Well things have dried up here for a while. Since June I have failed to do any painting what so ever with my daughter's wedding, World Cup, looking after the gardens and now holidays in a week’s time. Spare time has disappeared.
So I have put every thing on ice and will make a start when I come back.
It’s not to say that I have not started on the Prussians but all I have done with the first batch is painted their trousers and coats. I think by now they have more dust than paint on them. With this year already whizzing by, I must finish them and take some photo’s which never seem to get done. But stay tuned to this channel.
Thursday, 29 July 2010
Monday, 26 July 2010
Big disappointment in reading
I know that this is a little late in posting this, but this was a great disappointment to me.
Yep, I am talking about the June 2010 issue of Wargames Illustrated. Yes I know that two more issues have since been printed but I have just got round to reading the magazine.
This one was called Europe in Turmoil- The Napoleonic Wars. When I first learnt that Wargames Illustrated was going to do one on Napoleonic Wars with a free Osprey book, at last, I really could not wait for the magazine to come out. I had seen some of the other issues before and they looked really good.
So when the time finally arrived, I rushed out to my local newsagent with £4 in my hand and brought a copy. Although I did have a quick flick through I left it for a while before reading it.
The Issue held 123 pages which for £4 is good value for money, but when I started reading I realised that It was not a good buy.
First off we had six pages of “A German Officer in the age of Napoleon”. The Odyssey of Wilhelm Von Dornberg about his roll in the wars changing sides all the way through the wars to send up on the English and allied army at Waterloo.
Then can six pages of “Old Soldiers Never Die” A scenario using Republic to Empire set of rules.
This was followed by another six pages of “Creating a Kingdom-Westphalia”. A history lesson about how the German states in 1807 were made into one.
Battle of Leipzig 16-19th Oct 1813 came next in the book a total of ten pages wargaming the battle with report from America.
Then a article about Victrix models and the history behind the French Grenadiers, followed by two pages of how to paint them.
We then came along with two pages of the Project Hougoumont. A restoration project which needs 6.5 million to stop it falling down, and to get it up and running as a museum.
So by the time I had read through the Napoleonic pages first there was not much there to get my heart racing. The other thing that I learn was how the 28mm figures have grown in popularity over the last year and a bit. (I’ll keep to my 20mm ones)
But after all that I was glad that I got my free? Osprey’s Men-at-arms book 153 Napoleon’s Guard Infantry (1) as I do not have it in my collection. That in itself was a great read.
Yep, I am talking about the June 2010 issue of Wargames Illustrated. Yes I know that two more issues have since been printed but I have just got round to reading the magazine.
This one was called Europe in Turmoil- The Napoleonic Wars. When I first learnt that Wargames Illustrated was going to do one on Napoleonic Wars with a free Osprey book, at last, I really could not wait for the magazine to come out. I had seen some of the other issues before and they looked really good.
So when the time finally arrived, I rushed out to my local newsagent with £4 in my hand and brought a copy. Although I did have a quick flick through I left it for a while before reading it.
The Issue held 123 pages which for £4 is good value for money, but when I started reading I realised that It was not a good buy.
First off we had six pages of “A German Officer in the age of Napoleon”. The Odyssey of Wilhelm Von Dornberg about his roll in the wars changing sides all the way through the wars to send up on the English and allied army at Waterloo.
Then can six pages of “Old Soldiers Never Die” A scenario using Republic to Empire set of rules.
This was followed by another six pages of “Creating a Kingdom-Westphalia”. A history lesson about how the German states in 1807 were made into one.
Battle of Leipzig 16-19th Oct 1813 came next in the book a total of ten pages wargaming the battle with report from America.
Then a article about Victrix models and the history behind the French Grenadiers, followed by two pages of how to paint them.
We then came along with two pages of the Project Hougoumont. A restoration project which needs 6.5 million to stop it falling down, and to get it up and running as a museum.
So by the time I had read through the Napoleonic pages first there was not much there to get my heart racing. The other thing that I learn was how the 28mm figures have grown in popularity over the last year and a bit. (I’ll keep to my 20mm ones)
But after all that I was glad that I got my free? Osprey’s Men-at-arms book 153 Napoleon’s Guard Infantry (1) as I do not have it in my collection. That in itself was a great read.
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
Marshals and Generals
French Marshal
Michel Ney, 1st Duc d’Elchingen, 1st Prince de la Moskowa
Born: 1769 Saarlouis, Then France, now in Germany
Died: 1815 Paris, France
RANK: Marshal of France
Ney was born on 10th January 1769 in Saarlouis, France. He was the second son of Pierre Ney, a master barrel cooper and a veteran of the Seven Years’ War. His mothers name was Margarethe Grewelinger.
Ney’s hometown was then a French speaking community in a predominantly German speaking portion of Lorraine and so Ney became bilingual, in both French and German.
Ney was educated at the College des Augustins, where after he became a notary in Saarlouis and then overseer of mines and forges.
Life as a civil servant did not suit Ney and in 1787 he enlisted in the Colonel-General Hussar Regiment. In the French Revolutionary Wars, he served in the Army of the North from 1792-94 and rapidly rose through the non-commissioned ranks. Ney saw action at Cannonade of Valmy, Neerwinden and many more.
In October of 1792, Ney was commissioned and transferred to the Sambre-et-Meuse in June 1794. Wounded at the Siege of Mainz, Ney was promoted to General of Brigade in August of 1796 and commanded cavalry on the German fronts.
During the battle of Neuwied on 17th April 1997, Ney led a cavalry charge against some Austrian lancers trying to seize some French Cannons. The lancers were beaten off, but Ney’s cavalry were then counter-attacked by heavy cavalry.
During the hand-to-hand combat, Ney was thrown from his horse and was taken prisoner of war. On 8th May he was exchanged for an Austrian general.
In March 1799, following the capture of Mannheim, Ney was promoted to general de division. Ney commanded cavalry in the armies of Switzerland and the Danube later that year and at Winterhur, Ney was wounded twice. Once in the thigh and in one of his wrist’s. Once he had recovered he fought at Hohenlinden under General Moreau in December of 1800. From September onwards, Ney commanded French troops in Switzerland and performed diplomatic duties. During that time Ney married Aglae Louise Auguie in Grignon, France on 5th August 1802. They had four sons together which the first being born on 8th May 1803 named Joseph Napoleon, 2nd Prince de La Moskowa.
On 19th May 1804, Ney received his Marshal’s baton and in the 1805 campaign Ney took command of VI Corps of La Grande Armee, and was praised for his conduct at Elchingen. In November that year, Ney invaded the Tyrol, capturing Innsbruck from Archduke John.
In the 1806 campaign, Ney fought at Jena and then later in the campaign, he successfully besieged Magdeburg. In the following year, Ney arrived with reinforcements in time to save Napoleon from defeat at Eylau, although the battle still ended in a draw. He then fought at Guttstadt and Friedland.
On 6th June 1808, Ney was made Duke of Elchingen. In August of the year, Ney was sent to Spain in command of the VI Corps, and won many minor actions.
In Banos 1809, Ney routed an Anglo-Portuguese Army under Sir Robert Wilson and in 1810 Ney joined Marshal Massena in the invasion of Portugal, where he took Ciudad Rodrigo from the Spanish and then Almeida from a joint British and Portuguese force. He quickly defeated the British on the River Coa and fought at Bucaco. During the retreat from Torres Vedras, Ney worsted Wellington in a series of rearguard actions (Pombal, Redinha, Casal Novo, Foz d’ Aronce), but was eventually removed from command for insubordination.
In 1812, Ney was given command of the III Corps for the invasion of Russia. At Smolensk, he was wounded in the neck, but recovered enough to fight in the central sector at Borodino. During the long retreat from Moscow, Ney commanded the rearguard. After being cut off from the main army, Ney managed to rejoin Napoleon and to his delight and for this action Ney was given the nickname “the bravest of the brave”.
Ney saw action at Beresina and helped to hold the vital bridge at Kovno, where the story goes that he was the very last man to cross the bridge and to leave Russia.
On 25th March 1813, Ney was given the title of Prince of the Moswowa. During the campaign of 1813, Ney fought at Weissenfels and was wounded at Lutzen. He commanded the left wing at Bautzen. Ney later fought at Dennewitz and Leipzig and was once again wounded.
In the 1814 campaign in France, Ney fought many battles and commanded various units. At Fontainebleau Ney became the spokesman for the Marshals revolt on 4th April 1814, demanding that Napoleon abdicate. Ney informed Napoleon that the army would not march on Paris, Napoleon responded with “the army will obey me!” to which Ney said, “the army will obey it’s chiefs”.
When Napoleon returned to France in 1815, Louis XVIII sent Ney to stop Napoleon from entering Paris. To show his loyalty to the King, Ney said that he would bring Napoleon back in an iron cage. On Hearing this, Napoleon sent him a letter telling him that he would receive him as after the Battle of the Moskowa. Despite Ney’s promise to the King, Ney joined Napoleon at Auxerre on the 18th March 1815.
On the 15th June Napoleon made Ney the commander of the left wing of the Army of the North. On the 16th Napoleon split his forces’ into two wings to fight two separate battles. Ney was to attack Wellington at Quatre Bras, while Napoleon attacked the Prussians at Ligny. Although Ney was criticized for not capturing Quatre Bras early in the day, at Ligny Napoleon ordered General d’ Erlon to move his corps to the Prussians’ rear in order to cut off their lines of retreat. D’Erlon began to move in position, but suddenly stopped and began moving away, much to the surprise and horror to Napoleon. The reason for the change in movement is that Ney had ordered d’Erlon to come to his aid at Quatre Bras. Without d’Erlon’s corps blocking the Prussians’ line of retreat, the French failed to have a complete victory at Ligny which aloud the Prussians to retreat. To be fair, Ney was d’Erlon’s direct superior and Napoleon never informed Ney of his plans.
At Waterloo Ney was again in command of the left wing of the army. At about 3.30 pm that day, Ney ordered a mass cavalry attack against the Anglo-Dutch line. Ney’s cavalry overran the enemy cannons but found the infantry had formed square for which the cavalry could not penetrate. Ney, without infantry or artillery support, time after time attacked the squares. The action earned him criticism, and some say that it led to Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo. There is still debate as to the responsibility for the cavalry charge and why it was unsupported. Ney’s cavalry also failed to spike Wellington’s cannons while they were under French control. (during a cavalry attack the crews of the cannons would retreat into the infantry squares for protection and when the cavalry was a safe distance apart, they would re-manned their cannons.
If Ney’s cavalry had spiked the cannons, the large loss of guns would of weaken Wellingtons army and could of caused him to withdraw his forces from battle.
Ney was seen during one of these charges beating his word against the side of a British cannon in furious frustration. During the battle he had five horses killed under him. There has been a theory to Ney’s action that day and that is for post-traumatic stress syndrome caused by his experiences in the 1812 Russian campaign.
When Napoleon was defeated and exiled for the second time in the summer of 1815, Ney was arrested on 3rd August and tried for treason by the chambers of peers on 4th December 1815. On the 6th December he was condemned, and executed by firing squad in Paris near Luxembourg Gardens on 7th December 1815. This event deeply divided the French Public. Ney refused to wear a blindfold and was allowed the right to give the order to fire, reportedly saying:
“Soldiers, when I give the command to fire, fire straight at my heart. Wait for the order. It will be my last order to you. I protest against my condemnation. I have fought a hundred battles for France, and not one against her soldiers, FIRE!”
Ney’s execution was to set an example to Napoleon’s other Marshals and generals, many of whom were eventually exonerated by the Bourbon monarchy. Ney is buried in Paris at Pere Lachaise Cemetery.
After his execution, stories say that Ney had managed to escape to the United States. With the help of Masonic ties including the Duke of Wellington they helped him fake his execution and flee abroad. According to this account, the soldiers in the firing party put blood packets over his heart and then shot blanks at the Marshal. He was then smuggles to the United States and continued his life as a school teacher.
It is then said that a man called Peter Stuart Ney arrived in the States in 1816 and later taught in schools in North and South Carolina. He died in 1846 reportedly after uttering his final words, “Bessieres is dead; the Old Guard is dead; now please let me die.” On his grave stone in Cleveland, North Carolina, you will find the words…”soldier of the French Revolutionary under Napoleon Bonaparte.”
Nay was one of the original 18 Marshals of France created by Napoleon. He was known as “red face” or “ruddy” by his men and nicknamed “The bravest of the brave” by Napoleon.
Michel Ney, 1st Duc d’Elchingen, 1st Prince de la Moskowa
Born: 1769 Saarlouis, Then France, now in Germany
Died: 1815 Paris, France
RANK: Marshal of France
Ney was born on 10th January 1769 in Saarlouis, France. He was the second son of Pierre Ney, a master barrel cooper and a veteran of the Seven Years’ War. His mothers name was Margarethe Grewelinger.
Ney’s hometown was then a French speaking community in a predominantly German speaking portion of Lorraine and so Ney became bilingual, in both French and German.
Ney was educated at the College des Augustins, where after he became a notary in Saarlouis and then overseer of mines and forges.
Life as a civil servant did not suit Ney and in 1787 he enlisted in the Colonel-General Hussar Regiment. In the French Revolutionary Wars, he served in the Army of the North from 1792-94 and rapidly rose through the non-commissioned ranks. Ney saw action at Cannonade of Valmy, Neerwinden and many more.
In October of 1792, Ney was commissioned and transferred to the Sambre-et-Meuse in June 1794. Wounded at the Siege of Mainz, Ney was promoted to General of Brigade in August of 1796 and commanded cavalry on the German fronts.
During the battle of Neuwied on 17th April 1997, Ney led a cavalry charge against some Austrian lancers trying to seize some French Cannons. The lancers were beaten off, but Ney’s cavalry were then counter-attacked by heavy cavalry.
During the hand-to-hand combat, Ney was thrown from his horse and was taken prisoner of war. On 8th May he was exchanged for an Austrian general.
In March 1799, following the capture of Mannheim, Ney was promoted to general de division. Ney commanded cavalry in the armies of Switzerland and the Danube later that year and at Winterhur, Ney was wounded twice. Once in the thigh and in one of his wrist’s. Once he had recovered he fought at Hohenlinden under General Moreau in December of 1800. From September onwards, Ney commanded French troops in Switzerland and performed diplomatic duties. During that time Ney married Aglae Louise Auguie in Grignon, France on 5th August 1802. They had four sons together which the first being born on 8th May 1803 named Joseph Napoleon, 2nd Prince de La Moskowa.
On 19th May 1804, Ney received his Marshal’s baton and in the 1805 campaign Ney took command of VI Corps of La Grande Armee, and was praised for his conduct at Elchingen. In November that year, Ney invaded the Tyrol, capturing Innsbruck from Archduke John.
In the 1806 campaign, Ney fought at Jena and then later in the campaign, he successfully besieged Magdeburg. In the following year, Ney arrived with reinforcements in time to save Napoleon from defeat at Eylau, although the battle still ended in a draw. He then fought at Guttstadt and Friedland.
On 6th June 1808, Ney was made Duke of Elchingen. In August of the year, Ney was sent to Spain in command of the VI Corps, and won many minor actions.
In Banos 1809, Ney routed an Anglo-Portuguese Army under Sir Robert Wilson and in 1810 Ney joined Marshal Massena in the invasion of Portugal, where he took Ciudad Rodrigo from the Spanish and then Almeida from a joint British and Portuguese force. He quickly defeated the British on the River Coa and fought at Bucaco. During the retreat from Torres Vedras, Ney worsted Wellington in a series of rearguard actions (Pombal, Redinha, Casal Novo, Foz d’ Aronce), but was eventually removed from command for insubordination.
In 1812, Ney was given command of the III Corps for the invasion of Russia. At Smolensk, he was wounded in the neck, but recovered enough to fight in the central sector at Borodino. During the long retreat from Moscow, Ney commanded the rearguard. After being cut off from the main army, Ney managed to rejoin Napoleon and to his delight and for this action Ney was given the nickname “the bravest of the brave”.
Ney saw action at Beresina and helped to hold the vital bridge at Kovno, where the story goes that he was the very last man to cross the bridge and to leave Russia.
On 25th March 1813, Ney was given the title of Prince of the Moswowa. During the campaign of 1813, Ney fought at Weissenfels and was wounded at Lutzen. He commanded the left wing at Bautzen. Ney later fought at Dennewitz and Leipzig and was once again wounded.
In the 1814 campaign in France, Ney fought many battles and commanded various units. At Fontainebleau Ney became the spokesman for the Marshals revolt on 4th April 1814, demanding that Napoleon abdicate. Ney informed Napoleon that the army would not march on Paris, Napoleon responded with “the army will obey me!” to which Ney said, “the army will obey it’s chiefs”.
When Napoleon returned to France in 1815, Louis XVIII sent Ney to stop Napoleon from entering Paris. To show his loyalty to the King, Ney said that he would bring Napoleon back in an iron cage. On Hearing this, Napoleon sent him a letter telling him that he would receive him as after the Battle of the Moskowa. Despite Ney’s promise to the King, Ney joined Napoleon at Auxerre on the 18th March 1815.
On the 15th June Napoleon made Ney the commander of the left wing of the Army of the North. On the 16th Napoleon split his forces’ into two wings to fight two separate battles. Ney was to attack Wellington at Quatre Bras, while Napoleon attacked the Prussians at Ligny. Although Ney was criticized for not capturing Quatre Bras early in the day, at Ligny Napoleon ordered General d’ Erlon to move his corps to the Prussians’ rear in order to cut off their lines of retreat. D’Erlon began to move in position, but suddenly stopped and began moving away, much to the surprise and horror to Napoleon. The reason for the change in movement is that Ney had ordered d’Erlon to come to his aid at Quatre Bras. Without d’Erlon’s corps blocking the Prussians’ line of retreat, the French failed to have a complete victory at Ligny which aloud the Prussians to retreat. To be fair, Ney was d’Erlon’s direct superior and Napoleon never informed Ney of his plans.
At Waterloo Ney was again in command of the left wing of the army. At about 3.30 pm that day, Ney ordered a mass cavalry attack against the Anglo-Dutch line. Ney’s cavalry overran the enemy cannons but found the infantry had formed square for which the cavalry could not penetrate. Ney, without infantry or artillery support, time after time attacked the squares. The action earned him criticism, and some say that it led to Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo. There is still debate as to the responsibility for the cavalry charge and why it was unsupported. Ney’s cavalry also failed to spike Wellington’s cannons while they were under French control. (during a cavalry attack the crews of the cannons would retreat into the infantry squares for protection and when the cavalry was a safe distance apart, they would re-manned their cannons.
If Ney’s cavalry had spiked the cannons, the large loss of guns would of weaken Wellingtons army and could of caused him to withdraw his forces from battle.
Ney was seen during one of these charges beating his word against the side of a British cannon in furious frustration. During the battle he had five horses killed under him. There has been a theory to Ney’s action that day and that is for post-traumatic stress syndrome caused by his experiences in the 1812 Russian campaign.
When Napoleon was defeated and exiled for the second time in the summer of 1815, Ney was arrested on 3rd August and tried for treason by the chambers of peers on 4th December 1815. On the 6th December he was condemned, and executed by firing squad in Paris near Luxembourg Gardens on 7th December 1815. This event deeply divided the French Public. Ney refused to wear a blindfold and was allowed the right to give the order to fire, reportedly saying:
“Soldiers, when I give the command to fire, fire straight at my heart. Wait for the order. It will be my last order to you. I protest against my condemnation. I have fought a hundred battles for France, and not one against her soldiers, FIRE!”
Ney’s execution was to set an example to Napoleon’s other Marshals and generals, many of whom were eventually exonerated by the Bourbon monarchy. Ney is buried in Paris at Pere Lachaise Cemetery.
After his execution, stories say that Ney had managed to escape to the United States. With the help of Masonic ties including the Duke of Wellington they helped him fake his execution and flee abroad. According to this account, the soldiers in the firing party put blood packets over his heart and then shot blanks at the Marshal. He was then smuggles to the United States and continued his life as a school teacher.
It is then said that a man called Peter Stuart Ney arrived in the States in 1816 and later taught in schools in North and South Carolina. He died in 1846 reportedly after uttering his final words, “Bessieres is dead; the Old Guard is dead; now please let me die.” On his grave stone in Cleveland, North Carolina, you will find the words…”soldier of the French Revolutionary under Napoleon Bonaparte.”
Nay was one of the original 18 Marshals of France created by Napoleon. He was known as “red face” or “ruddy” by his men and nicknamed “The bravest of the brave” by Napoleon.
Friday, 28 May 2010
Marshals and Generals
British General
Rowland Hill, 1st Viscount Hill
Born: 1772 Shropshire, England
Died: 1842 Shropshire, England
RANK: General
Rowland Hill, 1st Viscount Hill
Born: 1772 Shropshire, England
Died: 1842 Shropshire, England
RANK: General
Hill was born on 11 August 1772 in Shropshire. He was the second son of Sir John Hill and Mary Chambre.
Educated at a school in Chester, Hill then studied in the techniques of war in Strasbourg before he was commissioned into the 38th Foot (Stafford’s) in 1790. From there his career took off, serving as commander of the 53rd Foot (Shropshire’s) and then the 90th Foot (Perthshire Volunteers). He was then made staff officer in the defence of Toulon in 1793. He then travelled to Egypt, Ireland and Hanover.
In 1805 he became a major-general. In 1808, Hill was sent to Portugal where he began his long and distinguished service in the Peninsula War.
During the Peninsular War he served as a brigade commander at the battle of Vimeiro and then as divisional commander of the 2nd Infantry Division at Talavera. He contributed greatly to the success of the war by sweeping up the routed French army at Arroyo dos Molinos. When he was separated from Wellington at St. Pierre in 1811, he successfully defied the attacks of Marshal Soult with 15,000 men against Soult’s 30,000.
In May 1812, after the capture of Badajoz, Hill led a second raid that destroyed a key bridge in the Battle of Almaraz. While Wellington won the Battle of Salamanca, Hill protected Badajoz with a force of 18,000 men.
After the capture of Madrid, Hill had responsibility for an army of 31,000 Anglo-Portuguese and 12,000 Spanish troops during the campaign that centered on the Siege of Burgos. When the French massed superior forces against the British in the autumn of 1812, Hill safely brought his army back from Madrid, to join the main army under Wellington near Alba de Tormes.
Hill commanded the Right Column during the campaign and helped to win a decisive British victory at the Battle of Vitoria on 21st June 1813.
In December of 1813, during the Battle of the Nive, Hill performed what may have been his finest hour with his defence of St-Pierre d’Irube. With his 14,000 men and 10 cannons isolated on the east bank of the Nive by a broken bridge, Hill held off the repeated attacks of Marshal Soult’s 30,000 men and 22 cannons. He fought the battle with great skill and was seen at every point of danger, and repeatedly led rallied regiments in person to save what seemed like a lost battle.
He gained the reputation for a military mind that not only for victory but also looked after the concerns of his men, he was generally well-liked by his soldiers. This encouraged loyalty and cooperation amongst his subordinate officers. His military planning was meticulous and benefited from cunning foresight. As a person he was “Kind and Charitable” and became known to his men as “Daddy Hill”. On one occasion, he provided a wounded officer who arrived at his headquarters with a lunch basket, and when a sergeant delivered a letter to Hill, he sergeant was astonished when the general arranged for his supper and a place for him to stay the night.
At Waterloo Hill commanded the 2nd Corps. His corps had little involvement in the battle that day, only the 2nd Infantry division seeing action against the French. He led the famous charge of Sir Frederick Adam’s brigade against the Imperial Guard towards the end of the battle, his horse being killed under him. He remained in France for three years as Second-in-Command of the Allied occupation troops.
On 27th August 1815 the Dutch King William 1 made him a Commander of the exclusive Military Order of William.
He succeeded the Duke of Wellington as Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in 1828 and served till 1839. Just before is death he was made Viscount Hill. He died at Hardwick Grange, Shropshire on 10th December 1842. He is buried in the graveyard at Hadnall, Shropshire.
Hill remained one of Wellington’s favourites and on his death the Duke wrote “Nothing ever occurred to interrupt for one moment the friendly and intimate relations that subsisted between us”
Wellington said of him “the best of Hill is that I always know where to find him”.
At Waterloo Hill commanded the 2nd Corps. His corps had little involvement in the battle that day, only the 2nd Infantry division seeing action against the French. He led the famous charge of Sir Frederick Adam’s brigade against the Imperial Guard towards the end of the battle, his horse being killed under him. He remained in France for three years as Second-in-Command of the Allied occupation troops.
On 27th August 1815 the Dutch King William 1 made him a Commander of the exclusive Military Order of William.
He succeeded the Duke of Wellington as Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in 1828 and served till 1839. Just before is death he was made Viscount Hill. He died at Hardwick Grange, Shropshire on 10th December 1842. He is buried in the graveyard at Hadnall, Shropshire.
Hill remained one of Wellington’s favourites and on his death the Duke wrote “Nothing ever occurred to interrupt for one moment the friendly and intimate relations that subsisted between us”
Wellington said of him “the best of Hill is that I always know where to find him”.
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
At Last!
At last I have got my hands on a box of the Hat 8108 French Pontoon set.
I was on holiday in Norfolk, Uk, last week and took a visit to Norwich and to my favourite toy shop. They did not let me down and I picked up the box with such delight. My French army can now walk over rivers with dry boots at last. But there is still the painting to do.
I was on holiday in Norfolk, Uk, last week and took a visit to Norwich and to my favourite toy shop. They did not let me down and I picked up the box with such delight. My French army can now walk over rivers with dry boots at last. But there is still the painting to do.
It has been very quite on the painting front as there has been a lots to do at home. Still I hope in a week or two or even now after the World Cup, I hope to get down and finish off the first batch of Prussians. After buying the Pontoon set my spending tally is now up to £13.61 pence.
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