After posting my colourful black and gold ImagiNations paint version of Airfix OOHO Washington’s Army figures, I had an interesting blog comment / email from Steve Haller about his use of these 20mm figures:
Steve had pictures of his Washington’s Army troops published in the pages of The Courier magazine, which I have reprinted here with his permission.
You can see those familiar Airfix poses!
Steve wrote: “Here are some Courier early 1970s photos from my old AWI Airfix and Scruby 20mm collection (sold in late 1970s).”
They were published in Courier Magazine issues IV-4; V-2; VI-4.
Proof how versatile these figures are and how they made the AWI period accessible to many, even to the stage where they were mixed in games with ‘proper’ metal figures.
Thanks to Steve Haller for sharing these pictures, for which he still has the original prints.
Hello I'm Mark Mr MIN, Man of TIN. Based in S.W. Britain, I'm a lifelong collector of "tiny men" and old toy soldiers, whether tin, lead or childhood vintage 1960s and 1970s plastic figures.
I randomly collect all scales and periods and "imagi-nations" as well as lead civilians, farm and zoo animals. I enjoy the paint possibilities of cheap poundstore plastic figures as much as the patina of vintage metal figures.
Befuddled by the maths of complex boardgames and wargames, I prefer the small scale skirmish simplicity of very early Donald Featherstone rules.
To relax, I usually play solo games, often using hex boards. Gaming takes second place to making or convert my own gaming figures from polymer clay (Fimo), home-cast metal figures of many scales or plastic paint conversions. I also collect and game with vintage Peter Laing 15mm metal figures, wishing like many others that I had bought more in the 1980s ...
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7 thoughts on “Airfix OOHO Washington’s Army conversions by Steve Haller from The Courier magazine early 1970s”
I really enjoyed seeing Steve’s pictures. Shows the Airfix figures filled with potential and working well with other figures, metal ones. I only wish the photos were bigger so we might see the figures even more clearly. It looks an enjoyable game and I wonder what rules were employed? The scenery used works very well indeed with the figures. I like to think these figures are somewhere, in a shelf or in the attic, just waiting to be rediscovered and once more.
Somebody bought them from Steve in the late 70s, so they might at a push still be in action somewhere?
Hopefully Steve can tell you more about rules or somebody with The Courier issues could tell you?
It shows how good quality gaming magazine photographs are now, thanks to Digital, Colour (and Duncan MacFarlane?)
Steve has sent me an email about his rules, which I have forwarded to you
“My own rules (first published in 1975 by The Courier as an insert in Vol. VII-7 titled The Whites of Their Eyes). I still own sole copyright and have revised them over the years…”
Great pictures! Thanks to you and to Steve for sharing them.
Not so many conversions though as far as I can see, mostly just properly painted and mixed with metal figures made to the same scale. Those were the days! I really need to add some more Jacklex & Scruby ACW to my airfix armies.
That should be easier now that Jacklex are back in production the new owner Mark Lodge is very efficient to work with and order from. I have a few ACW command figures to finish to add to my scruffy ACW Airfix Forces. https://www.jacklexminiatures.com/american-civil-war?page=5
Man of Tin blog 
I really enjoyed seeing Steve’s pictures. Shows the Airfix figures filled with potential and working well with other figures, metal ones. I only wish the photos were bigger so we might see the figures even more clearly. It looks an enjoyable game and I wonder what rules were employed? The scenery used works very well indeed with the figures. I like to think these figures are somewhere, in a shelf or in the attic, just waiting to be rediscovered and once more.
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Somebody bought them from Steve in the late 70s, so they might at a push still be in action somewhere?
Hopefully Steve can tell you more about rules or somebody with The Courier issues could tell you?
It shows how good quality gaming magazine photographs are now, thanks to Digital, Colour (and Duncan MacFarlane?)
LikeLike
Steve has sent me an email about his rules, which I have forwarded to you
“My own rules (first published in 1975 by The Courier as an insert in Vol. VII-7 titled The Whites of Their Eyes). I still own sole copyright and have revised them over the years…”
LikeLike
Great pictures! Thanks to you and to Steve for sharing them.
Not so many conversions though as far as I can see, mostly just properly painted and mixed with metal figures made to the same scale. Those were the days! I really need to add some more Jacklex & Scruby ACW to my airfix armies.
LikeLike
That should be easier now that Jacklex are back in production the new owner Mark Lodge is very efficient to work with and order from. I have a few ACW command figures to finish to add to my scruffy ACW Airfix Forces.
https://www.jacklexminiatures.com/american-civil-war?page=5
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They no doubt made not just the AWI period accessible but were also a first step into the hobby for some, too.
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These photos are delightful and remind me of the ones in Featherstone’s Wargamer’s Newsletter which is (mostly) available online.
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