His Majesty's 30th Regiment of Foot (Cambridgeshire)

On the 28^th Feb I set myself a target of painting an entire battalion of 28mm figures in a month. This may not seem a great feat, but I like to have my British Bn’s larger than my standard 1:20 figure ratio of 36 figures, so the 30^th are 42 figures strong, based on 7 stands of 6 figures. I like to get the look of the ‘thin Red line’ with my British battalions. Although this phrase was actually coined in the later Crimean War, I think it epitomises the spirit and ethos I am trying to capture with these inanimate lumps of plastic on the tabletop. A feature of the Black Powder ruleset I use is that unit size is allocated in the pre game admin, rather than dependent on the actual number of figures present, so I can get away with this little foible.

I finished painting the last figure, the short Drummer, on the 31^st of March, so I am quietly pleased with myself, and have celebrated with a stubby or three! It takes me half an hour to paint a figure, excluding assembly and spray painted undercoat. I have averaged about 2 figures an evening.

My Decision  to do the 30^th Foot, the ‘old three tens’, was simply because I had the flags, or ‘Colours’ available, saved from an old magazine insert. However they have coincided with the publication of Carole Divall’s eminently readable ‘Redcoats against Napoleon’, a history of the 30^th which I am avidly devouring.

I was surprised to learn that the proud lineage of the 30^th has now fallen on the broad shoulders of the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment. Poor geographer that I am, I believe I am correct in thinking that Cambridge and Lancashire are less than adjacent. No matter, the QLR’s are a fine Regiment, as I know very well from the time I was serving with the Falklands Garrison aboard HMS Portland, and the QLR Support Coy was the Resident Infantry Company. And from the excellent battlefield tours their OC conducted, pretty historically minded to boot!

The figures are all Perry Plastics, with the exception of the afore mentioned ‘short drummer’, who is a leftover from a Victrix Peninsular Flank pack. Although the 30^th were not present at Albuera, their first Peninsula battle honour being Salamanca, nevertheless they shall appear at my next planned wargame, in mid May, to commemorate the bicenntennial of that bloody affair.

‘For Heaven’s sake, Sar Major, will you get the men to face the front? These damn painters charge the earth...’

‘Sir!’ ‘TALION - EEEYESFRONTAH!’’The next man that so much as twitches in the direction of those young ladies bathing will have my bindook so far up his wossname he’ll be passing musket balls!’