Wednesday 28 November 2018

one hour wargames -Zulu Skirmish

John my long time Gaming buddy recently bought a set of skirmish rules called one hour wargames which we tried out tonight using my Anglo Zulu war stuff .Basically a small skirmish rule set 8 figures for the brits and 16 for the zulus , the game uses playing cards instead of dice and it does what it says on the cover , we played 2 games in just over an hour admittedly the 2nd game was over quickly due to the cards turned over to decide the game end but both games were lots of fun ,all very simple but we will play it more I'm sure . Figures Empress and warlord ,redoubt is warlord as well.Spurred me on to carry on with my own zulu rules and getting my armies finished being out of work should give me plenty of time.
The Brits ,6 riflemen a officer and a Nco .

The Zulus 11 spears ,4 muskets and a leader 

the rules

The zulus advance with heavy losses

The Joker ends the turn ,the king shows how many action points i recieved this turn 

hand to hand 

we swapped sides and my Zulus advanced taking a right hammering .

Saturday 10 November 2018

7tv -children of the fields -`the hunt is on

The hunt is on for the intruders the Huntmaster and his huntsmen with a pack of hounds are on the scent .More lovely figures from the children of the fields kickstarter.
Tally Ho

Not the normal pack of hounds

Thursday 8 November 2018

Gallantry Medals Awarded in the Anglo Zulu War

Many people know about the VC's awarded at Rorkes Drift ,the most in a single action as depicted in the film Zulu ,but there were a large number of V.C'c & Distinguished conduct medals awarded during the short but bloody war . Below is a list of all the medals awarded ,where they were won with the dates ,the ones in RED are the gallant chaps whose graves we have visited .

Isandlwana 22nd January 1879

Victoria Cross

Lieutenant Nevill Josiah Aylmer Coghill ,1st Battalion ,24th (2nd Warwickshire ) Regiment

Lieutenant Teignmouth Melvill,1st Battalion ,24th (2nd Warwickshire ) Regiment

Private Samuel Wassall ,80th Regiment (Staffordshire Volunteers)


Rorke's Drift 22/23January 1879

Victoria Cross

Lieutenant John Rouse Merriott Chard ,5thCompany Corps of Royal Engineers 

Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead , 2nd Battalion 24th (2nd Warwickshire ) Regiment

Corporal William Wilson Allan 2nd Battalion 24th (2nd Warwickshire ) Regiment  

Private Frederick Hitch  2nd Battalion 24th (2nd Warwickshire ) Regiment

Private Alfred Henry Hook 2nd Battalion 24th (2nd Warwickshire ) Regiment  

Private Robert Jones , 2nd Battalion 24th (2nd Warwickshire ) Regiment  

Private William Jones ,2nd Battalion 24th (2nd Warwickshire ) Regiment  

Private John Williams (Fielding)2nd Battalion 24th (2nd Warwickshire ) Regiment  

Surgeon James Henry Reynolds ,Army Medicl Corps

Assistant-Commisary James Langley Dalton ,commissariat Department

Corporal Ferdinand Christian Scheiss ,3rd Battalion Natal Native Contingent 


Distinguished Conduct Medal

Gunner John Cantrell ,5th Brigade Royal Regiment of Artillery 

Private William Roy 2nd Battalion 24th (2nd Warwickshire ) Regiment

Colour-Sergeant Frank Bourne 2nd Battalion 24th (2nd Warwickshire ) Regiment

Corporal francis Atwood , Army Service Corps

Corporal  Michael McMahon  , Army Hospital Corps ( later cancelled)



Intombi River 12 March 1879 

Victoria Cross

Colour Sergeant Anthony Clarke Booth ,80th Regiment (Staffordshire Volunteers)


Hlobane Mountain 28 March 1879

Victoria Cross

Colonel Redvers Buller 60th Rifles (Kings Royal Rifle Corps ) 

Major William Knox Leet ,1st Battalion ,13th Somerset light infantry 

Lieutenant Henry Lysons ,90th (Perthshire) Light Infantry

Private Edmund John Fowler ,90th (Perthshire) Light Infantry


Distinguished Conduct Medal

Bugler Alexander Walkinshaw , 90th (Perthshire) Light Infantry

Corporal William Dommett Vinnicombe , Frontier Light Horse

Trooper Robert Brown , Frontier Light Horse


Khambula Hill 29 March 1879

Victoria Cross

 Lieutenant Edward Stevenson Browne ,,1st Battalion ,24th (2nd Warwickshire ) Regiment 

Distinguished Conduct Medal

Corporal Edward Quigly 7th Brigade Royal Regiment of Artillery 

Private Albert Page .1st Battalion ,13th (somerset) Light Infantry

Private John Power ,1st Battalion ,24th (2nd Warwickshire ) Regiment 

Troop Sergeant -Major Learda ,Edendale Troop Natal Native Horse


White Mfolosi River ,3 july 1879 

Victoria Cross

Captain William Leslie de la Poer Berisford 9thn (Queens Royal Lancers )

Captain Cecil Dudgeon D'Arcy , Frontier Light Horse 

Sergeant Edmund Joseph O'Toole , Frontier Light Horse 


Distinguished Conduct Medal

Troop Sergeant -Major Simeon Kambula ,Edendale Troop Natal Native Horse

Ulundi 4 July 1879

Distinguished Conduct Medal

Gunner Willaim Moorhead, 7th Brigade Royal Regiment of Artillery


Private John Power ,1st Battalion ,24th (2nd Warwickshire ) Regiment (also for Khambula)

Coluor sergeant James Phillips ,58th (Rutlandshire)  Regiment