Sunday, July 17, 2016

Indian Army Artillery



Mounted on pots awaiting paint
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Along with Nick's very kind gift of Ghurkas, there was an Indian Army screw gun and crew.  I know shamefully little about the Indian army beyond what I've learned from Jac Weller's "Wellington in India", but decided to set to these fellas as there was no Indian artillery attached to the Kinch Field Force. 


There was the vexed question of how to paint them though, some scratching around had yielded a succession of fearsome looking gentlemen in khaki.  However, my liking for the more brightly coloured uniform won out and I went in search of something appropriate. My colonial forces are inspired by "The Man who would be King" and "Zulu", more than dull actuality. 

Blandford and Farwell were not supplying my wants in that department, so I turned to The Sword and the Flame facebook group.  Julian turned up trumps with the picture above, which looks excellent.  The turbans are "Spankin' in red" as Pete Postlethwaite would say. 



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Armed with this sort of information, the battery swiftly took shape and is currently doing duty on the Southern Border of the Kinch domain. I've no idea as to the maker, Ral Partha maybe, as they are on the larger side of 1/72. The gun itself so far as I can make out is a RML 2.5 Mountain Gun immortalised by Kipling in the poem "Screw Guns". 


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I shall have to add a mule to carry the whole assemblage, but I think I have something in stores.  I'm very happy with how they turned out, all the figures were painted with thinned Vallejo acylics.  I added some inks to the turban and did a slight highlight, just to show off the red a little. 



Out looking for Wascally Wahabbists
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These, I'm sure you'll agree, are a fine addition to the Kinch Field Force.  Thank you very much to Nick for his generosity and Julian for his knowledge of uniforms. 

I think these chaps will have to take the field and show De Gormaine a thing or two about how its done. 



21 comments:

  1. Lovely! The red turbans especially. Enjoy them.

    Best Regards,

    Stokes

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  2. Hi Conrad,

    You might add a European officer type as the commander of the battery although fought as a single section the Subadar would do. As usual your paint job is quite excellent.
    Jerry

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    Replies
    1. I will see what I can do, though I think these chaps will be left to their own devices for a little while.

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  3. What a lovely little unit. The research does help personalise these sort of collectables.

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  4. Very colorful artillery crew. Now you have to do Skinners Horse and the Luddihana Sikhs when you paint cavalry and infantry.

    Jim

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    Replies
    1. I have the Rattrays Sikhs (though I think the illustration may have been mislabelled and they are actually Ludhiana Sikhs) here.

      http://joyandforgetfulness.blogspot.ie/2015/06/some-sikh-gentlemen.html

      Skinners Horse are a work in progress.

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  5. Lovely blue uniforms and a fine screw gun.
    Best Iain

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  6. They are quite splendid in their brilliant colours. I have never had to thin Vallejo acrylics. Many, I find, come out of the bottle quite runny, and they don't seem to like being subject to a wash. I have had some luck with removing the dropper top of the bottle and stirring the contents with a toothpick, but I have to say, V isn't my favourite brand of paint.

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    Replies
    1. I'm sorry to hear that Padre. I'm a definite convert, but I got so frustrated with GW paints, any slight problems with the Vallejo pales into insignificance.

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  7. lovely painting well done, also look up Jacklex Indian gun crews for variations, am sure i sold you a mule team a while back if not can supply :-))
    cheers Old John

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    Replies
    1. You are shameless old chap.

      Now about the mule train...

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  8. You know me so well!!!! :-)))have put aside for you at least 100 mule teams ready for collection, assume you'll need more elephant gun teams too
    now you know why i'm also known as "The Evil Influence" cheers Old John

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