Cannonball
A Fixture
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2017
- Messages
- 2,948
Another project I’ve recently started is this super vignette depicting British/Empire troops going over the top in WW1. Sculpted by Carl Reid for Gordon Mitchell it depicts seven figures in the process of leaving their trench to go into battle. There have been two super renditions of this already on the site by Rob (Ventress) and Tom (T34/85). Rob depicted the 11th East Lancs on the first day of the Somme in their ill fated attack on Serre and Tom depicted Canadian troops launching an attack. I have decided to depict the Lancashire Fusiliers on the opening day of the Somme launching their attack at Beaumont Hamel. The Lancs Fusiliers featured heavily in Geoffrey Malins film record of that fateful day and there are iconic pictures of them forming up in a support trench and footage of the two companies waiting in the Sunken Lane prior to Z Hour. The first three figures attached to the base are almost complete-just need to finish off the boots and some items of kit before moving onto the remainder. I’ve adapted the cast on diamond motif battle patches on the arm to represent the red triangle divisional badge of 29th Division in which the 1st Battalion Lancs Fusiliers served. On the back of the soldier carrying the rifle is the company badge halved red and primrose (although I’ve a feeling the colours should be the opposite way round) and I’ve tried to depict the regiments yellow hackle on the left side of the helmet although weathering the helmets has covered these quite a lot. I’ve visited the Somme on a few occasions and stood in the Sunken Lane and on Hawthorn Ridge next to the mine crater featured in Malins film and tried to picture what the scene would have been on that morning. What never fails to impress is the great care taken in looking after the countless cemeteries dotted across this area.
Thanks for looking and any comments/critique are welcome.
Neal
Thanks for looking and any comments/critique are welcome.
Neal
...Mike
