RP No 157 Napoleonic - Duke of Cumberland's Hussar's

I've not painted any of Posties Napoleonic's for a while?? So he thought it was about time I did!

He gave me this fine looking Hussar regt to paint, unfortunately it could be said,that this is one of the

worst regts in the whole war???? Well at least on the Allied side anyway??

The figures are made by Essex Miniatures and are actually Baden Hussars, but their uniform fits the Hanoverian Hussars quite well, so Postie says anyway??

The Duke of Wellington’s Army at Waterloo were quite a mixed bag, containing British, Dutch, Belgian and German troops. There was also a difference in the quality of some were relatively newly raised. The Hanoverian army raised three regts of Hussars, The Prince Regents Hussars, the Bremen andVerdun Hussars and the Duke of Cumberland’s Hussars.  The first two Hussar regts were not present at Waterloo, unlike Cumberland’s Hussars. It’s said that most of the Hanoverian troops held their own during the battle, while Cumberland’s Hussars under Lt.-Kol. Hake fled from the battlefield in dishonor

They were stationed behind Dornberg's Brigade (1st and 2nd KGL Dragoons and 23rd LD).  On seeing the Hussars withdrawing from the field a cavalry officer (possibly Dornberg) rode up to Lt-Kolonel Hake. Kol Hake explained that his men were volunteers (Gentlemen and son’s of the Gentry) and since they owned their own horses they needed to protect them.

 From the Autobigraphy of Lt-Gen Sir Harry Smith

http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/hsmith/autobiography/waterloo.html

“In the afternoon, after we passed Brussels, the scene of confusion, the flying of army, baggage, etc., was an awful novelty to us. We were directed by a subsequent order to halt at the village of Epinay, on the Brussels side of the forest of Soignies, a report having reached his Grace that the enemy's cavalry were threatening our communication with Brussels (as we understood, at least). The whole afternoon we were in a continued state of excitement. Once some rascals of the Cumberland Hussars, a new Corps of Hanoverians (not of the style of our noble and gallant old comrades, the 1st Hussars), came galloping in, declaring they were pursued by Frenchmen. Our bugles were blowing in all directions, and our troops running to their alarm-posts in front of the village. I went to report to Sir John Lambert, who was just sitting quietly down to dinner with my wife and his A.D.C. He says very coolly, "Let the troops—; this is all nonsense; there is not a French soldier in the rear of his Grace, depend on it, and sit down to dinner." I set off; though, and galloped to the front, where a long line of baggage was leisurely retiring. This was a sufficient indication that the alarm was false, and I dismissed the troops and started for the débris of a magnificent turbot which the General's butler had brought out of Brussels.”

For his dereliction of duty, Lt-Kol Hake was court-martialed. The Hanoverian accounts also slate him for bringing disgrace upon the brilliant performance of the other Hanoverian troops. The regt was disbanded and the men were all attached to other regts and put on punishment duties, such as digging latrines.

RP No 156 Percy Kirke - Donnybrook here we go!

My Donnybrook adventure has officially started!!

 My first figure is a free figure I was given with my first order of Warfare Miniatures. I've painted him up as Percy Kirke, the figure is entered into Curt's Challenge in the bonus Favourite Character round, so if you haven't voted get on over and do so. I don't think he'll win any prizes, as the pics I sent in were quite bad, mainly because I finished painting him up just before the deadline and photographed him at 4:15 in the morning!! But he'll earn me the 50 bonus points at least. He will be getting rebased as soon as I get my order of to Warbase's, when I email it off that is!

 In 1666 Kirke obtained his first commission in the Lord Admiral's regiment, and subsequently served in the Blues. In 1673 he was with Monmouth at Maastricht and was present during two campaigns with Turenne on the Rhine.
In 1680 he was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel, and soon afterwards Colonel of the 2nd Tangier Regiment. In 1682 he became Governor of Tangier and Colonel of the Tangier Regiment. He distinguished himself greatly as governor, although he gave offence by the roughness of his manners and the wildness of his life.
On the evacuation of Tangier, Kirke's Lambs (so called from their badge) returned to England, and a year later their colonel served as a brigadier in Feversham's army. After Sedgemoor the rebels were treated with great severity; but the charges so often brought against the Lambs are now known to be exaggerated, though the regiment shared to the full in the ruthless hunting down of the fugitives. It is often stated that it formed Jeffreys' escort in the Bloody Assizes, but this is erroneous.
Kirke was considered by King Charles II as a candidate for governor of the Dominion of New England when it was in the planning stages in the early 1680s. King James II formalized the appointment, but withdrew the appointment over the controversies surrounding Kirke's role in the suppression of Monmouth's Rebellion.
Brigadier Kirke took a notable part in the Glorious Revolution three years later, and William III promoted him. He commanded at the relief of Derry and made his last campaign in Flanders in 1691.

RP No 155 Knights Templer Casualty

This is my entry into the Casualty bonus round in Curt's Painting Challenge, I hoped I was in with a chance of atop 3 placing with this entry, but looking at the quality of others entries I've no chance. Michael Awdry has stolen the show once again with a simply fantastic entry, its quite sickening really!!!!

Just brilliant stuff!

Click here to see more

My Crusader figure is made by Old Glory and is a 12th Century Crusader. I originally undercoated him and the rest of the pack for last years Challenge, but they never made it to the table. So when I had to pick out a casualty figure to paint up, this was my first thought. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. I toyed with the idea of painting him as a Knights Hospitaller all in black, but chose a white coated Templar instead, but he could be any Crusader Knight really. The arrows are all homemade and were a right pain to make, especially with these little sausage fingers!!! I found the flag online and thought it added a nice flash of detail and colour to the figure, I tried to glue it in place so it looked like he had just let go of the pole, which can only really be visible in the pic below.

So if you haven't already get on over to Curt's blog here and caste your vote or votes on which figures you think are the best, but you've only got until Saturday night, so you better hurry!!!