“Middle Eastern Swordsmen for Hire … will go anywhere … do anything … any period … please somebody buy us and paint us and base us.” I wonder if that’s what goes through the lead head thoughts of some of these unloved figures.
These Peter Laings have been sitting online on EBay for so long, that eventually I started to feel sorry for the tiny 15mm chaps.
Every time I went online to look for Peter Laing figures, these unloved and unwanted specimens would turn up.
Peter Laing Ancients seem on the whole less desirable than his later period figures ranges.
I didn’t have a “mounted Camel spearman”. Everybody needs at least one …
It was said by Phil Barker of the Peter Laing figure range “Horses sometimes a little strange” and by another (John G Robertson?) that his armoured elephants looked like terrible angry mice. Pictured here. However his camels have a certain camelid charm.
EBay retailer figures4sale listed the others as “M207 Turkish Horse Archer and M410 Hun cavalry” and the rather genetic “Middle eastern swordsmen x 5”. I have yet to check them in the catalogue. Maybe some of the MeWe Peter Laing community will beat me to it
Blog posted by Mark Man of TIN 25 January 2020
A Peter Laing pity party … tinier than the curious Puddles Pity Party at the Postmodern Jukebox HQ. Slowed down cabaret American punk – like an armoured camel, just what everyone secretly needs.
One of the aerial photo mysteries of the desert airstrip raided by my commandos was this curious heavy ‘brass’ biplane. A surprise gift from the family at Christmas …
Airfix first version Afrika Korps defend their airfield against a commando raidFirst version Airfix Commandos in their Raid on the Airstrip, Wadi Yu Min 1941A penny and first version Airfix OOHO figure for comparison sizeConstruction details such as the tail flaps and screw in section – for desk mounting?
Obviously this has the possible desk mount missing, just the screwhole fixing, and the propellor section missing. With the flux weld or solder marks and screws showing, this has a charming amateur, slightly stout DIY feel to it. Proper vintage …
Apparently the vintage shop had a desk mounted similar plane, and I have an old larger moulded ‘brass’ Spitfire in this desk style.
This is a more ornate, polished ‘trench art’ style of desk ornament (currently eBay Jan 2020)
Such shiny desk ornament mounted planes are still produced and similar antique versions can be found online, in a naive faux trench art style.
Another useful Christmas gift – an old liveried delivery van, roughly the Airfix OO/HO size of these Waggon Train figures.
Both van and biplane are very useful for games scenarios. I am reminded a little of Corporal Jones’ van in Dad’s Army …
Blog posted by Mark, Man of TIN on 22 January 2020
B.P.S – Blog Post Script
Dexey mentioned in his comments kits found on eBay to convert Lledo type vans into generic Armoured Cars. The pic-link I found below was a dead URL but gives an idea of what could be done with cardboard, plasticard etc. Most armoured cars in civil wars or irregular warfare were improvised lashups anyway.
Insertion points for different units of the raiding forces were chosen by dice throw from 5 possible routes (see map below) before the game started.
The desert commando forces and two desert jeep trucks Ragtag and Bobtail enter the area from the old airstrip (insertion point 4). The Yestershire Infantry to appear along the rail bridge in foreground (insertion point 5).
Briefing Map, Raid Aims and named personnel set out here:
Defending NordAfrika Korps are stationed in unknown areas and in unknown strength around the area as per the scant reconnaissance briefing and aerial photographs
What the Allied raiding forces do not know is how many NAK forces are stationed in the Station Halt building or that on Turn 7 (decided by 2d6) these troops are on standby, ready to be replaced by fresh incoming troops by train. They also do not know that Meyer, an ADC or adjutant to General Von Rimmel is visiting the Special Operations Section (tented area) for a status report.
What the NAKforces do not know is that they are about to be rudely awakened early one morning by a Commando raid. Only a few sentries and gun teams are posted, a few Aircrew busy at work …
First contact Turn 1
Allied elements appear on the board as darkness fades and dawn breaks in the North African desert.
Turn 1
“As the sun rose beyond on the desert hills, Schutzen Wache on sentry duty spotted a flurry of faded khaki rushing across the railway tracks along the bridge … he raised his rifle and fired some warning shots into the air. Achtung! Alarm! Alarm!”
Whilst the Commandos rapidly and silently capture two Aircrew / Groundcrew without alarm being raised, the sentry Sch. Wache by the Railway bridge does raise the alarm on seeing the Yestershire rifles crossing (d6 thrown to decide if alarm raised) with several rapid shots in the air.
The railway bridge proved a narrow pinchpoint for deploying Yestershire troops – a bunched target.
Private Hunt lobbed a grenade at the sentry but missed, as did the rifle fire of Mulvaney, Mahoney and Sgt Brittle.
Clumped together by the bridge, Privates Mahoney, Hunt and Sgt Brittle were all quickly caught in the LMG fire of the Halftrack (which is part trackless and under repair). Some of the first unlucky casualties of this desert raid.
The Allied View from the Bridge – a fleeing Sch. Wache the NAK sentry and deadly half track
The Desert Commandos rush the airfield to silence the air crew and armoured car.
Very quickly the Commando rifle fire and the LMGs on Ragtag and Bobtail, the two desert “jeep trucks” silences the two crew of the Armoured Car.
The PAK gun crew on cemetery ridge managed to knock out Ragtag killing its two crew Ptes. Marrion and Foster. Fortunately the demolition charges and explosives did not explode close to Bobtail, the other Jeep Truck.
First major disaster – Ragtag the Jeep Truck is hit by the Antitank Gun and its crew killed.
Turn 2
The NordAfrika Korps garrison was inside the station halt, awaiting relief by train (2d6 thrown to check: train will arrive with replacement troops on Turn 7). They rapidly deployed to the roof, their fire brings down Commando Private Hemingway who is heading down the flank of the station building.
Meyer, the visiting ADC / Adjutant to General Von Rimmel and air crew sheltered inside the barricaded station halt. A small group of NAK troops led by Haupt. (Captain) Fuchs set out to defend the airstrip.
The PAK gun engaged Bobtail the second Jeep Truck and knocked it out for two moves.
Private Grant of the Yestershires guns down the Half Track crewman, although sinister grey uniformed Klang takes over the LMG on the Half-track.
The view from the other Antitank gun dug in on the Hills above the railway halt
From this hill, the Antitank gun engages a group of Commandos at maximum range and kills Private Young and Scruby.
Gefreiter Weigmann was shot by Commando raid leader “Popsy”
Allied and NAK Casualties from melee and rifle fire from the station building roof.
Turn 3
The PAK gun engages the Yestershire HMG crew and wipes it out, killing the crew (Curry, Stonefeather, Blease).
In return, 2/Lt Hyde shoots with his pistol at Sch. Richter on the roof.
Turn 4
Lt. Bath, Cpl Ridley and RE Appleby recrew the Yestershire HMG.
LCpl Mitton is hit by fire from the rooftop NAK troops.
Turn 4 – The fight around the Half track – mysterious Feldwebel Klang in greyTurn 4: Private Maitland the demolition expert lays the first timed charge – kaboom in Turn Ten!The fight for the Half Track – its machine guns finally silenced.Turn 4: After being knocked out for two moves, Bobtail finally roars into action, LMG rattling.
The fight around the oil tanks. Success for the NordAfrika Korps? Maitland may be gone but his time fuse remains!
Turn 5
Three Commandos (Ptes. Steinbeck, Gammage, Dickinson) felled by grenade from above as they try to break in to the Station Halt.
Turn 6
Demolition expert Pte Maitland is shot before he can lay any further charges.
In a deadly melee phase Pte Grant, Pte Faulkner and Capt Young and NAK Sch. Junge and Schroeder are killed.
Jeep Truck Bobtail is back in action, heading down the railway track towards the station. Its LMG hit Sch. Vogel on the station roof.
The Yestershire HMG crew brought down the troublesome PAK crew Sch. Beck and Roth at last.
Turn 6 – fierce and deadly melee as more Desert Commandos pitch into melee against NAK troops.
Turn 7
Train arrives with NAK reinforcements
Turn 8 – the view from the NAK gun emplacement on the hill, attacked by Pte Ortheris
Turn 8
Bobtail the Jeep Truck turns sharply and retreats down the track away from the train and all its reinforcements.
NordAfrika Korps – Reinforcements detrain in Turn 8
Meanwhile Sch. (Pte) Huber in melee and with rifle fire brings down Commando after Commando including the raid leader “Popsy” before Huber himself is brought down.
“Popsy” the Commando Raid leader is down – time to retreat?
The planned escape route with Bobtail the LRDG Jeep Truck just before … Bobtail disaster!
Turn 9
With Raid leader “Popsy” dead and Allied numbers dwindling in the face of fresh NAK reinforcements, it is clearly time to leave. Hopefully soon explosive charges will wreck the area.
Abandoning the heavy HMG, RE Pte Appleby, Corporal Ridley and 2/Lt Bath head to the bridge to hitch a ride out of the area on the Jeep Truck Bobtail, along with Ptes. Wallingford and Mulvaney.
Before they climb on board Bobtail the Jeep Truck, it is hit at long range by the NAK Antitank gun on the hill. Bobtail is destroyed, its gunner and driver Ptes. Gough and Smith are killed. Disaster – but at least their remaining mines and explosives do not explode, injuring the remaining Allied troops.
Elsewhere across the airfield, Commando radioman ‘Sparky’ Sissons calls for the far off retrieval teams to meet him at the pre-arranged desert rendezvous point. He quickly leaves with Ptes. Shepperd and Learoyd. Their two captured enemy Aircrew held for interrogation are tied up and gagged but left behind, alive.
As the last of the Yestershires and the Commandos disappear off on foot the way they came …
Turn 10
Boom! The first of the oil tanks goes up in flames.
Private Maitland is avenged.
At this point the Allied survivors melt away into the desert on foot. The explosion of the first tank sends the surviving NordAfrika Korps troops diving to the ground to avoid the flames and showers of stones and metal debris as one after another oil tanks explodes, damaging the track and the engine of the train.
The old biplane is toppled over, made further unserviceable. Warehouses and stores are damaged.
Despite the heavy losses, this first desert Commando raid achieved suitable disruption.
Boom! The retreating Allies see more smoke and hear several more explosions as they head quickly off into the desert heat as the sun gets higher in the sky. Time to find their rendezvous points.
Boom! The Yestershires have their packs of supplies, water and ammunition handy. The small commando group are not personally so well supplied until they reach prearranged supply dumps.
They will hopefully regroup and head home to base to be debriefed. However the Commandos failed to bring any prisoners back for interrogation or to discover the activities of the NAK Special Duties Unit. What was going on in the tent for example? What was Meyer, the ADC to General Rimmel, inspecting?
(Above) Allied Survivors of the Raid on Wadi Yu Min – a few Commandos and some Yestershire Regiment escape into the desert. Yestershire Regiment 2/Sub Lieutenant ‘Tubby’ Bath RNVR , Corporal Ridley, Privates Mulvaney, Wallingford and Shepperd. Commando Radioman Signaller ‘Sparky’ Sissons, Pte Learoyd and Mine detecting RE Private Appleby
NordAfrika Korps survivors with Meyer, ADC to General Rimmel and a wrecked Bobtail LRDG jeep truckNordAfrika Korps survivors named.Casualties on both sides Raid of Wadi Yu MinThe Allied Casualties named
The NordAfrika Korps casualties named.
Reflection back on the game and rules
Playing solo, this game / scenario worked well enough.
The cluttered terrain amongst the oil tanks and aeroplane made shooting difficult for both sides.
The Commandos and Yestershire Regiment suffered consistently from a series of poor dice rolls throughout on Melee and Firing. No Featherstone Savings Throws in this game. They were given no extra modifiers in Melee or Firing for being Commando troops, opposing tough NordAfrika Korps troops.
Despite the first NAK Armoured Car crew being quickly knocked out, the two anti tank guns on the hill and the half-track LMG quickly did damage to the commando transport and troop numbers. Lots of lucky dice throws. Dealing with these high up entrenched gun positions created many problems for the raiders.
Naming characters does positively change the way you view this game and would be even more effective with a smaller number of troops. Playing both sides with a larger number of characters, it is harder to become attached or show favouritism to any one particular figure.
The element of silent surprise at the beginning needs to be worked on and developed.
In future raids I would include more explosives trained troops, as well as assign rifles and SMGs to those typical ‘useless’ Airfix non-combatant figures without firepower such as the grenade throwers, knife men, observers with only binoculars and gun crew etc.
I used Featherstone based simple WW2 rules from War Games and its Close Wars appendix but with scaled down firing ranges to suit my hexes:
Overall a joyful outing for some classic Vintage Airfix from my childhood collection and from Tony Adams’ gift of figures earlier in the year. Figures who never thought they would fight (again).
Available forces for the reconnaissance and demolition mission: see below
LRDG – Briefing: Raid or Mission Aims
a) investigate increased enemy activity at the railway halt and old desert airstrip at the old oil prospecting camp, Wadi-Yu-Min.
b) put out of use any military or transport equipment, railway, bridges as appropriate
c) destroy stores
D) remove any interesting weaponry and documents of interest to Intelligence Officers, including captured service personnel for internment and interrogation.
‘Ragtag’ and ‘Bobtail’, two LRDG (D) modified desert extended jeep type trucks with additional external fuel tanks, stowage and demolition equipment – 2 LRDG (D) man crews with LMG Bren Guns, pistols and rifle plus spotter / spare armed with pistol.
Being more small truck than jeep, several commandos can be carried by each ‘jeep truck’.
Note: Numbers with names are not their ages!
Ragtag’s crew of 2 – driver and LMG gunner Desert Commando Privates Foster (35) and Marrion (34) and Spotter Pte Sheppard (32)
Bobtail’s crew of 2 – driver and LMG gunner Desert Commando Privates Gough (36) and Smith (37)
Desert Commando Section 1 LRDG – D
Officer Commanding Captain Younger (14) with pistol and commando knife
Photo caption: Three plucky Desert Commandos pictured with HMG Section gunner Privates Curry (38) and Stonefeather (39) and spotter Lance Cpl. Blease (7) and LRDG-D Truck LMG teams.
20 Desert Commandos under two Officers (Hyde and Younger), commanding 9 rifles and 4 SMGs from various regiments and the Royal Angrian Defence Force (West Africa) and technical teams.
Royal Signals Regiment operator with radio, Private Sissons (25)
Small antitank weapon (Bazooka type) Private Chamberlin (26) and second crew member Private Dickinson (31)
Royal Engineers Demolition expert Private Maitland (30) with detonator
Two ‘grenadiers’ equipped with Mills Bombs and knives Privates Steinbeck (11) and Gammage (29)
Each of these ‘Technicals’ carries Commando knives and pistol.
Donald Featherstone’s Wargaming Commando Operations gives a good idea of weaponry that early raiding teams carried.
Desert Forces: Yestershire Regiment Regulars with two officers with pistols, 10 riflemen under Sergeants Brittle (40) and Bland (2)
Officers Lieutenant ‘Paddy’ Camberley (1), and 2nd / Sub-Lieutenant ‘Tubby’ Bath (41), attached from RNVR
Riflemen – Sergeants Brittle (40) and Bland (2), Corporals Stone (3) and ‘Daisy’ Ridley (4) and Privates Pollock (13), Mulvaney (15) Ortheris (16), Grant (19), Mahoney (21), Wallingford (22),
Bombers / Grenadiers – Private Hunt (28).
1 HMG team of two gun crew Privates Curry (38) and Stonefeather (39) and spotter Lance Cpl Blease (7)
Royal Engineer Private Appleby (23) with mine detecting equipment and pistol.
Insertion points 1-5 for each team to be advised (chosen by d6).
Recon and Demolition Mission Reminders
Yestershire Regiment to be inserted close by truck and carrier, (off table) arriving into the area on foot. They will be carrying water, rations and ammunition in their packs.
Commando teams will be carrying no packs. Ragtag, Bobtail and the truck logistics teams carry extra explosives and detonators. They have also established several caches of survival supplies nearby with map refs to ensure that commando teams can escape on foot as needed.
A radioman signaller is present to keep links back to base teams for rescue and retrieval at prearranged points in the surrounding desert.
Reminders: Civilian casualties are to be avoided or minimised.
Local people may be present along with unarmed railway staff.
No blame for the raid should attributable to the local population by the enemy. Where possible, ‘Dummy’ maps and equipment to be deliberately left behind.
Enemy prisoners and technicians are to be disarmed, taken captive where possible and escorted back to base for interrogation.
John Curry noted in the reprint edition of Donald Featherstone’s Advanced Wargames that the list of names in the ‘Personalised Wargaming’ chapter included the names of various 1960s wargame opponents, illustrators and figure manufacturers – Russell Gammage of Rose Miniatures, Neville (Minifigs) Dickinson, Illustrator R.J. Marrion, Jack Scruby, Brigadier Peter Young, Roy Belmont-Maitland (Tradition) etc.
You also get a possible glimpse of Featherstone’s bookshelf of rugged literary tastes. Several others appear to be novelists or writers – Chandler, Faulkner, Hemingway. Others include ‘The Soldiers Three’ or ‘Three Musketeers’ characters in Rudyard Kipling’s tales of army life in India during the Raj, one of Featherstone’s colonial gamingn interests, Kipling’s alter ego Ortheris, Learoyd and Mulvaney.
After introducing Learoyd and Mulvaney, when asked who the third musketeer was, Kipling reputedly said Ortheris (‘the Author is’).
Other bloggers who commented on my Personalised Wargaming blog post created their character names lists using the names of actors, politicians and war leaders (“See here, Private Johnson!” – insert name of …), film characters and ingeniously, villains from acquaintances (with names scrambled).
The ‘Saints’ Southampton FC teams of the mid to late 1950s to early 60s would be another such useful or appropriate Donald Featherstone inspired list of names to collate and choose from, as he was their team physiotherapist and wrote several books on sports, work and dance injuries.
“Reading fed the children’s imagination. Their creativity soared after their father presented Branwell with a set of toy soldiers in June 1826. They gave the soldiers names and developed their characters, which they called the “Twelves”. This led to the creation of an imaginary world: the African kingdom of “Angria” which was illustrated with maps and watercolour renderings. The children devised plots about the inhabitants of Angria and its capital city, “Glass Town”, later called Verdopolis.”
“The fantasy worlds and kingdoms gradually, acquired the characteristics of the real world — sovereigns, armies, heroes, outlaws, fugitives, inns, schools and publishers. The characters and lands created by the children had newspapers, magazines and chronicles which were written in extremely tiny books, with writing so small it was difficult to read without a magnifying glass. These creations and writings were an apprenticeship for their later, literary talents.”
“Around 1831, when Anne was eleven, she and Emily broke away from Charlotte and Branwell to create and develop their own fantasy world, “Gondal“. Anne was particularly close to Emily especially after Charlotte’s departure for Roe Head School, in January 1831.”
My fictional map or geography of Gondal, based on Yorkshire.
Gondal, her co-creation with Emily, is set in the North Pacific and is the usual Bronte ImagiNations mix of lush verdant mountains and moors of “Tropical Yorkshire”.
When I checked what else was in the North Pacific, the list of countries I found seems to have forgotten to include Gondal so I have helpfully added this in.
These two Pound Store jeeps have been converted into Jeep ‘Trucks’ for my desert raiding Force. Extra stowage, fuel tanks, winches and spare (button) tyres came from what was to hand in the scraps box, in keeping with their pound store origins.
The old tiny version 1 Airfix as crew do look a little undersized – probably less so with version 2 Airfix which are slightly larger – but if you think of them as desert trucks like the old LRDG Chevrolets, it kind of works.
Jeep trucks, windscreens trimmed – with LMG crew in place in game and without, with crew.
Monday Update: Responding to comments (below), trimming the windscreen does work to rescale it. It was not easily possible to remove the whole windscreen thing.
Goggles and tiny windscreens on this LRDG Matchbox kit.
They started life in the pound store, a Christmas gift from a charity shop, the usual mismatch mixture of scales.
This shows how the jeeps started off. The Airfix Centurion China copy tanks would be in scale for the vintage OO HO Airfix figures.
Improvised oil tanks from toothpaste lids – reused, not recycled!
I wanted to mock up fast a desert storage facility at a railway yard / airfield. Something for Airfix Commandos to blow up. These party popper storage tanks (first conversion attempts) are a bit wonky, as cutting off the necks and inserting this down into the flimsy body did not work as cleanly as I wanted.
The mysterious tarpaulin covered or camouflaged shapes are offcut blocks of wood, wrapped in some light brown serviette tissues I found in a cafe and glued with PVA wood glue.
A few additional figures that might prove useful, so I have painted and rebased some useful figures.
Desert Arabs from the early Airfix set, painted about 40 years ago and rebased.
A few Airfix Luftwaffe ground crew make good train staff, aircraft mechanics and oil tanks staff.
A handy antitank gun from the Airfix ready made solid plastic vehicle range, the gun that accompanied the halftrack. A little surprise or an extra bit of protection for the facilities at Wadi Yu Min.
These all add some potential for these desert raid scenarios.
Blog posted by Mark, Man of TIN on 12 January 2020.
Vintage Airfix Privates named, Privates for Desert Army and Privates / Schutz in NordAfrika Korps
One idea I wanted to develop in my skirmish gaming is a more ‘personal’ or ‘personalised’ feel to small troop action.
Giving names to your ‘characters’ adds a different dimension to the nameless hordes of figures.
I use the names suggested in the chapter ‘Personalised Wargaming‘ of Donald Featherstone’s 1969 Advanced Wargames book, recently reprinted and available from John Curry’s History of Wargaming project.
The Blue Hills Boys … all named in the game, reports and write ups.
Personalised “Ripping Yarns” write up of the game report.
“You, Vot ist your Name?” “Don’t tell him, Pike!”
When I ran out of names from the Featherstone list in Advanced Wargaming and Skirmish Wargaming, especially for the many Schutzen (Riflemen) privates commanded by General Von Rimmel in the NordAfrika Korps, I turned to Wikipedia’s common German surname list and the WW2 / modern rank lists for translations
Vintage Airfix Afrika Korps – General Von Rimmel can be seen top left
Sch. Schwartz? / Pte Black?
I have marked all the bases with the English ranks. For Schutzen (Sch) read Private etc. If needed, many of the Germanic names have an English equivalent, if you were using the NordAfrika Korpsfor other non German / non WW2 ImagiNations games.
Private Scruby? Private Young? Private Marrion?
John Curry noticed that Featherstone’s names in his “Personalised Wargaming” chapter were friends, wargamers, illustrators, and figure manufacturers from the 1950s and 1960s.
I wonder if Sergeant Featherstone was putting Brigadier Peter Young in his place a little jokily by only having a Private Young amongst the named characters in his ‘Personalised Wargaming’ chapter?
“Her Privates We” – some of Featherstone’s named figures in Advanced Wargaming.
And Don Featherstone himself? Not on his own list but I do have of course on my extended names list and now on an Airfix figure the name of one Sergeant Stonefeather!
I wonder what experience any of you have had of ‘personalised‘ wargaming? Did it add to your gaming or detract from it?
Blog posted by Mark Man of TIN, 9/10 January 2020.
Damaged Sketch Map left by raiding party on Wadi-Yu-Min, NordAfrika – sent to Von Rimmel Headquarters NordAfrika 1941
Received Bletchley Park Hut 43 (NordAfrika Army section):
Decoded signal sent by the NAK NordAfrika Korps Special Section radio station at Wadi-Yu-Min to General Von Rimmel, NAK Headquarters, North Africa: CLASSIFIED: Despatch rider has been sent with what is is believed to be operational sketch map prepared by enemy forces for the recent raid on our operations at Wadi-Yu-Min, Nord Afrika. Map damaged and it appears attempt made to burn this by Allied raiding party. Map was located amongst Allied equipment left behind by raiding forces and recovered by NAK troops after the action.
It appears or claims to be based on aerial reconnaissance photographs by the enemy’s air forces operating over the desert.
It appears not accurate enough to be based on good local knowledge of the local population or local railway staff.
Damage report to follow. As directed by General Von Rimmel, NAK Special Section operations to continue. HH. [Message Ends.]
——————————- ———————— ———————————————
(Bletchley Park) Station X message – passed to Military Intelligence, Combined Ops and LRDG-D Sections: Summary to be passed to Aerial Reconnaissance Section Desert Air Force, Royal Angrian Defence Forces (West Africa), C in C Yestershire Regiment
Intercept of NAK signal to Von Rimmel’s HQ NordAfrika re. Sketch map supplied to our raiding party at Wadi Yu Min. Map and equipment attributable to allied forces successfully left to make sure that no blame attached to local population or from any informants amongst the railway staff for the raid or reconnaissance.
Advised that enemy NAK Special Section Operations to be resumed.
Further aerial reconnaissance or scouting parties to be advised that following this raid, additional anti-aircraft sources may be installed and further ground defences at Wadi-Yu-Min.
Debrief, casualty and damage report to be forwarded with intelligence reports Section.
Photograph of the pre damaged sketch map (deliberately left behind) attached along with original air reconnaissance Section Desert Air Forces.
Signed – authorised by Major Martin, Hut 43 NAK Section / Station X / Military Intelligence liaison.
Readers can compare the sketch map with the aerial reconnaissance photograph.
Were your observations correct?
We will have to wait and see, to read the Intelligence debrief report on how the raid on Wadi-Yu-Min went.
Dominic Cummings, some Tory Brexit politico adviser, in his blog set out a Churchillian request for hiring people to make No. 10 and the Civil Service (and his Brexit / post Brexit team) much less ” public school bluffers” and “Oxbridge English graduates”, more “misfits and weirdos“.
He writes: “We want to hire an unusual set of people with different skills and backgrounds to work in Downing Street with the best officials, some as spads (special advisers to ministers) and perhaps some as officials. If you are already an official and you read this blog and think you fit one of these categories, get in touch.” He says the categories he wants to recruit are:
Data scientists and software developers
Economists
Policy experts
Project managers
Communication experts
Junior researchers – “one of whom will also be my personal assistant”
Send your CV to Mr Cummings if you think this applies to you. You may only last a week, in our “hired and you’re fired” modern world, as instant dismissal is threatened, in which case you will no doubt be known as a “Cummings and Goings.”
Well intentioned and headline grabbing as it may be, the whole “weirdos and misfits” thing is a gift to cartoonists and satirists.
Oddly Mr. Cummings forgot to mention on his list: wargamers and “board game geeks”.
I am reminded of Churchill’s wartime request to “leave no stone unturned” to recruit the right people to staff Bletchley Park and SOE. Part of GCHQ’s ancestry, Bletchley recruited a strange team of debutantes, crossword puzzle champions, Post Office engineers, mathematicians, linguists and graduate oddities to break German cyphers.
Too busy to read? Just watch the cinema shorthand, myth-making movie versions of such an eccentric cast of characters: Robert Harris’ Enigma and the Imitation Game.
After meeting Alan Turing and his other eccentric colleagues at Bletchley Park, Winston Churchill reportedly said to MI6’s Stewart Menzies, “I know I told you to leave no stone unturned to find the necessary staff, but I didn’t mean you to take me so literally.”
Extraordinary jobs require unusual people. Polar explorer Ernest Shackleton would agree!
Which is why my mind straight way turned to SOE, inspired by Churchill “to set Europe ablaze”, Bletchley Park, inventive backroom boffins, the Commandos and the scruffy but tough and talented Long Range Desert Group. All the cast of Mr Churchill’sMinistry of Ungentlemanly Warfare as they were termed in a recent book title.
Such people and characters in small teams are perfect for small scale gaming scenarios.
Weirdos and Misfits wanted? Small teams of characters (figures) who can see what is going on in this gridded aerial reconnaissance photo and improvise a plan when it is not what it seems …
“Sketch map in preparation by Desert Air Force Intelligence Officers, ready to brief some scouting parties of LRDG (D) – D For Demolition.
This is a mixed bag made up of various disruptive elements from the Royal Angrian Defence Force from West Africa (Bronte ImagiNations), some men of the Yestershire Regiment (Man of TIN Imaginations), various other upper class desert traveller, novelist and travel writer misfits, and some Royal Engineers and Commandos in training.
Two tooled up long range fast Desert Jeeps called “Ragtag” and “Bobtail” (Pound Store finest) being prepared.”
Vintage 1960s Airfix LMG teams and modern China plastic tat playset jeeps.
So a quick bit of internet searching brought me to various LRDG websites, seeking the childhood memory of LRDG box lids of Tamiya and unavailable vintage Matchbox LRDG kits (oddly featured in January 2020 Airfix Model World).
‘Ragtag’ and ‘Bobtail’, two LRDG (D) modified desert extended jeep type trucks with additional external fuel tanks, stowage and demolition equipment – 2 LRDG (D) man crews with LMG Bren Guns, pistols and rifle plus spotter / spare armed with pistol.
Man of Tin blog 