ColinRF

You may have seen this on GWF. I found this in a Stratford Ontario antique market and had to bring it home. Its a large (2.5 square feet) bronze industrial memorial for an unamed company, identified by the GWF magicians as James Wagstaffe Old English Jams and Jellies of Hamilton Ontario. It's solid bronze, weighs a ton, and looks great in my house. I today found the fates of the 5 KIAs in the digitised "brown binders" on LAC. Attached here in case its of interest. Cheers Colin

About 8 hours to sculpt and probably about twice that to paint (in terms of lapsed time)....depends on the complexity of the uniform, whether or not I screw up and have to do bits over etc.Working ful time as well means a piece takes > 1 month. Colin

Thanks very much for taking the time to comment. I think it's Admiral Canaris next. Colin

Thanks - I already posted the end result in this section - Sir George McCrae. Colin

Finished this one. Sculpted in super sculpey in 1/6 scale. Painted in acrylics. Colin

Lawrence - do you have any info on your cousin (name, unit etc?). If so, try Great War Forum - those guys rock in terms of knowedge and desire to help. Chris - Ovillers was a hell hole for both sides and all of the british descriptions I have seen are full of admiration for the Garde Fusiliers who defended that heap of rubble. My friend's father was in that unit as an officer cadet, although I think he transferred out before Ovillers. Interestingly he became heavily involved in the various plots to kill Hitler (incuding July 20) and was one of its few survivors, going on to found the first independent West German security service post war - the "Friedrich Wilhelm Heinz Dienst." A full life one could say. Cheers Colin

The following link is to a 15 post "mini-blog" I did to summarise my research findings on my great uncle, Pvt George L Ingham, who died of wounds received at Ovillers-la-Boisselle on July 15, 1916. The story started when I accidentally stumbled on a July 8 1916 letter on the net that was written by George to his work mate Alf Plater. Alf's great neice had posted the letter on line and after some correspondance she sent it to me as a gift, noting that her great uncle would have wanted it to pass through my family. The letter describes George's experience in the attack on the Leipzig Redoubt south of Thiepval on July 1. George was in 3 Platoon, A Coy, 19th Service Bn Lancashire Fusilers (3rd Salford Pals). The 3rd Salfords took +80% casualties in the 2 and a half companies engaged (50% for the total battalion) that day. If you have an interest, the blog is here: http://3rdsalfords.b...01_archive.html Interestingly, John Garth, auhtor of "Tolkien and the Great War," (a superb study of Tolkien and his close friends on the Somme) has been in touch to compliment my efforts. I was thrilled by that one! Colin

My latest - Lt. Colonel Sir George McCrae, O.C. 16th Royal Scots on July 1, 1916. The battalion’s C Company comprised 16 playing members of the Heart of Midlothian Football Club - including the entire first team squad - plus support staff and ,more than 500 supporters . Can you imagine today’s professional footballers joining the infantry en masse to defend their country? In common with many other Pals battalions, 16th Royal Scots was decimated on the first day of the Somme in their attack on Contalmaison. On the 1st of July, over 250 from the battalion were killed, although men from the battalion did reach Contalmaison around 10.30 a.m., thus making the deepest penetration into German lines by any British battaion that day. The Germans however forced them back, and the remnants of the battalion were cut off for three days before relief arrived. After this, Sir George McCrae declared "I was never prouder of my lads than on that day". In total McCrae's unit lost 12 officers and 573 soldiers on July 1, in excess of 75%. The story of McCrae’s battalion is told in a fine BBC documentary (which can be viewed on You tube) The battalion is also the subject of a moving song by Craig Herbertson called “Hearts of Glory,” also on You tube here - Sculpt is about 1/6 scale in super sculpey. I will post progress. "Do not ask where Hearts are playing and then look at me askance. If it's football that you're wanting, you must come with us to France!" Sir George McCrae Colin

Here is a 15 post blog I did summarising the research I did on my Great Uncle. Mostly for my kids but may be of some interrest. http://3rdsalfords.b...y-maternal.html Colin

Thanks very much. I just thought I would drop it on site in case anyone was interested. Glad you found it interesting. Colin

Here's a 75mm resin Maurice Corry figure depicitng a trooper 11th Hussars as he returns dismounted from the Charge of the Light Brigade. Based on the painting "The Return" by Lady Butler. Painted in oils. Colin

A couple more.

And basically done now. Colin

Here is my 2nd Tommy's War figure just started. I will post updates as he progresses. I made the wall and ground work from sculpey and misc debris from the parts box. 54mm figure to be painted in oils. The undercoat has indicated the need for a little more clean up too. Colin

Looks like it doesn't it....put it down to bad photography.- does this shot help? Probably not....he's in motion with the heel of his right foot landing and his left in air. Probably not the most natural stance ever but the alternative was to have him tipping even more forward. Colin

This commercial "Tommy's War" 54mm resin figure was painted per the box instrucitons in artists' oils. Tommy's War will be portraying the British and Commonwealth forces in detail as we move through the 100th anniversary. They have released 10 figures and a moto bike to date, all very well done. You can see all their releases at http://www.tommyswar.com/ Colin

You said shako so I was focusing on them. Did an Austrian eage image search on Google to it looks like a Hapsburg eagle. But in the Nap wars, neither the German nor Hungarian infantry had such a plate. Colin

Austrian I think but post-Napoleonic methinks. colin

Looks 1920's to me from cut and hair style. He coud be an Irish flatfoot I suppose. Suggest you re-post him in the police section where the experts can weigh in. See first topic under special interests on main page. Colin

I'm no expert but it looks to me like a policeman's uniform. I'm sure others will do better but I mostly had to have a bash at this because I too am in Oakville, as at least one other member on board here. Good luck getting better info and welcome to the site. Colin

I posted this on GWF and amazingly the gentleman who purchased George's death penny iin 2009 made contact. See http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=172405 for a link to a clearer version of the letter I posted on a LF site, an interesting discussion of German saw bayonets and the likelihood of possessors being executed out of hand, and photos of George's death penny/plaque. Colin

While I think that the Canadian army in WWI was unsurpassed, I always consider any Canadian media through a lens that takes into account our rather large inferiority complex due to the proximity of our more noticable neighbour to the south. I don't think we really need to blow our own national trumpet or jump up and down to get noticed internationally ....but alas we do it anyway. Colin

Thanks Chris - he has a great signature! I noticed that Dave Danner posted a letf-handed and post wounding Claus v. Stauffenberg in the German signatures string. Colin

Agree - very interesting to see what a trench and dugout looked like. Colin

Totally cool - my Dad was RAF. He would have had to show his father-in-law more respect if he'd known! Just kidding! To echoe Mervyn - what a great example of members helping someone who is located too far way to visit any archives and who is lacking enough knowledge to know where to look on the net for these little gems of info. All I can say is thanks again to all! Colin