All Fall down. ANZACs going over the top and taking casualties

Last of the WW100 Diorama ANZACs (Mostly) Painted

Like most painters in this project I couldn't resist having a bit of a play with the figures before they join their brothers at Chanuk Bair.

As this batch does not have any charging figures I could not make a gallant charge diorama, so I opted for a "Waiting to go over the top" theme instead.

Regrettably my photographic skills lag behind my painting skills, and the result does not really do the mini's justice. I would like to share it though.

It has been an unique honour to have been part of this project. Kudos to Peter Jackson and his vision, Weta workshop and Rhys Jones for pulling it all together. I am lucky enough to live in Wellington, and may be able to assist with the final assembly of this project (if my schedule allows)

They Died
So we may live
Let their memory live forever.

Sound the attack!

OK boys, this is it. When the shelling stops and the whistle blows,  we go over the top !

But we all fall down...

 

B company ! Get ready !

 A Company got a bit of a pasting, but we'll be all right! 

Fix bayonets!

Chaaaaarge!

 

C Company ! Form up !  

Water! Bring water! Water for the wounded!

Alright chaps! B company didn't do that well either. So it's up to C company to finish the job !

Tell my wife that I love her...

Waiting to go over the parapet...Waiting...

Song for You

Hello darling, this is the army,
I've just got the time to write,
Today we attack, there's no turning back,
The boys they're all ready for the fight.

Yes, I'm well but this place is like hell,
They call it Passchendaele, (We could probably substitute Gallipoli here - Ed)
In nineteen seventeen the war must be ending,
The general said this attack will not fail;

So I'm writing down this simple little melody
When you play it my love, think for me...
We'll be together in this song for you,
And it goes la la la, sing it darling, la la la

They got old Bill, and the sergeant is still out there
Wounded in some shell hole,
They say this war will end all wars,
Oh God I really hope it will,

Oh how's old England, are they still singing
Those songs that we loved to sing,
When all this is over, we'll go sailing in Dover,
Catching fish like we used to with a string,

Oh I miss you, I miss you, I miss you,
If they get me my love you will know
We'll always be together in this song for you

And it goes la la la, I have to go now
Take care of yourself my love.

Chris de Burg

The Colour of war: Chunuk Bair progress

Chunuk Bair: Colour of the  ANZACs, and Peter Jackson's Comments

Evening by evening the ANZACs develop on my Painting Table. When Sam dropped them off my wife said:" Now we won't see him for a while".

Probably a true observation based on observation of me over 3 decades.

 I have the bit between my teeth now, and progress is happening. Having researched the uniform's colour variations a bit I have gone with the shirt base colour from Reaper's MSP series: Rainy Grey.

 I have also used GWs white, dwarf flesh, rotting flesh, bleached bone and commando khaki (or whatever name they have now dreamed up for them - the name of the colours have changed 3 or 4 times in the time that I have used their colours) Vallejo for the rest. For some reason I have not touched my Tamiya paints on this project.

At one stage the ANZACs looked rather like WW2 LRDG soldiers with shorts, khaki/sand drab uniforms, and neck protectors fashioned on the back of their caps. (No Arab headgear though, but they resembled the guy on the right with the 1937 pattern webbing a little)

Note the lemon squeezer in this photo.

At peril to go and explore the NZers in the LRDG's history at this point, but I will resist... Well, sort of:  Apparently the NZ contingent in the LRDG gave their Chev trucks Maori names. There is a pic of "Paki" having been destroyed by the Germans. 

But I will stop myself here. Hard... Very hard to do so. 

I just love picking up a little historic trail, and then exploring it. 

Having blocked in the shirt colours they are finally starting to look like ANZACs. So next step will be weapons, then washes on shirts, trousers, etc. "Make 'em grubby", as Peter Jackson wants (see below)

 

Peter Jackson has sent us all the following message:
(from the Mustering the Troops website)

" I want to thank all the wargamers who have volunteered to help with this massive diorama project. You’ve answered your country’s call for sure!  Your work and skill is very much appreciated by all involved in the WW1 exhibition we’re putting together.

Chunuk Bair is a battle more and more New Zealanders are becoming aware of, but few really understand what it was, and fewer still can visualise it. In a museum, there are very few ways to depict the scale of the battle, with over 1000 New Zealand and British troops under attack by thousands of Turks, across a 400 yard long crest - but we thought a miniature was the perfect way.

The diorama itself will be huge - over 10m long - with the terrain accurately re-created from a digital scan of Chunuk Bair itself. High resolution scans of aerial photos taken in October 1915, reveal the remains of the New Zealand trenches, so those will be positioned exactly as they were in August. Thanks to your efforts, we’ll be able to create an accurate and lasting impression of the struggle Kiwi soldiers found themselves in, mid-morning on August 8th, 1915."

" I’ve been looking at your work as it’s been posted on this blog, and it’s terrific! My only suggestion would be to vary the colours of the New Zealand shirts a little more. There are no photographs of the Wellington Battalion on Chunuk Bair, but we know the attack orders from General Godley specified “shirt-sleeves only”.

"In Gallipoli by August, most sense of military correctness had been thrown out the window. Far from stepping off the parade ground, by August the Anzacs were known as “The Scarecrow Army”. Soldiers were receiving parcels from home, and new shirts from Mum were often included.  So despite the painting guide instructions, I would encourage future New Zealand figure painters to give yourselves permission to mix it up a bit. Grubby white shirts, olive green, dark blue, light grey - all would be fine, and it will give the diorama an accurate look.

Thanks for supporting this project!

Cheers
Peter Jackson "

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