I am keen to use my CEF (Canadian Expeditionary Force) to play out some of the scenarios from TFL's Stout Hearts and Iron Troopers scenario book, specifically the 'training the Entente' scenarios. Each of these are based on a British platoon that includes a section each of riflemen, bombers, Lewis gun and rifle grenadiers. However, it turns out that I only had two of the required four rifle grenadiers, so I ordered another pack of Great War Miniatures from North Star.
The pack includes two rifle grenadiers and four bombers. In any other language, the bombers would be called grenadiers, but in the British Army, the title of Grenadier is exclusive to the First Regiment of Foot Guards - no chance that any pleb will be allowed to call himself a 'grenadier' simply because he is armed with grenades!
The red patches on the sleeves show the formation patches for the 5th Battalion CEF, Western Cavalry (perpetuated today by the North Saskatchewan Regiment). I did not remember making this decision, thinking that I would instinctively try to paint them as the 10th Battalion (perpetuated by my old comrades, the Calgary Highlanders). I assume that a small square on top of a larger square was just too finicky for me to paint, so I went for the easier to replicate circle!
I did my best to match the colour and style of the same figures I painted in 2008 (or thereabouts). I think I managed ok, especially considering that the original base uniform colour was something that I blended from GW Catachan Green and Kommando Khaki! In the comparison photos that follow, the 2008 versions are the ones with flocking on the bases, and the 2023 versions have unflocked bases.
While I was adding these extra bombers into the mix, I also found time to finish up some signallers - an officer with a field telephone, and a soldier sending a pigeon on its way. I was of course thinking about poor old Speckled Jim as I painted him!
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