Thursday 16 November 2023

18mm ECW Parliamentarian London Trained Bands

Next off the production line are two Parliamentarian London trained bands, the Blue and Tower Hamlets Regiments with the former (unsurprisingly carrying a blue flag) in front:











Although some sources said the trained bands were of a uniform appearance in red coats, this was apparently an incorrect inference drawn from the fact that a Major Mainwairing was in charge of three regiments at the same time, including one which had been issued with red coats alongside his two London Trained Bands. More contemporary opinion seems to be that as the trained bands were drawn from householders who often sent their servants in place of themselves, they were more likely to be wearing civilian clothes:











The flags are again from Wargame Designs:











With the Tower Hamlets flag being red:





















I went with the pike forward option for these two regiments. I must say I prefer the standing pose with upright pikes as they are easier to pick up and don't become entangled with the rank in front, but it was nice to mix in a bit of variety:











I also deliberately used less firing figures among the musketeers, to give them a slightly less regular look:





















That is four regiments now completed with four to go, with the next two hopefully completed by the end of next week.

14 comments:

  1. Very fine pair of Foote regiments. You continue ticking them off at a rapid rate. How long does it take to paint one of these units?

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    1. Thanks Jonathan. I think each one is just over a week on average, although I did all the muskets first and am now just going back through them to add the pike and command stand.

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  2. Lovely units Lawrence, but with just a drummer and a fifer they aren't much of band!

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    1. No, and I have been debating whether to take the fifer off and add another flag bearer, but since the second flag for each regiment is so similar I think I'll stick with one per unit.

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    1. Cheers Richard, it is a project I am enjoying.

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  4. Lovely work and very productive too, Lawrence. I had it in mind once to "do" the New Model Army - all red coats with regulation facing colours, the start of a British Army tradition that would last over two centuries!

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    1. Thanks Keith, I am on a roll with them again. I have three redcoated regiments in the Parliamentarian army which, alongside the two trained bands, I am hoping should give enough of a New Model look when we play games set in the later period.

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  5. Lovely looking pike and shot regiments, I've got a trained band regiment in amongst the rebased figures I acquired , it was useful as I could dump all the spare figures to give me a nicely mixed unit!
    Best Iain

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    1. Yes, I think mixing them up is definitely the way to go. I saved all the armoured figures for the other regiments.

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  6. Catching up to some more glorious ECW Foote. You should be ready for an FK&P game any day now!

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    1. Thanks Peter. Just need to do the artillery and some cavalry and then I should have enough to cover most FK&P scenarios.

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