Monday, February 15, 2016

Turkish General


A commander of fellahin

One of the regrettable realities of life as a shift worker is that circadian rythmn is something that happens to other people. Strange periods of wakefulness come and go. A certain amount of time is spent staring at the ceiling while Mrs. Kinch snoozes in a demure and ladylike fashion and the cat snores at the foot of bed like a small cement mixed filled with pebbles. 
 



Not the neatest job in the world

It was during one of these periods of wakeness that I knocked this chap together.  My Turkish forces for the Crimea require a mounted general and I thought he would probably do for an Egyptian officer of the 1880s as well. I must confess that this conversion was not prompted by any really careful consideration, but more by the fact that I had left a biscuit tin lid on the bedside table. My basing box was on the lid and I'd forgotten that I'd chucked some figures in the box.  The fez came from a Waterloo 1815 Egyptian infantryman who was waving a clubbed rifle. The figure is from an Italeri Confederate cavalry set.  I think he might be supposed to be Jeb Stuart, but he has defected to the Ottomans now. 



Note the tassel at the rear

I trimmed the fez from the first figure and then sliced off the top of General Stuarts head. A dab of superglue and the conversion such as it is, was done.  I have added a green stuff tassel to the fez and filled a few gaps. 

Not too shabby for half an hours work and all without waking the slumbering Mrs Kinch or the cat. We shall see how it takes paint.
 


6 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you - I'm pretty awful at conversions, but I'm slowly getting the knack.

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  2. I shall shall be very interested to see how this progresses and really must resist the Crimea myself - it has been neglected for far too long.

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  3. An excellent half hour's work indeed.I really look forward to seeing him painted and commanding an army.
    Alan

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  4. Good conversion work. I await seeing him with a coat of paint.

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  5. Actually rather appropriate oddly enough since there were one or two ACW officers who served as officers with either the Turks or the Egyptians before or, particularly CSA generals, after the war. I'd look up names but would hate to rob you of the pleasure.

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