Alex Campbell, Canadian Infantry and a QF 6-pdr AT gun

Today is the 75th anniversary of VE day - which our Covid-19 isolation has turned into a quiet day of contemplation rather than a rowdy celebration.  So, in that sense, I'd like to commemorate Alex Campbell of the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment.  Major Campbell features prominently in Farley Mowat's memoir, 'And No Birds Sang', where he comes across as a mentor and hero to young Farley.  Mowat describes Campbell as an “elephantine lump of man” who had “a ferocious determination to kill as many Germans as he could.”  In particular, there is a passage where he describes an incident during the Battle for Valguarnerna:

"Then a furious bellow made me turn to see Alex Campbell launching himself down the slope.  He was holding a Bren tucked under his one good arm and firing quick bursts as he ran.  Although a spare mag was clenched between his teeth, he was still able to roar like a maddened Minotaur.

For precious seconds our fire grew ragged as we stared at Alex, appalled and awed by what he was doing.  A few of the Germans tried to make use of the respite to bring rifles and Schmeisser machine-pistols into play.  Alex was by then only a few yards from the nearest of them and I expected momentarily to see his might bulk come crashing to the ground.  We all must have shared that fear, for suddenly every man in the two companies began to fire again as fast as he could load.  The rattle and road of small arms and grenades rose to a crescendo...and the stretch of road below us became a slaughterhouse."

Mowat then tells that in the aftermath, the bloodthirsty Campbell was then the officer who ensured proper treatment for the wounded Germans, swearing that any mistreatment of the prisoners would result in prompt court martial.  More on Alex Campbell can be found at this link:  http://www.davidmckie.com/moro-mowat-and-memorial-remembering-alexander-campbell/  or you can just go and read 'And No Birds Sang'!

This figure from Perry Miniatures, blazing away with his Bren from the hip, reminded me of Mowat's anecdote, so in my mind he is Alex Campbell of the HPER.

To back up Alex, I've also completed another rifle section, this time in battledress trousers and KD shirts - a look more associated with the troops after moving on to the Italian mainland than in Sicily, but these are lovely figures.  The metal soldiers were one man short, so they've been joined by one more plastic figure (in shorts) from the Perry's Desert Rats box.  As usual, I've marked the rear of the bases to help show which section they belong to.  

I like this Bren team, with the Bren No 2 handing a new magazine to the gunner.

Here is the Rifle team.

Also today, here is the ubiquitous British and Commonwealth Ordnance Quick-Firing 6-pounder 7 cwt anti-tank gun.  The model is from Perry Miniatures, supplemented with a couple of extra crew members to bring the numbers up to CoC requirements.  The base markings of blue and red are to match the standard vehicle flash for artillery and anti-tank units.  I left the gun in standard OD green rather than matching the possibly fanciful two-shade sand and green pattern I used on vehicles.

Here is the crew.  I've added a couple of extra crew members to bring the number up to 6.

And here you can see the artillery flashes on the rear of the bases.