Happy Thanksgiving to all!

And here is the key for who is who in the dinner....

Regiment Saintonge 1745

Why do you add certain regiments to your collection?  Most times I add regiments if they are a favorite of mine (have to the Royal Welch Fusiliers), or are in a historical order of battle (like my Niagara 1814 project).  Sometimes I add them because they look incredible or have brilliant uniforms.  But sometimes I add them because they are special on a personal level.

One such regiment is the French regiment Saintonge.  Way back during the Bicentennial of the American Revolution a local recreated militia group decided for Yorktown they would  do something special.  They would recreate a French regiment. For over a year they researched and created the uniforms and equipment  while they drilled and trained.  At Yorktown they fielded about one hundred soldiers and were an incredible impressive sight.  In later years during my time with the National Park Service I had the pleasure to work with members of the Saintonge. It was always a great experience and they were a very nice group of people.

So when adding regiments to my 1745 French army i just had to add these fine fellows.

November 11, Armistice Day

My grandfather, Edward McNamara from Lexington Massachusetts served with the 101st Regiment (Medical company), 26th Yankee Division in the first world war.  He seldom talked about it, and when he did it was a terrible memory which haunted him.  But  I will always remember his smile when he told me how at 11:00 A.M. on 11th November the guns stopped and he and his friends knew they would live, knew they had survived.  

And as this date is now called Veterans Day I say thank you to my father in law, Aldrich Stevens  who served in the  3rd Ranger Battalion (Darby's Rangers) in the Second World War.  He joined the Rangers in North Africa, and took part in the invasion of both Sicily and Italy.  He could not take part in the Anzio  landing because of his wounds so missed the Battle of Cisterna.  Like my grandfather he too was haunted by the memories of what he saw, experienced and especialy those he lost.   

I remember their sacrifices and hope both have found peace.

Regiment Tournaisis 1745

  Another French regiment for my 1745 army.  The Regiment Tournaisis.

   I am getting the painting of white uniforms down to where I am comfortable.  I use a light grey, set brush a off white then dry brush white.  Gaiters are dark grey then dry brush white.  I like how it looks.  Next order with Crann Tara will be to add artillery, cavalry and mounted staff officers.  I am off and running!

Regiment Dillon 1745

My second regiment from the famed Irish Brigade is the Regiment Dillon.  The black cuffs set off rather nicely from the red coats.  Again, the pose is just right for the Irish.  A disinterested but impatience for the up coming brawl.

The Dillon regiment has always held my attention since I became interested in you soldiers. I remember reading a story as a very young boy that the King of France said to the commander of the Dillon regiment that his regiment caused more trouble than the rest of his army combined.  The Irish commander bowed and replied your enemies say the same thing.   I have   remembered the story and if it is not true have felt it should be.

Figures are from Crann Tara miniatures.  Flag from GMB Design (and a work of art it is).

Regiment Clare 1745

  A beautiful regiment from the Irish Brigade in the service of the French.  I picked the Clare regiment as it was recruited from the area of Ireland where my mother's side of the family came from.  Possibly there were a few McNamara's who fought in its ranks.  At least some of the family thinks so.  Elements of the Regiment were sent to Scotland and fought at Falkirk and Culloden.

Figures are from Crann Tara miniatures.  Flags again from the beautiful works offset from GMB Design.

The Charge: The Real Reason Why the Light Brigade was Lost. By Mark Adkin

" An officer named Captain Nolan, who writes books, and was a great man in his own estimation..."
 Colonel Lord George Paget

  October 25 is a very special day for me.  It is my wife Janine's birthday.  It was the day (after I retired from the National Park Service after thirty years) that I started my second career with jetblue.  And it is the anniversary of the Battle of Balaclava and the Charge of the Light Brigade.  I am fascinated with the Crimean War and The Charge has been one of those incidents I return to time and again.  So when I found This book back in 2001 I picked it up.  I read it in one sitting and it has been re-read numerous times since.  I am delighted it has just been released in a kindle edition.


  This is the kind of book that shows how military history should be written.  It is a careful analysis of the Battle of Balaclava and especially the Light Brigade's charge with the emphasis on untangling the hows and whys that resulted in the charge.  The book is extremely well researched, with well thought out explanations, good illustrations and especially outstanding maps. Many, many maps.

  Complimenting the maps (and tied into them) are a series of battle and topographical drawings which are very effective in understanding the battle.  These drawings are based on a series of photographs done by the photographer Fenton which show the actual battlefield from where Lord Raglan watched and sent his infamous order from.  The photographs were taken slightly after The battle so they provide a you are there view.

 The usual villain responsible for the disaster in most books was Lord Lucan the Cavalry Division commander.  I am glad to say he is given a fair shake here and is partly exonerated;   but with serious criticism.  I do wish the author discussed more about Lucan's decision to pull back The Heavy Brigade during the Light Brigades charge. A fascinating what if.   The primary culprits in Adkin's view are Lord Raglan and his ADC Captain Nolan.  Raglan was clearly over his head as army commander.  I find little positive about him and blame him for the disaster that the army suffered that terrible winter.  Cardigan by the way comes out as a very brave man who had not the foggest idea of what was what.  If you saw the 1968 movie of the Charge of the Light Brigade these three main actors really captured and look the part of their historical characters.  In my opinion of course.

 Adkin believes Captain Nolan may have deliberately indicated the incorrect objective.   In my opinion the author makes an excellent case that Nolan deliberately misrepresented Lord Raglan's order when he delivered It to Lord Lucan.   Nolan, a self educated authority on cavalry had never served on campaign not been in battle.  But he was certain that British cavalry were being misused and was very  vocally critical of all commanders but especialy  Lucan And Cardigan.    He was certain Light Cavalry could overthrow anything in its way and that neither infantry nor artillery could stop them.   He had once demonstrated  in a  classroom how light cavalry alone could charge and take out a battery from the front.   Nolan possibly did not have second thoughts about the liberty he took as aide-de-camp in misinterpreting Lord Raglan's written order. His death, the first casualty of The Charge prevented his being questioned after.  The author suggests and I agree Nolan wasn't trying to stop the charge when he was killed.  Most who took part in the action certainly though so.

Also interesting is the account of the actual charge.  Details such as such as how many rounds were fired at the brigade, how a artillery battery operated, how cavalry horses were so trained they remained in formation after their riders were killed,  and how the casualties were not as spectacular as is often claimed.  The Light Brigade was no longer combat efficient due to the horrendous number of horses killed which could not be replaced.

 I especially enjoyed the  epilogue - A Balaclava Banquet about the 1875 dinner for the survivors, which sounds like a rockous good time.  The appendix section entitled The Last Survivors was moving to read.  Those who were impoverished were provided for by a wealthy Fleet Street publisher who established the Roberts Relief Fund to provide them with a pension. The last survivor passed away in 1927.