklessness of the Warlord troops, the attitude to the foreign forces and the footage of the revolutionaries. Most seems genuine footage with maybe a bit of staged stuff.

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BoB: One Armed Sutton

14/01/2013

There were many characters in the 1920’s in the RCW and Chinese Warlord periods. One of them was Frank “One Armed” Sutton. He had lost part of an arm whilst fighting during WW1 in Galipolli, when caught in a trench with some Gurkhas that were being subjected to grenade attack by Turks:

In his own words: “This much I had learned at Eton: I was always a safe field. I was bound in the course of time to misfield, and I did.” The grenade blew his right hand off at the wrist. Shortly afterwards, a massive Turk jumped into the crater with his bayonet fixed. After a titanic struggle during which Frank bit the Turk’s ear off, he managed to kill his adversary and returned to the beach to retrieve his golf clubs, where a surgeon removed the rest of his wrist. Thus he came to be known as “One Arm Sutton”.

In 1918 he went to the Russian Far East as a Gold prospector, and after numerous adventures there, wound up in China where he manufactured guns and mortars such as the Stokes 5″. He later went on to create primitive aroured vehicles based on the White Tractor. He was the Chief of Staff and Director of Munitions for Tsang Cho Lin.

Unsurprisingly, Mark Copplestone has done a model of Sutton (BC20).

Mortars were frequently used by the Chinese Warlords due to the absence of field guns.

the Sutton Skunk was an armoured Holt tractor. This model is made by Company B (available via Brigade Games and others) and is armed with a Lewis LMG. A very nice little model with only a few parts all crisply cast.

A key component in any Chinese Warlord army for BoB.

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AVBCW: Equine Madness

09/10/2012

As most painters and gamers know, painting horses is one of the most difficult things to do. So, having painted all my Colourful White Russian Cavalry, what do I do ? Yup, embark on some AVBCW BUF Cavalry….

As you can see, they are multi part figures. Both the Great War Miniatures, and Musketeer cavalry are multi part figures.

Each have about five (5) parts to put together all told. The GWM have integral horse and rider pieces, but then have separate arms for sword, lance, rifle or pistol. The Musketeer riders are separate and have a solid fist that needs drilling out to accept a steel pin for a lance (thanks Rich). Both have separate attachments for rifles and sabres to the horses’ furniture.

I’ve already got a dozen or so BUF Cavalry, but over the last year for Xmas and b’day pressies have accumulated more, so that I have some proper squads for both BUF and MHC forces.

Not all this pile of lead will get painted by Evesham, as half of them are for the MHC which are not appearing there – I am typecast as a BUF commander it seems. 🙂
That’ll teach me to wear so much Black.

I’ll b e using Kevin Dallimore’s painting guide books to paint the horses.

Given that the BG-5 Evesham event is coming up, this is my next goal to finish off another unit or two so I can field them there, especially as JP is convinced I’m going to screw up his forces. I don’t know why – I am so innocent (he says polishing his halo).

And then, there is another set of Equine madness that should come week after next…

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