Home Guard Field Gun

This is my WW1 era 18pdr Field Gun pressed into service for my Home Guard as an anti-tank gun. I put it together ages ago but finally got round to painting it last week ahead of the VBCW game. it did feature in a couple of photos in that battle report but here you can see it more clearly. 

And here are some clearer shots of my AHBV (Armored Hedgerow Breaching Vehicle) I made for eh VBCW game. It is effectively an open-topped heavy tank with no weapons and a troop carrying capacity of three (My three man engineer team). It is based on the hull of a Matilda 2. it was supposed to have two Vickers K guns mounted on the sides but I forgot. In the end I quite like the idea of a heavy tank that is complete unarmed. It all very VBCW.

Home Front: A Few More Home Guard

 Here are some shots of three more Home Guard  swelling the ranks of the Defenders of the Realm. They are all from Warlord Games. The one at the bottom has roller-skates on, but I thought this idea was a bit silly (try firing a Tommy Gun while on skates!) so I banked the basing material up over the wheels.
 My favorite one is the old guy having a tea break. I just hope Jerry doesn't invade while he is brewing up!

Home Front: Civilians and Volunteers

Apologies for the dodgy photos but the light has been very poor this week in the UK.  Here are a few more additions to my Home Front collection. First up...and old man, This one is made by Foundry and is a Perry Sculpt. Just a nice useful civilian figure...also useful for VBCW.

Next, Mr Churchill...or perhaps an actor impersonating the Prime Minister? Not a great sculpt, I forgot where and when I got it, but I think it might be from Westwind. Useful as an objective in some scenarios. 

And finally two of the cast of Dad's Army in their civvies. Sargent Wilson and Lance Corporal Jones from Warlord. Lovely Sculpts, full of character, by Mr Hicks. 

Home Front: Dad's Army Cast.

 For my Dad's Army/Sealion collection I have painted these two...One is verger Maurice Yeatsman (made by Foundry and sculpted by the Perrys) and the other is Private Godfery, in his civvies (from Warlord Games, and sculpted by Paul Hicks). Both look amazingly like the cast member they are based on. 
Nice additions to my growing collection. 

Home Front: German Agents Disguised as Nuns?

Recently I have been continuing my interest in Operation Sealion as an alternative World War Two setting. Sumner 20017 saw a flurry of releases from Warlord Games to support their Bolt Action Operation Sealion supplement and these complement the original Wargames Foundry Home Guard figures quite nicely. 

Some of the figures are certainly more tongue in cheek, but I love that. I am a massive fan of Dad's Army and don't mind if my Sealion collection veers into the slightly silly or even has a shade or two of Pulp. 

The idea of German agents disguised as nuns seems to have originated in the the "Fifth Column" scares in the British media at the beginning of the period in 1941-42 when the threat of invasion looked real. As far as I am aware it was just hysteria/media hype, and no German agents ever dressed as nuns...never the less the idea fits in well with the slightly silly Dad's Army vibe. 

These figures are by Warlord and Foundry. 

Home Front 1941: Home Guard Big Guns

Well, it's not that big a gun really, but it's better that a Boys anti-tank rifle. This is  is a 2pdr AT gun. It packs enough force to scare a German tank crew, but it's unlikely to do to much damage to the front of a Panzer, and is best deployed in ambush. With the Home Guard crew is a Forward Observer Officer from the Royal Artillery and his radio operator. British armies in Bolt Action get a FOO officer free, to represent the British tenancy to prefer heavy artillery over infantry and armour. This FOO can call down off field artillery to punish the enemy and drive them out of cover onto the waiting guns of the Home Guard!

This ATG is now sold by Warlord Games, although I have had this one in my cupboard for years and back then I think it was sold by a company called BEF.  The FOO and his aide are also from Warlord. 

Home Front 1941: A Rolls Royce Armoured Car

"Now listen here Walker! You can't park that monstrosity there. "

"'Ere, that is Private Walker to you. This 'monstrosity' is Walmington-on-Sea's new Rolls Royce armoured car; And it's staying right where it is."

"But it is blocking the way to the church fete!"

"Now Maurice, I would love to help you, but I can't move the Roller, even if I wanted to. Not for you, and not even for the vicar."

"Why an earth not?"

"It's run out of petrol." 

This Rolls Royce armoured car and the men accompanying it are the latest additions to my Home Front army. The Rolls Royce was a work horse of the army from WW1 to Early WW2, and was found all over the Empire. Shortages of armoured vehicals (well any vehicals really) After the Dunkirk evacuation meant that many of these aged beasts were given to the Home Guard. Captain Mainwaring never got a Roller in the TV series, but that wasn't about to stop me issuing my Home Guard unit one. 
This armoured car is by Copplestone Castings. The figures are by Wargames Foundry. 

Home Front 1941- A Home Guard Section

I painted these for Lead Painters League- they are from Wargames Foundry- and they are the extras from "Dad's Army". The picture's not great- the light was quite poor...I hope you like them. 

Home Front 1941: Oh Matron...More Home Guard!

Just a few more of my Home Guard, along with a QAIMNS(R) nursing officer. In the game she will act as a medic. I already have Godfery, so I don't really need another medic, but she is such a lovely mini I couldn't resist. I picked her up on ebay (I think it was a freebie mini at a gaming show)- I beleive it is menat to be HRH Princess Elizabeth in her ATS uniform, but the QAIMNS (Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service) used the same uniform as the ATS. 

Captain Beth Windsor, QAIMNS(R)

Private Frank Pike 

Private Charles Godfrey

Home Front 1941: Home Guard Officers

I have always been a fan of Dad's Army, and also a fan of these lovely Perry Twins miniatures from Wargames Foundry. When I saw that the Bolt Action British and the Commonwealth army list included Home Guard I knew their was nothing that could stop me getting some. I got these as a present off my wife last year, and have just got round to painting them for the Lead  Painters league. There will be more on their way soon. My plan is to use them for Bolt Action to stage an Operation Sealion campaigns (Which I am going to call Home Front 1941). I am also hoping they might see some action against Brummie's new Germans (see Brummie's Blog)

Captain George Mainwaring

Sargent Arthur Wilson

Lance Corporal Jack Jones