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6 new sets are on the road

bravo

Thanks.. With these new/recent cavalry figures coming out (Don Cossacks, Uhlans and Dragoons), good excuse to expand number of other sets in the Crimean War range to make the Russian Infantry more proportional.

1 Cav Division(Light)
6box Terek Cossacks
3box Uhlans
3box Hussars
2box Emhar Artillery

2 Cav Division(Heavy)
3box Don Cossacks
3box Dragoons
2box Emhar Artillery
--
4box Grenadier Div (2 Guard Jager Btns)
4box Russian Infantry Div
4box Russian Infantry Div
2box Cossack Infantry(Crawler Battalions)
2box*Caucasian Infantry conversions
4box Esci Artillery
--
3box Russian Naval Artillery
Hat Nap Militia converted as support troops
HHF Naval Battalion(Prussian Landwehr)
2 Command and Hospital Sets
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Command set has mounted Guard Officer..mmh perhaps?

Re: bravo

Hi Strelets,

that is great news, many thanks. Beside my beloved Crimean war the Roman mini-set - great!!

Hi Hank, how do you paint all this units? You must have a lot of time

cheers
uwe

Painting.... and when 1:72 research went full scale

Uwe, Well i have the perfect job, only work 3-4 day a weeks.

Painting,i spray black,then i use a "slap dash" progressive factory system, Paint all flesh,all trousers then all jackets/coats etc.

I often partially repaint them when i discover better research info or run out of figures or even find a better paint.

I dont paint bayonettes or swords on plastic figures until i have based them.
When i paint all figures or burn out with painting catch its research time...
everything is obsessional with this hobby. hah
--
Full scale research.
A few times in past 8 years my research suddenly escalated from 1:72 scale into real life size drama.

--
A couple of years ago at a small American heritage meeting i went to,i had a chance discusion with a dear elderly lady from back east who mentioned her favorite Uncle never came home from WW2. What can one do...

I did not want to build up the her hopes as the odds were against me but i just had to try.So again I began discrete investigations.This time for a "ww2 missing in action" soldier.

Bonus..the lady had a photograph with his service number on the back helped confirm battalion details(war graves commisions registration matched but pointed to AThens wall memorial ...no it wont end there i decided.)

I established whereabouts of the area his platoon was operating in. This time the Army museum wasnt helpful made me more determined. But i found sufficient information elsewhere.And the German translated records and diagrams of their invasion Operation confirmed this in detail.As did personal battle accounts.

This allied soldier was killed on the first day of action of the invasion of Crete. The Allies retreated south of the island leaving their dead behind.

I contacted a local author/historian in Crete and he gave me had extensive notes which had to be cross examined.Eventually through some translation, bare in mind the island was recaptured and research of documents we located the final resting place.

A group of bodies of the first Allied casualties were relocated from local shallow graves several times by both German then Australian (the island was recaptured) and then later finally post war by the British Commonwealth Wargraves commissions. The German Military were very helpful with recording all the details of reburials of both German and Allied soldiers.

I was very moved in 2005, 11 months after starting this in between communications. When i saw the photographs from this family's 13 strong contingent visit Crete and were able to pay their respects at his graveside. They also went to Athens to see his name on the ww2 memorial wall.

This wouldnt have happened if i hadnt been doing this hobby and related research etc. Most of the success depends on finding out and knowing, Exactly where to look and persistence.

When 1:72 research went full scale

Hello Hank
Well done on your research.
It sounds like you tied up a few loose ends.
I have been to Crete many times. it is a place saturated with history. Not least that of WW11.
There is a linguring sadness around the sites of fighting, reprisal and burial.
Never the less I shall be going there again in June and I hope to be visiting the war museum above the imbros.
Regards
Taran

Re: When 1:72 research went full scale

Well it was the least i could do,Taran.

I agree about the battle sites.The heat ,the tranquility .. when there was once brutal carnage etc.
The ww1 and ww2 cemeteries have unique atmospheres.

Mentioning Crete,it was on the US History Channel linking the Cretan/Knossos settlement to Atlantis,a suggested volcanic ring(island has a name like Sardis)/Island about 110 miles north of Crete. Fascinating and good timing with the Classical revival of movies and figures etc.

Enjoy your holiday, I'm jealous.

Re: Re: When 1:72 research went full scale

Hi Hank,

thit is a great movies story which shows us what a good person your are! Helping each other is something that is very important for us!!

A job with 3-4 days at work? I envy you!! When I come home after a day of arguments from by buerau, I am done for. Years ago I've painted every evening,
4-5000 figures a year were no problem. Now I have only time to paint on the weekends. Good, there are 30 figures each weekend which are still 1500 a year. But that is not enough with all the upcomming sets.

I should search another job...

cheers
Uwe

50+ year missing medal citation, letter from King George

Well, My part was nothing... compared to the sacrafice of the soldier or in fact his surviving family who never forgot him. That was the motivation for me....

I'm sure many other amateur researchers have done similar things.

A happier occasion i was involved with was back in 1997 when i researched and located a missing ww2 commando gallantry award (The UK's " Military Medal")citation of 50+ years.This was for a good radio ham friend.He was with No.4 Commando on D-Day
Lord Lovat and won his medal at Walcheren/Vlissingen.

He never knew exactly what he got the medal for.(see website below).

in 1997 the medal recipient was facing major heart surgery. Time was precious.After going through micro fiche/film at the Manchester Library in England, I located his citation entry in the London Gazette Newspaper June 31st 1945.(he wasnt aware of the recorded entry was published but still no citation and reason why he won the medal).

He showed me his medal (name engraved on teh side)and he also showed me a letter from King George(Buckingham Palace) apologizing that he couldnt make
the presentation due to ill health(the King actually wrote "a right royal sore stomach" !)

Harold was a WW2 Royal Marine Commando Signaller.

I called his regimental museum.With that information from the London Gazette(NEWSPAPER) the curator located an out of print book.Despite its scarcity and by good fortune within several days I had used the ISBN book number to locate the publishing rights of the owner of the book. (Sheratt and Hughes UK bookshop chain were big help obtaining the phone number)

I spoke with the book owner and he kindly gave me a free exisitng copy of the book,one for the medal winner, one at half price(i thought a spare copy for his son ) and i had to argue with him to let me buy one at full price chuckle.A kind person.

So a 50+ year mystery was solved.That was the hardest work i have ever done for one cup of tea, which was all i wanted in return much to his amusement.

I got to know him and his family very well. His heart surgery gave him 5 years extra. He visited me here for a week in California 2000 in between travelling in Asia. He died a year later almost 6 years ago on March 31st. Dont think i have met a finer person.

As a tribute to him, i thought these brave acts of soldiers would go into obscurity with the book being out of print.(A historical disaster in my eyes.)

I then pursued research on other ww2 commando gallantry awards adding ones which were outside/in addition to the book.

Many from No.10(Inter Allied) Commando (French Belgian Dutch Polish etc . Also i managed to locate some photographs.

www.geocities.com/no4commando/hjones1.htm

www.geocities.com/no4commando/allcdos.htm

The French D-Day museum and others links to this website.Dont expect a well designed website ..... the web editing software went obsolete halfway through the project and i was out of work/unemployed at the time.

But...the information and records of military heroism of ww2 is still available.

Re: much appreciated, Hank!

your help of these fallen veterans families is a noble endeavor. it reminds me of when i got orders for europe, and my grandmother told me of a cousin of hers who had fallen at Achen with a sucking chest wound. she wanted me to find where he was buried and place a flower on his grave for her. being poor mountain folks, no one of our family could afford the trip. it turns out my uncle Ted was in belgium in WW2 as well, and he told me when he discovered his cousin Guy was wounded, he tried to get to Liege but Guy died before Ted made it there. anyway, i found Guy's grave in Maastricht, with the help of the local Dutch. i took pictures and placed a flower from my Grandmother on Guy's grave. as far as i know, i'm the only family member who ever visited him. it was a deeply emotional experience, but i'm glad i got to do it.

Re: Re: much appreciated, Hank!

Yes M, it becomes very emotional and its important to always be considering the families sensitivity.Such plights are often difficult to explain to people..etc

Your own experience was very interesting and good on you for your endeavor to pay respects to you relations.Often i think of the poor warwidows who never remarried and kept the candle of hope for the remainder of their life.

I think we did our bit, and helped let the loved ones spirit rest.best wishes Hank