Meet the New Boss

Master-Yawdryl Paerwyn kept his eyes fixed forward, even though the new Is-Caerten's hat plumes bobbed directly in front of, and level with them. He wondered to himself, not for the first time, which Ancestor he had annoyed to get lumbered with this self-important runt of a quar. Said runt was the scion of a First Family and fresh out of Officer's School by the sounds of it.

He saluted the air above the Is-Caerten's hat with crisp precision. A flutter in his peripheral vision told him that the salute had been returned. He dropped his arm. 

"Master-Yawdryl Paerwyn reporting, Sir!"

"Stand easy Master-Yawdryl." Is-Caerten Gwyffyth ap Foldgyhth'wlech looked up at the large, burly Senior NCO. He'd need this remarkable example of soldiery on his side if he was to be successful in his new command, the 8th Company, 22nd Fusilier Regiment. The Master-Yawdryl relaxed and looked down at him, eyes tinged with curiosity. 

"I'll need someone to look after my kit, but until then I cadged a pot of tea from the Company Cook." Gwyffyth gestured to a chair. "I'll be Mother and pour. Sugar?"

Master-Yawdryl Paerwyn sat down stunned. 

"So we'll need to go over the company training and duty schedule, don't you think?"

Master-Yawdryl Paerwyn blinked in surprise. He was used to officers leaving him to do all the work while they ran up Mess bills.

"I'm sure you've got it all in hand, but I really should have an idea what the bucks are up to, don't you think?"

Paerwyn took the offered cup wordlessly. 

"I think I should inspect the company tomorrow. Just to see where we stand. Let the rhyflers have a look at the new Boss, so to speak."

Paerwyn found his voice. "Route march tomorrow, sir. 6 o'clock start." He prayed to whichever Ancestors still liked him that the new Is-Caerten liked to sleep in.

"Oh excellent! Full marching or battle order?"

"Marching, sir." Hoping this extra burden would help the junior officer remember a regimental staff meeting he had to attend. 

"Outstanding! I'll be at the barracks at quarter to six then ready to go! We can discuss ideas for improving training as we bimble along, listening to the rhyflers singing their marching songs."

Paerwyn sputtered inarticulately.

"Are you all right, Master-Yawdryl?" Is-Caerten Gwyffyth looked at him solicitously. He held out a plate. "Biscuit?"

******************

Here is batch number 2 of the Tollyn-Maeryn. I think the official intention is to use Crusader officers for the Tollyn-Maeryn. But when have I ever stuck to the official "lore?"

The officer is a spare Coftyran Baenyr who had broken at the ankles. I cut off his head, drilled out the neck and attached a Tollyn-Maeryn head with the hat. The ball shaped carving bit on my Dremel Tool has proven to be perfect for making new neck sockets to facilitate head swaps.

I used my Dremel Tool to shave the hood, which is prominent on Coftyran officers, off the back of the figure.

The Master-Yawdryl is identifiable by his sword. Again, I added a small pack to the shoulder belt.

The cook was a flash of inspiration. Fortunately, Don prints multiples, just in case, and these are great for inspiration. I thought that the Penny-farthing bicycle helped this army look that little bit more archaic and increase the Great War aesthetic. I did a head swap on the Crusader cook and disguised the very prominent Crusader back rig for packs with four spare plastic ration tubes.  I gave him a blue neckerchief as a nod to the Bavarian Corps in WW1 who faced the Canadian Corps in some key battles.

Finally, another Yawdryl and five more rhyflers. 

This gets the force up to an Officer, Master-Yawdryl, Company Cook, Messenger Squirrel Handler, two Yawdryls and 12 Rhyflers.

While I was slapping field grey around I painted that die cast truck I bought at Hotlead in March.

This gives me a nice convoy of two trucks now.

The Basing is a mix of model railway ballast and fine sand blasting medium.

Quar Road Trip

Every June we gather in deepest, darkest West Lorne for a game day at Rico's house for his birthday. He requested Quar assaulting trenches.

So I brought my Crusader company supported by a Sapper Squad, a field gun, and two heavy shotgun teams, and my Toulmorese combat team minus the tractor, attacking a trench line held by my Coftyran Company, supported by two M3b HMG teams, an RCO, and a Heavy Shotgun.

Crusaders moving through field gun fire (template) to get to the wire.

The Crusader and Toulmore mortars were very useful dropping smoke to blind the Coftyran heavy weaponry.

Birthday boy observing the mayhem

Toulmorese dashing for a breach in the wire

Rico da Barbarian and Keith ran the Coftyrans, Wierdy-Beardy, Big Dave and I ran the Crusaders. I warned Big Dave that this was the Toulmorean's first outing so he expected to get tabled. The Toulmoreans, brave lads that they are, did pretty well, even after their command team got wiped out by a burst of very well rolled machine gun fire.

Sappers dash through the smoke screen to assault the MG nest

Rico reinforced and this fight went on for several turns

If had remembered to track the shock then one side would have broken sooner I think... but my sappers eventually whittled him down to one NCO.

Heavy Shotgun team 

Section about to slide left to use the gap made by the Sappers

Wierdy-Beardy pushes up through the craters and blasted wood to take the Coftyran right flank

Big Dave rushes the MG nest on the Coftyran left. He wipes out the gun, but reinforcing rhyflers keep him from consolidating.

My section of two squads pushed up beside the Sappers to gain the trench and get embroiled in protracted fisticuffs. Here Keith is counter attacking with the Trench Raider group.

Lone Is-Caerten! He dodged left to join his remaining squad.

Toulmorese rhyfle squad storms the RCO position

Wierdy-Beardy has cleared the bunker with fire from his heavy shotguns and got his troops into the right end of the trench line

So that was interesting. At the end there were five hand to hand fights going on simultaneously along the trench line. I gave troops defending entrenchments an extra condition shift and assault oriented troops like Sappers, Trench Raiders and Grenadiers/Bombers extra lethal dice in hand to hand. The Trench Raiders with their SMGs and grenades were pretty nasty.

The attackers gained 3 tenuous toeholds, of which they might be able to hold one. But they did eliminate all of the Coftyran heavy weapons. Tracking Force Morale would probably have made victory or defeat clearer.

Everyone had fun at least. I totally forgot to keep the activation cards secret from the side that was activating. And I forgot to track shock. And I was tired and fighting a headache so I couldn't make sense of what the Cooks could do. For this event I should have trotted out Rhyfler's Rampant instead.

Farewell to Trumpets

The salutes have been given. The parade has marched off to thunderous applause. The band has fallen silent and packed their instruments away. The Training Year is complete. 

Band, Alpha Flight and Flag Party being inspected by the Outgoing CO

I broke my usual monastic habit and went out for drinks after, but it being a work night I, I put some money towards the group tab and left after only a half pint. As I put my beret on and went out the door of the bar to walk to my car, it suddenly struck me, this would be my last time wearing my uniform. 

At last night's parade,  I watched the young lady who was just an OCdt when I assumed command of the Squadron, and who had kept me organized as my Admin O and confidante for three hectic years. I watched her perform the Rituals passing command to her successor after a very successful six year tour as CO, rebuilding from Covid. 

I sat with the other past COs, and enjoyed the Liturgy of a Cadet Squadron performing a Ceremonial Review, marveling at how good they'd gotten in the past year.

My Mustering Out was recognized and words were said, gifts were given, and hands were shook. After the dismissal, five of the senior cadets approached to each give me a last salute and say good bye. A few parents expressed their appreciation as well.

It's gratifying to know I made a positive impact.

All the departing staff were given pictures of appropriate aircraft, but as Samantha said, I got a picture with a plane on fire.

Also probably a nod to my constant efforts to inject RCAF history in general, and the Battle of Britain in particular, every chance I got.

An uncharacteristic hug from a woman I admire.

And because I like Old things, (but am not apparently "old"!), they gave me my favorite office chair, which was in the squadron offices for decades and  at my desk for the past six years. 

"What are you going to do on Tuesday nights now?"

"Well, I think I'm going to sit in my new chair and paint!"

It's time to go, but part of me is going to miss it.

All Quiet on the Quar Front

 

"C'mon you geezers, break time's over!" Milwer (pointing) and a trio of casual rhyflers having a smoke and a brew.

Their pointy little helmets look like pickelhaubes to me, so these Quar just scream Great War Germans. Which will compliment my First World War French poilu inspired Coftyrans and British Tommy inspired Crusaders nicely.

"Shoot those buggers over there!" Yawdryl and two rhyflers. 

Officially, these are from the Tollyn-Maeryn, the army of Maer Braech, so lore wise, they can fight either Crusaders during the Crusader advance into Maer Braech, or Coftyr as Crusader auxiliaries after the Crusader liberation. Just change the colour of their tunics. But why do that? Use German feldgrau and they can fight both in my mind.

Packs

The Yawdryl has a cross strap that I felt needed something attached to it, so I've given them small haversacks. 

I did a Google Image search for First World War German uniforms and found mostly a mid grey. The Osprey's that I have give a pretty grey uniform for the German shutzen right through the war. But Alex Southern's painting 15mm WW1 Germans video, and Sonic Sledgehammer's How I paint WW1 German Infantry video both suggested German feldgrau. So that's what I went with. Perhaps the green dye hasn't held up and so re-enactors are working from greyed examples? Whatever, it looks good. 

There are also heads in this garrison or undress cap. The front has a brass badge on it. I also did their tunic and cuff buttons in brass. This army is old fashioned and puts a lot of stock in button polishing and square bashing.

Squirrel Handler. The pykpyk is holding on with his back feet and he likes the view from up there.

Uniforms are Vallejo 70830 German Fieldgrey WWII,  drybrushed with Vallejo 920 German Uniform. Helmets and bedrolls are Vallejo 70995 German Grey drybrushed with Americana Neutral Grey. Equipment is Craft Khaki Tan inked with Bombay Sepia, Boots are straight Rowney Burnt Umber ink over the base coat. Rhyfles are honey brown wood, black metal, drybrushed silver then thinned Rowney black ink. Wood get Rowney Burnt Umber ink. Hat plumes are TT Combat leather red, highlighted with primary red and then washed with Sepia ink.

I'm lacking in left arms to go with the shouldered rhyfle arm, thus the more casual attitude with mugs and cigarettes. 

It's taken a few figures and some liquid putty to figure out how to best get shooting poses, thus all the marching poses in this initial batch.

Finishing the bases was delayed a couple of days as I had to remove a lot of the railway ballast I had glued on, because it was too coarse. But I want more exposed dirt on the bases, since these guys will be in trenches a lot.