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The forgotten soldiers

Discussion in 'vBench (Works in Progress)' started by nuvolari, Jul 22, 2014.

  1. nuvolari Member

    Hi,

    I’m normally not a military figurine modeler, or figurines in general.
    My main interest is scratch building pre war slot cars, and most figures I made or have resculpted can be found in that direction.

    But I’m always interested in history, and lately I was reading a book to the role the Belgian army played in WW1.
    There is a lot written about role of the English & Commonwealth, French, Russian, American and German armies during WW1, but very little about the Belgian army.
    The same can be sad about what’s available in the model world.
    Also in Belgium itself, there is in general very little spoken about WW1, but that has a historical reason, I won’t go into.

    The invasion of German troops into Belgium on the 4th August 1914, was a direct attack of Belgium’s neutrality as agreed by the London treaty of 1839.
    This triggered a new spark in the conflict, that pulled the UK into WW1.
    One of the main reason’s why Belgium was recognized as a country in 1832, was the need for a buffer state between the great powers of Europe.
    And as agreed by the treaty all the countries who signed it, had to act incase the countries neutrality was harmed.
    So by agreement, who ever turned aggressive to the nation, would have the nation as anomie together with the countries in the treaty.
    Down side to the treaty, is that the protecting nations can only start to act at the moment the country is invaded.
    So for a brief moment the country was on it’s own sources for it’s defense.
    And don’t underestimate this brief moment, it took the allies 3 months to get their war mechanism in full action.

    I’ve red somewhere that every single Belgian soldier had to face 16 Germans.
    Also the advantage the Germans had with their armament, was a heavy match for the small Belgian army and it’s defense.
    And still they menage to give the Germans a hell of a time, an the advantage to the allies to get organized, but they payed it very high military, civilian and cultural prize.
    And It was only with the force of water that they finally put a hold to the German over force.
    Something that with the technological evolution during WW2 not could be done.

    Anyway coming to my build itself, this is set right in the beginning when the Belgian army stood on it’s own.
    I saw this well known photo of an infantry unit, with their Maxime machine gun loaded dog carts on retread to Antwerp.
    So this picture must be taken around the 20th August 1914.
    What find so fascinating about this photo, are the dogs, they are the forgotten soldiers of ww1.
    I looked up how many animals that where killed in active service by the end of the war, and you only can find estimated numbers.
    1 milion dogs
    250 thousand horses
    No numbers are given for all the others, pigeons, monkeys, apes, camels, elephants and all other kinds that where put into action.
    In memory of them I call my Build ” The forgotten soldiers”.
    [IMG]

    For the build it self I was very lucky to find a company called Scale link who sell a range of white metal WW1 figures and attributes.
    http://www.scalelink.co.uk/acatalog/Belgian.html
    And they have a beautiful range of Belgian WW1 soldiers, and above all they also produce the dog carts.
    So putting everything together was a good base to 3d the photo.

    I started with the dogs them self.
    I first cleaned up the figures, and was not so satisfied with the structure of the fur itself from the dog.
    So, after cleaning and sandblasting the figures I applied a thin grey Vallejo primer.
    I than initiated the fur with a very fine brush, using vallejo plastic putty.
    I personally find the result very pleasing.

    Before and after the clean up
    [IMG]

    Applying the plastic putty
    [IMG]
    [IMG]

    Finished fur structure
    [IMG]
    [IMG]


    the rest will follow in a later tread…
    JonP, colonnello kurz, Eludia and 9 others like this.
  2. ometz Well-Known Member

    Country:
    United-States
    I'll be interested in this project, particularly using Scale Link figures. I have some figures/accoutrements from that company, hoping (wishing) to do a vignette set in ANZAC Cove. Good luck.
  3. Steve Well-Known Member

    Country:
    United-States
    Make a search of the Planet for "Brave Little Belgium". American artist Bob Tavis did this original diorama of a Belgian armored car in action against Uhlans. Bob has not forgotten Belgium.
  4. gforceman Well-Known Member

    Country:
    Belgium
    "Also in Belgium itself, there is in general very little spoken about WW1"
    I don't know where you got that idea from? I'm born and raised in Belgium and we learned a lot about WWI in school. 11th of November, end of WWI is a national holiday in Belgium. Every year it gets some attention on television. WWI is a much discused subject among friend, not all modellers, and family. We find it the worst, most dirty and brutal war of all war. In Ieper they play a song in memory of all the fallen soldiers of WWI. And we have many museums, some even with partial trenches like hill61, and all those special cemetaries for the fallen soldiers of WWI. So I don't really know why someone would think WWI is a subject we speak little of? In fact, WWI gets a lot more attention here in Belgium then WWII.

    Cheers,

    Gino
  5. nuvolari Member

    Wow, it seems I hit some sensitive notes here.

    @Steve:
    Yes, I know bob's work, and it's a reel piece of art work, very well scratch built.
    But like I sad Bob is a scratch builder and a very fine sculptor, and this is not something you buy in a shop as a kit.
    What I want to point out is that there are only a handful of ww1 Belgian army kit figures available.
    It would be really nice to see some more high quality figures appear in the trent of Tommy War.
    Not everybody is a profesional sculptor you know.

    @Gino:
    I'm a Belgian to, Gino.
    And yes we have the 11th November as a national holiday, but learning much about WW1 in school, I totally disagree with you, this is not how I have experienced it.
    Perhaps If you live in the area where the front was, as I assume you live in the area of Ieper, there you are pushed with you nose to the facts, it would be strange if you not talk about it.
    Of course we saw the basic facts in school, but I can never recall going to the trenches or visiting any museum with school.
    I often in later life, took the ferry to the UK and always there where several buses with school children visiting the ww1 sites, we never did such a thing.
    Do you see a lot of people where poppies here on television around the 11th November?
    Speak to teenagers outside west flanders, and I think you will be horrified how little they know

    You don't here me say that last ten years or so, and defiantly now with the 100 anniversary there are several extra events and schools will give extra attention to the theme, and we only can embrace that, because as you sad this was a dirty and brutal war.
    And indeed we have some very good museums with permanent and temporary exhibitions, that are worth while to see.
    And also don't forget the other sites, most of ww1 was fought at the 4 year front line, but there where also things going on in occupied territory, like the first gas experiments, before put into practice, where done at Kelchterhoef near Genk, and at As, they just are restoring the officers buildings of a German aviation training school of WW1.
    But as the West Hoek is pushed into WW1, we here are pushed into WW2, because where I live there was the German air defense line was during WW2, and hundreds of allied aircraft crashed here in ww2.

    Anyway, I hope I didn't offend you to much my friend, as this tread is about my build and tribute to those who did not speak, but where as much involved as men kind.
    As I do hope you like my build.

    Cheers,
    Danny
  6. gforceman Well-Known Member

    Country:
    Belgium
    Hi Danny,

    First of all I'm not offended at all. I live in Belsele, near Sint-Niklaas in Oost-Vlaanderen, so not near the trenches or so. I clearly remember at least one school trip to Ieper and the surrounding of Ieper for a trip to learn more on WWI. I'm talking about the early 80's now. I don't think it's only about WWI the youth dosn't know much anymore. I think you would be surprised how little teenagers know who Hitler John F. Kennedy was! What do they learn then these day at school.

    Take care my friend and I'm following your project with a lot of interest,

    Gino

    By the way, will you go to the KMK or BSMC show later this year?
  7. nuvolari Member

    Thanks for the tip Gino, I've never been to those events.
    If I'm or get free from work, which won't be any problem I think, I sure will come.
    I assume you also will be there?
    We'll be in touch by the time the event is there.

    Cheers,
    Danny
  8. Graham A Fixture

    Country:
    England
    A very interesting and honourable project which I look forward to seeing more of. I was in UK school between 1955 and 1966 and cannot remember a single lesson regarding the first or second World Wars until my very last year of school when those few of us that chose History for one of our subjects managed to get the form master and headmaster to reluctantly agree to us studying the Second World War. Sadly, the school would not provide resources so we had to do it ourselves.
  9. Eludia A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    I went to school in Scotland (a few years ago)and all I remember from history lessons are Bannockburn, the Jacobite uprisings and generally how the English were t**ts and the Scots were all round good eggs. That is why the Scottish education system is the best in the world ;)

    Anyhoo, back to the thread, as Graham pointed out, this is indeed a very unusual and honourable project and I'll be following with interest :)

    Thanks for sharing it with us,
    Billy :)
    Graham likes this.
  10. gforceman Well-Known Member

    Country:
    Belgium
    Hi Danny,

    I hope to be at both shows, or at least one, if health permits. Hope to see you there and have a chat!

    Take care,

    Gino
  11. nuvolari Member

    Ok Gino, I defiantly will come to the KMK exhibition.

    ... and the treat goes on.

    I forgot to mention that the scale is 1/32

    After the fur was applied, I air brushed a mix of several coats of Vallejo browns, detailed with a very fine brush.
    Finely applied a thin coat of matt varnish, as I found the Vallejo paint coat a bit to glossy.
    This is the result, unfortunately the sun light is a bit to strong but I did my best to give you good photos.
    [IMG]
    [IMG]
    [IMG]

    The carts them self are made out of a combination of white metal and brass etched parts.
    The scale link kit is in my opinion very well detailed, although there must be some time invested in cleaning the parts, but I think this is normal for 99% of all kits you buy.
    there are some parts of the kit that I exchanged with self made parts, but if you don't have the tools to do what I did don't worry, with some attention are the original parts also good.
    I always sandblast my parts before putting on the first base coat.
    By doing this, it will give m a nice final clean up, takes all grease traces away and provides a perfect surface structure for the paint to hold on.

    The personal changes I made was to cut away the axes where the wheels should be mounted on.
    At the place where the axes where I drilled in a M1 hole so a M1 brass screw can be used as axe.
    The inner wheel hubs I made new out of brass with my lathe.
    By doing this it was much easier to put the wheels on an of in the building process.
    [IMG]

    After everything is assembled and sandblasted, it looked like this
    [IMG]
    [IMG]
    [IMG]
    [IMG]

    And after quite some hours of painting, it came to this.
    [IMG]
    [IMG]

    Same thing goes for the second ammunition cart
    [IMG]
    [IMG]

    As you can see both carts also have a blanked.
    That is scratch build with some ink drained Cleanex tissue.

    Everything put together it looks like this
    [IMG]
    [IMG]
    [IMG]
    [IMG]

    And a small pre view on the diorama setup
    [IMG]

    The carts are not finished jet as there still needs to be some weathering.
    And perhaps the most difficult part of the build, putting on the etched brass leather belts that connect the dogs to the cart.
    But does jobs will be done when they are build onto the diorama.

    I hope you liked it so far, any questions, suggestions or comments are always welcome.

    Cheers,
    Danny

    will be continued...
    came, ChaosCossack, blaster and 6 others like this.
  12. Johan Well-Known Member

    Country:
    Belgium
    The reason why there isn't any interest in the Belgian army of 14-18 is purely commercial : apparently figures of Belgian soldiers don't sell. So manufacturers don't invest in producing them.

    Nevertheless, I agree that the Belgian army of 1914 is a very interesting subject for figures and I would love to buy some good quality figures of Belgian soldiers.
  13. nuvolari Member

    @Johan
    I'm not a figurine expert, and I'm sure their are people who do a far better job than I do, but at least I perhaps have them drooling to give the 1914 Belgian army a spotlight in the figurine world.;)

    ... and the build goes on

    There will be 11 soldiers who accompany the dog carts.
    For those who are interested in the Scale link figures, be aware that the arms and heads of the soldiers are packet random as are the type of dog with the carts.
    So it could be that if you order the same kit twice the arms and heads could be different.
    It comes down that the Scale link has 3 types of dog, a left and right strait arm and a left and right bend arm.
    This fact is perhaps not so ideal about their kits.
    The kits comes with heads of a curtain standard of headgear, fortunately the company provides separate heads with a further choice of 2 types of headgear, these can be bought in bags of 8 heads, with all different facial expressions.
    There are 7 types of standing walking types, two sitting types, an officer and a soldier in shooting position.
    There are also some extra's, if you're interested cheque their website.

    The standard 7 types I bought, came with a base (good for those who want to build old fashioned lead soldiers), back pack (that I won't use in this build), Mouser rifle, a shovel with bayonet and a belt hanging the rear, bag with drinking bottle.

    Because my figures are based on a marching as a platoon as in the photo, there is a curtain order on how they carry there rifles.
    The row on the left carry their rifles over the right shoulder, the middle row cross over their back, with the barrel pointing to the right or carried over the left shoulder, and the row on the right cross over their back, with the barrel pointing to the left or carried over the right shoulder.
    So this random packing of limbs, was unfortunately not idle for my build, but after contacting them the where so friendly to help me out at Scale link.

    First thing I starred with was cleaning up the Mauser 7.62 rifles.
    They are fairly good detailed, the only thing in my view that needed some scratch building attention, was the shoulder piece.
    This was in my view to thin and needed some putty to give it that curved shape.
    [IMG]
    [IMG]

    It is of course alway advised to look up some information in the media and compare this to what you have got.

    After shaping it, I air brushed it a ground coat with Vallejo primer, and a base coat of Vallejo golden brown.
    [IMG]
    [IMG]

    Next step was imitating the woodgrain.
    This I did with Andrea brown ink from the ink kit or metal kit, using a fan brush.
    [IMG]

    Finely the metal parts with all kind of metal shades from the Andrea metal kit applied with a fine brush.
    Finely some polishing with a cotton ear stick, came to this result, eleven Mauser scale 1/32 7.62 rifles.
    [IMG]

    That's all for now.

    Cheers,
    Danny

    to be continued...
    ChaosCossack, blaster, yeo_64 and 3 others like this.
  14. nuvolari Member

    And the build goes on...

    We all know that good information is needed, fortunately for my build there are quite some good Photographs available on Belgian soldiers, and lots of detailed information can be found in them.
    [IMG]

    Today I show you how I highlighted the khaki bags with case-bottle.
    These two items are included with the Scale link kit, but are basic and need some attention to detail.
    I first started with the canteen bottle.
    This canteen bottle was pre packed in a felt cover and closed with snaps.
    [IMG]


    These details where left out in the Scale link cast, but are very easy to still integrate with some files and a revet punching tool as you can see here in the before and after photo.
    [IMG]

    These case-bottles where attached to the khaki bags and hold in place with a cloth strap attached to the lid of the bag.
    This can be very well seen in the first photo.
    The lid of the canteen bottle was also attached with a chain to the bag.
    These details again are not included in the Scale link kit, and in one way I'm glad they didn't.
    Because by adding the details myself there is always a slight variation in the eleven bags with canteen I had to make.

    The cloth strap is very easy to make with some thin lead strip.
    With the chain on the other hand, I had to do some experiments.
    There is that I know of no chain, that I know of, available in scale 1/32.
    The best alternative I could come up with was to weave 3 thin copper wires, coming out some electricity cable, together.
    An advantage using copper for this, is that you can bend it very easy, giving it the look of hanging chain.
    Also another detail are the brass button where the bags are attached with to the soldiers belt.
    This I made by drilling a 0,3mm hole into the straps and put in 0,3 mm out sticking bras wire.
    So far the finished product.
    [IMG]

    cheers,
    Danny

    To be continued...
  15. nuvolari Member

    And the build goes on...
    Scale link offer several possibilities on uniform and naked character head types, of a very good quality, in my opinion.
    What I don't find that good about them, is that you always most buy the standard kit, and if you want a uniform variation, you must buy an extra head set.
    Leaving you with a bunch of spear parts.
    But on the other hand, the extra investment isn't that big, so I can live with that.

    The only remark I had on the head types I'm working on, is that the small belt that keep their hats strapped on, was missing on the heads.
    This I solved with a thin stripe of copper tape.
    [IMG]

    The heads where than painted with the Andrea color system, and this is the result.
    [IMG]

    cheers,
    Danny

    to be continued...
    Eric P.M., yeo_64 and ChaosCossack like this.
  16. nuvolari Member

    intermezzo...

    Yesterday 12/08/2014 the 100 anniversary the battle of the silver helmets at Halen was remembered.
    The battle of the silver helmets was the last German cavalry attack in history.
    The name of the battle refers to the silver helmets the Germans where wearing, and collected by the Belgian army after the Germans where defeated in this particular battle.
    It is also one of the first encounters that showed that Napoliontic warfare was useless in this new mechanized world.
    But still this wining battle was short lived for the Belgians, as the German power was to overwhelming for them so the order to retread to Antwerp was given.

    In remembrance of this battle and the following retreat a small dedicated reenactment group called the Patrouilleurs, 107 man and woman strong, with wagons horses and dogs , starred a 6day reenactment of this retreat.
    The group did it's upmost best to be as original as can be in there equipment.
    Even the refugees are included.
    Here's a atmospheric view of the event, that I enjoyed very much.

    [IMG]
    [IMG]
    [IMG]
    [IMG]
    [IMG]
    [IMG]
    [IMG]
    [IMG]

    But the real stars where these guys
    [IMG]

    The Belgian Mastiff, a dog race that was bred specially for the Belgian army.
    Due to the dedication of a few breeders the race survived, and is now about 95% to it breed standard.
    The dogs did there entrance in the event only the last few miles of the events first day.
    A photo opportunity , how the dogs where strapped into the cart.
    [IMG]
    [IMG]
    [IMG]
    [IMG]
    [IMG]

    I hope you enjoyed these few pictures.
    Cheers,
    Danny

  17. blaster A Fixture

    Country:
    United-States
    Hello Danny,

    An absolutely brilliant thread and excellent work! You are a walking signboard for Scalelink miniatures!

    I came across another type of dog cart for a machinegun which have different wheels. Do you know if this was also an official issue item?


    Rgds Victor

    Attached Files:

  18. colonnello kurz Active Member

    Country:
    Australia
    Looks like the same thing but of the Frenc army ,from the machine gun and the soldier
    blaster likes this.
  19. nuvolari Member

    @Victor
    I think that Kurz is right, but it's very hard to tell on B&W photo,if this is Belgian or French.
    This picture is probebly arround 19
    16, the best way to distinguish Belgian from Frech army is the sign on the helmed, the Belgians have a lion and the Frensh an exploiding granate.
    But even for the French army this is no normal standart dog cart.
    A lot of civilian material and livestok where convicated by the army on all sides.
    And this looks like a civilian one to me.
    Dog carts where used way into the 1950 - 1960 for civilian use.
    They where used to distobute goods like milk from door to door, but also to collect animal bones to make gilatine.
    Most army dogs where sold to civilians after the war where these heroes faded away
    The machine gun looks like a Hotchkiss, I could be wrong, I leave this to wapons experts, but if it is, than it's even a more indication that it's French.

    It's not my intention to be a walking signbord for Scale link, but they made the effort to produce a Belgian WW1 set, so the credit goes to them as I would do for every other company.
    And as you will see in later treds I also will mention small mistakes into there figures, I want to give an
    objective view.
    There are much better quality figures on the market, like the JMD figure in
    http://www.planetfigure.com/threads/at-the-yser-we-kept-stand.65899/.
    But unfortunaly they produced only one figure.
    Cheers,
    Danny
    blaster likes this.

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