Stirring times...

I took the last pair of coffee stirrers ( carefully hoarded after a trip to Ikea) and placed them in boiling water. The already snipped ends were carefully bent up at the front and left to dry upon the radiator- a pair of Army Red/White skis ready at last...
Inspired by yesterday's photo I have decided to make a standing Mountain infantry man with skis. I hope to post a picture of the completed figure this week.

At Last!

It may be sunny here in Scotland but my thoughts are with the Winter and ski patrols...
Thanks to my Swiss contact Oswald I am able to post some pictures of Army Red/White mountain troops on skis. I hope to get my thoughts together and depict them in model form for use in FLW.

Enter Romania...

Of late I have started to research the Romanian Army via the Internet. I expected to find little but have found loads of fascinating information- from ammo carrying dogs to mountain troops with plumed headgear like Italians and plenty more beside...

Watch this space for updates. I have posted this picture as a taster.

Army Red/White

For nostalgic reasons I intend to field my boyhood Elastolins as part of Army Red/White. They are rather tall for 54mm but I trust I shall be forgiven by opponents...
This is the maxim machinegun and crew wearing the field grey uniform and experimental helmets.
Also I post a photo of one of army Red/White's superb signal troops. He is in the act of releasing his pigeon -no doubt carrying an important message to HQ.

Water ,water everywhere & how to cross it....

Some novel ideas for FLW armies to use in order to cross water features,river,ponds etc! I would love to see them used in a game. Gentlemen the challenge is set before you...

Of Cars and diverse matters..

This week has flown by and I have not painted as much as I would have wished. My wife drove off last night, to pick up my daughter from a party, and returned a few minutes later having gone over two speed bumps and a large metal ring (4-5 inches across) in her hand. The aforementioned ring having fallen off the underside of the car! The car limped home and we await a phone call to a garage today with little pleasure...

I have been working on some FLW army lists this week and using the Internet to research them. This has been interesting ,if frustrating at times too. There is some fantastic material on the Danes and I have been looking at San Marino as something rather different. It feeds my thoughts as to ideas for the Duchy of Tradgardland also.

Now the photos: two pictures of Swiss Cavalry and an intriguing photo of Swiss infantry taken at the border with France I think. The cameraman got the border guards to pose for him on the border itself. Have a good Weekend whatever you are about...

Many thanks to you who voted in my poll- Army Horizon Blue just nosed ahead at the line. Another poll very soon...

Mountain troops and helped needed...

Today I have posted a photograph of Swiss Mountain troops. They are upon the march and entering, what looks to me like, a high alpine village. Note the horse/mule transport in use as well as the way the rifles are carried. Most sensible in light of the terrain...
What I cannot find is photographs of the Mountain troops in winter gear and/or with skis. I have photos of them using horse drawn sledges for transportation but no skis. Anyone able to help...

Photos

I finally photographed one of Army Red/White in the garden today. He was a freebie from Giles at Dorset when I was in the process of commissioning a figure from him. The figure is painted as Swiss soldier in the pre WW1 uniform. He is my first effort and I fear I could be better! This morning I worked upon 10 great coated figures with the pigeon signaller as light relief.Hope to post results soon...
The black and white photo depicts some Swiss Landwher . I like the figure with the large beard and also the chap with the stick- no doubt to help climb these steep mountain paths. A charming photo with much interest- I trust you will find it interesting too.

Army Red/White - cyclists in training...

Swiss Uniforms

My sources tell me that the change from the blue uniform to the grey uniform took several years. I believe there is a photograph that even in the 20's blue and grey uniforms were in use. On October 28th, 1914 the Swiss executive council decided to use only fieldgrey fabrics for future uniforms.In 1916 most of the Swiss servicemen wore the fieldgrey uniform. During the war it was very difficult to get the grey fabric. The Swiss bought uniform fabric in the US, but there were significant colour differences with the grey fabric in use. The colours to dye this fabric weren't non-fading and so, the uniforms changed to a brown colour. For variety I am considering Army Red/White wearing a mix .And now some pictures... they come from WW1 photo archives,a reenactment group and other sources I have forgotten. They show the variety of uniforms to be portrayed in Army Red/White. Have a great Saturday one and all...

p.s I am trying to find a super set of WW1 photos( on the computer somewhere) that show a group of officers in both fieldgrey and blue uniforms- I'll keep searching today and post when I find them

Army Red/White Signallers...

My Dorset miniatures pigeon signaller arrived yesterday and I look forward to painting him.

Army Red/White uses a variety of signals including semaphore , be it upon dry land or on the lakes that adorn the country, using cloth stretched on frames in place of flags.

Note also the bicycle mounted pigeon signaller- a 54mm figure conversion crying out to be made. Use too was made of the telephone as well. Army R/W is surely equipped for every eventuality...

How it all started- Why Swiss?

You can blame Elastolin if you like! I was taken to Switzerland as a ten year old boy- loved the country and the toy soldiers...
I collected the old composition Elastolin figures of the Swiss army of 1970 vintage as well as the historical 40mm hard plastic ones- Romans,Landsknects etc. I still have many to this day ,and countless moves later.
So I built upon this with books about the Swiss army as I grew older . Books which showed fascinating pictures of the Swiss Army in 1912 ( the so called Kaisermanouvers) WW1 and WW2. Thus my appetite grew. Many interests ( as we all do) came and went,were revisited or forgotten. The Swiss remained. All that was needed was a catalyst- in my case FLW being in a toysoldier magazine some time ago. I loved the article and the H G Wellsian pluck of Paul Wright. I emailed him,joined the Yahoo group in time and awaited the rules with enthusiasm. Now I have begun the army and look forward to 2013 and the Centenary competition that is planned. However their are lashings of fun to be had in the world of FLW before them I'll wager...

Welcome...

Welcome to "Army Red/White and Others" my new venture into blogging inspired by the superb rules "Funnylittlewars" by Paul Wright.
The rules bring the spirit of H G Wells and the halcyon days of wargaming right into our midst for 2009 and beyond.
I intend to chart here my collecting of Army Red/White - Switzerland in the "real" world . It is hoped that other armies will appear here too.
Also I intend to present period photographs, drawings and other information about the armies of the period leading up to the great War.
I do hope you will join us again and I await your comments with interest...