Patience is a Snipers Hallmark

News from the front: Date line last month, somewhere in the South Pacific. Our on the location photographer has recently sent this action photo of a USMC sniper team in action. Armed with a Springfield 1906 rifle and assisted by his spotter, this sniper lay in wait for over an hour before he took out his enemy, a Japanese officer. 

There is no such thing as a successful impatient sniper. Not a long lived one that is.

For patience is the name of the game, wait for the perfect shot. Take it and silently move your location to set up your next kill.

These are 28mm plastic pieces that I painted in March.

Last Stand of the 24th

News From the Front, fresh from the disaster at Isandlwana comes this recovered photo of two unidentified officers of the 24th regiment that lost most of a battalion of Imperial troops. The two brave men are standing back-to-back in a final stand against the deadly Zulu warriors. Of special note is the fact that one of the officers has resorted to the use of Zulu Knobkerrie to defend himself, a sure sign of the desperate straight the two soldiers found themselves in.

The undeveloped plate of this photograph was found still in the camera sometime after the war was ended by the victorious British Army. By that time neither the identities of the officers nor that of the unknown photographer could be established. They will be remembered as our honored dead, known but to God.

I painted these two metal pieces in September.

Stand To!

Straight from the field of battle in North Africa our fearless reporter, I. B. Bladamadur, caught this action photograph the moment Lieutenant Clarence Goodwater orders his trumpeter Willaby Loudman to give the "Stand To!" call.  Minutes later a company of her Imperial Majesties redcoats used well timed volleys to beat back a horde of native spearmen.

 

Goodwater and Loudman are metal pieces that I painted in September.

Run You Cowards-as We Cut You DOWN

News from the Front-North Africa July '41- Sikh patrol routs Italian forces in a recent skirmish. Bren Gun gunner Gian Chib and his assistant gunner Baldev Singh have to fire on the run as they chase down those enemies who retreat rather than surrender. By the end of the day these men and their comrades killed at least twenty and captured most of a company of the enemy. The empire is proud of the actions of such brave men who fight for the freedom of the World from Fascist Dictatorship.

Gian Chib and Baldev Singh are plastic pieces I painted in August.

News from the Front: Hero of Baksababan, Major Biff, Sir Loin d'  Beouf  DSO, IMO, CSI of the 51st & 1/2 Foreststangers awaits the award of his latest award for bravery, the Order of St. James Officer (OSJO). The brave major is credited with singlehandedly holding the sally port of Castle Bagh until the last of his men were able to safely retire from a raid against the Afraidis. With officers of his merit, the British Empire is in safe hands.

Sir Loin d'  Beouf  DSO, IMO, CSI is a medal piece I painted in July.

Frontier Service is Hard, on the Body

News from the North-West Frontier: Our intrepid reporter, Cyrus P. Snaapshott,  has sent this photo of Lt. Colonel. Sly D. Burrns of the 1st Kashmir Svayansevaka Reiphalaharu (Volunteer Rifles) leading his men into the mountains after bandits who have been raiding the peace-loving subjects of her Imperial Majesty. Lt. Col. Burrns has spent the greater part of his 30 odd years in Imperial military service on the Northern Provence's of the Raj.

Premature gray hair, hunched back, badly healed bones and a bowlegged stanch are the price Burrns has pained in his Queen- Emperess' service.

But to his mind he has done a needed service to strengthen the "Greatest Empire in the History of the World! "Ga'd save the Queen Emperess!"

Lt. Col. Burrns is a metal piece I painted this month.

News from the North-West Frontier. Maj. Fredrick "Big-Red" MacGreggoor observes his beloved "Fore and Afts" mop up after another successful engagement with the Afghani's. To the uninitiated the Fore and Aft's also go by the name "Gloster's" (28th Gloucestershire Regt.) and are one of the Imperial protectors of the Raj! "God Save the Queen-Empress!"

"Big-Red" MacGreggoor is as brave as his name and never asks one of his men or officers to face danger unless he is in the lead. Neither does he broke lax training, as he works his men to a fine fight edge. In his words "Well trrainned, well feeddd  and fitt soljjiers have the best chance to suurvvee."

He has several scars from both blades and bullets to show for his fearless leadership. And has been known to risk death to rescue even the lowest ranked wounder or cut off soldier.

His men will never tell him to his face but their nickname for their beloved major is "Poppa Red" the office who cares for his men as if they were his own family.

Maj. Fredrick "Big-Red" MacGreggoor is a metal piece from the excellent Canadian Pulp Figures manufacturer.

Have No Fear, the Home Guard is Here

Daily Post Dispatcher Times 19-9-40. In the latest news from the Home Front our photojournalist, Robbie Cl'shot, has taken this pic of the Upper & Lower Derbywishershire council LMG Home Guard (HG) squad returning from an intensive day of field training. Under the inspired leadership of Assistant Mayor, Rupert B. Readyson, the squad has drilled relentlessly and are ready to give the Hun a black eye if they dare show their faces in the vicinity of Upper & Lower Derbywishershire! 

 Assistant Mayor, Rupert B. Readyson stands ready to give the Huns a taste of their own medicine with his Mauser 9mm machine pistol Great War souvenir weapon.

Joko Brawnsworty demonstrates his strength by brandishing his Bren Gun LMG with one hand. Willam

Miller is Jokos's assistant gunner.

 

The end of the training session is at hand as Joko points the way to the Hoornboower Arms Pub, time for a pint of Bitter me thinks.

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On the left, giving a rousing cheer for King and country (and a well-deserved pint), is local baker Issac Loofmakr.

Bringing up the rear are the dry merchant brothers Randalf and Gandalf Tollkens. Randalf keeps a lookout for other members of the HG, as it has become a new tradition that the first squad to the Hoornboower Arms is given a free pint from the pub's owner, Quist Fitzsailor, as a reward for the brave HG defenders. Time to drink up for tomorrow they drill again.

These Home Guard pieces are kit-bashed from Perry, Atlantic and Warlord pieces that I put together and painted this week.

Thuggees with Rifles-New Threat to the Raj

At great risk to his life, our reporter/photographer Cyrus P. Snaapshott has taken these two pictures that clearly prove that the dreaded Thuggees have upped the game by adding rifles to their arsenal of weapons.

With long range firearms the danger Thuggees pose the Raj-"Gem of the Empire" is a threat that Imperial authorities need to quickly and forcefully address.

Thuggees (The origin of the word "thug" commonly used today) are known to have killed thousands of people each year in the Sub-Continent.

They were formed along military lines with ranks of command.

Their preferred methods of killing were by stealth using a knife or strangling cords/cloths.

These are metal pieces I painted this week.

Cross Crossbones and Die

Using a long-range lens, Daily Bungle photographer Iram Qukshot to this pic of the Deadly Dangerous villain Crossbones as he was smashing his way into a pub known to be frequented by Super Heros.

 

Crossbones is a mortal enemy of Captain America in particular and all Super Heros in general,

Crossbones number one employer has been the dreaded Red Skull who greatly appreciated the vast physical skills and total lack of morals of this super villain.

Crossbones is a plastic piece I painted this week.