New Research Material

 Hello There! I have plans to paint some 'fluff' for the table and for a future feature for WSS.

In the eighties I purchased the cantiniere from Minifgs. It was the only one, to my knowledge, available at the time and was my first contact with such 'fluff'.

The women who followed Napoleon's armies provided food and luxuries to the men and others carried out the laundry for a fee.

These duties were carried out on campaign as well as at barracks. The French army was the first to allow these women to follow the army and became accepted into the regiments where their husbands usually served.

Some women served in a more subversive way, notably one general dressing his mistress up as a cavalryman so she could accompany him on campaign. Probably missed his 'home comforts'!

If these women had children with their husbands they would take the children with them on campaign and would share all the privations experienced by the men. These children would be taken into the regiment and could be taught a trade such as armourer, cobbler or tailor. They couls also be recruits for the regiment in the future.

Illustrations include all the above professions and the text includes the military regulations which governed these followers. The illustrations make me think of the Stephen Andrew illustrations in the German Army of WW II series, in that all the figures look very similiar, if not identical.

The illustrations are however very helpful for ideas of colours and styles to paint the figures that are now available from companies like Eureka and Warlord.

I have always been interested in the American Revolutionary War and this is the start of a hopefully extensive series on the German mercenaries involved in the conflict. The uniforms give a continuing feeling of  the uniform fashions of previous wars. 

One thing I noticed in this edition is that the normally black and white pictures that are at the side of the text are all in colour here. This is a welcome change and helps the painter no end.

Another addition for the AWI period and this covers the changes in the tactics on the battlefield and the uniform worn by the troops. This books has some nice illustrations including not only the painting we have come to expect from Osprey but also a few photographs of re enactors as well.

I first came across this unit in the first book I ever purchased on Napoleonic uniforms. The Blandford book on 'Uniforms of Waterloo' is very well thumbed through and was bought from the wargames shop on Elm Hill in Norwich in the 70's when they had just opened. I was then learning about Napoleonic uniform for the first time and that book was a useful introduction to the subject if a bit misleading for the beginner. 

This is well illustrated by Patrice Courcelle, whom I met at the small market at the 201st anniversary of Waterloo, in the museum on the battlefield. The unit was very colourful but rather shorter lived than many of the units in the French Army.

All the above came from Paul Meekins books. I have ordered books from Paul, and visited his stall,(Salute & War & Peace Show), for over a decade now and I have always found him very helpful with a comprehensive knowledge of what is available. In the past I have e mailled him with a list of either 'wants' or an idea of the information I needed for an planned project. He has always given me a list of good alternatives.

His website is here.