Chunuk Bair: Progress with the ANZACs on my table

Painting Progress: WW100 and the ANZACs on my table

A quick progress report on the WW100 Projects and the ANZACs I'm Currently painting.
2 evenings of (interrupted) base painting done:

Blocked in base coats, 1st wash of Sepia, Silver Leafs (Not Kiwi's I'm told) 

now looking rather tanned from the Turkish sun.

Had to look for more reference material, and nicked a random collection of images of NZ and allied soldiers and uniforms. All rights belong to various owners. Happy to attribute or remove on request.

NZ ANZAC Uniform: The order was to attack in shirt-sleeves, so no tunic was worn during the attack and defense. Apparently the boots were black, not brown as illustrated. 

The painting above has correct colour for enlisted men

Typical gas mask and gear bag.

Full canvas webbing and kit (unfortunately a poor quality pic)

Turkish counter-attack and The Wellington Regiment's defense of the Summit. 

Difficult to see from painting, but some of these men appear to be (incorrectly) wearing tunics.

Propaganda leaflet from the time

Correct branch of forces puggary or hat band for NZ Infantry

More contemporary photographs of the time. A colourised Auckland Mounted Rifles Uniform at Right

Having taken a trench atop Chanuk Bair

Australian Uniforms of the time. Similar to that of NZ, but the Slouch Hat rather than Lemon Squeezer (Ps That term was only coined in WW2)

Wide use of peaked caps (with or without neck protection) for both enlisted and commissioned men. In WW2 only commissioned officers were allowed to wear peaked caps.

Indigenous (Maori) Pioneer Contingent arriving. Other "indigenous" contingents in Gallipoli included Indian and Gurka warriors.

French soldiers were also present at Gallipoli

Infantry Uniform

 

 Mounted Infantry/Cavalry Uniforms. Not the shoulder slung leather bandolier which was not issued to Infantry. These were not present on any of the models we painted.

Fast-forward look at my progress from basecoat

1st skin tone

Suntan wash applied

Canvas webbing added

Chunuk Bair: My Turks go over the Top and the ANZACs arrive

WW100: My Turks go off to war, and the first ANZAC troops line up on my workbench

Sam rings me today: "Are you ready for some more Gallipoli models? 

A few guys have pulled out, and we have a deadline looming"

 "How many have you done ?"

" Ten."

"How many more can you do ?"

" Another Ten."

 Silence,

 "...or twenty."

More silence

" Maybe thirty... "

Bewildered Turks fleeing a spectre of an ANZAC soldier

"I'll bring them to you tonight..."

 So a few quick snaps before these Turks that have been languishing on my workbench go off to Gallipoli and the tender ministrations of Mustapha Khamal.

"How many has Scott done?"

"Fifty ! "

"Fifty ? "

Gotta get me one of those drinking rigs...

Ok, some ANZACs this time. 

Sam realises I am pushed for time, with a friends wedding and stag do to organise (best man at my ripe old age) , family birthdays and on call commitments. 

So: Wounded and kneeling ANZACs, and sundry lost or discarded equipment now on my workbench. 

Quick flash removal job. Yay! Slice my finger with a scalpel blade. 

...That's when you get for being lazy. Get out the dremel. 

... Buzzz...flash begone!

Mix Araldite (Yeugh!) 

Heads on, leave overnight to cure.

Arrange in sorry looking pile of wounded and kneeling soldiers.

Paint case happens to have bright red splatters of ink from a previous job on it, 

Or was it my blood? 

Or was it theirs?

Lead soldiers tumbling off balsa blocks...

I think back to this afternoon:  

Saw an 88 year old lady in my surgery. Have known her for 15 years. Used to be a keen painter, but she no longer has the energy. Buys the paint and the canvas, but just can't get started. 

We always end up talking art or painting. Told her about the WW100 project, showed her a few bits from blogs on my desktop PC. 

She gets all choked up. "Such waste, such waste. Thousands of them... Such waste..."

So raw is the wounds of Gallipoli still in the psyche of New Zealanders. 

This event has defined our lives, her life, 

Such waste. Such waste.