The Irish Legion are going to be a fairly heavy-duty painting job, I fear, so to spur myself on I've completed most of the command group. I also have a mounted officer for them on the go but he's not quite ready for his photo shoot.
The Irish Legion seems to have had several flag designs over the course of its existence, but I think that this was the best one:
The officer and eagle bearer are Der Kriegspielers, with the officer being the DK version of a Hinton Hunt FN 74: Young Guard Officer, marching.
The drummer is a conversion of recast Hinton Hunt FN 6: (French Infantry of the Line, 1812-15) Drummer, charging. To convert him I soldered on a replacement DK 19 head and filed down his trouser bottoms to make it look like he's wearing gaters. I think he looks quite nifty.
Next up ought to be the rest of the Chasseurs. I thought I'd tackle them first as they're just a wee bit trickier than the carabiniers and voltigeurs.
Yours, as ever.
WM
Great drummer conversion, he looks more professionally sculpted than the others, but then he was HH while the others were DK. Still, they all look good in those uniforms and I'm looking forward to seeing the unit's inaugural parade hopefully long before St Patrick's Day.
ReplyDeleteCheers Rob. I'm hoping that when their all massed together all the individual figure flaws will balance out a bit. The eagle bearer is particularly egregious. I think he might actually be a David Clayton "FN 4a: French Colour Bearer without sword", which I'm 99% convinced is a copy of a DK figure in any case. I've painted two of these already: one for the Swiss, and one for the 67th. It was touch and go with both of them, but they seemed to work out OK in the end. The HH drummer copy is definitely better!
DeleteSplendid work on these Matthew ….
ReplyDeleteThe unit is going to look lovely when it is finished…
All the best. Aly
Thank you Aly.
DeleteWell there is no denying that the drummer, being HH, is the nicer figure, but the emerald green of the group is what catches the eye, and I think this battalion will be spectacular. The flag is particularly nice and is so distinctive I think I may have to replace the flag on my battalion (with apologies to DT). The standard bearer looks like a DK 1812 casting to me. Is he cast with an eagle or a spearpoint? I believe DK made both, but just curious.
ReplyDeleteCheers David. I hope you're right. As for the eagle bearer, that's definitely an eagle on the top of the pole. I think he's a Clayton recast of the eagle bearer from DK set #7, which was the French 1809 line infantry command group set. The officer is probably from set # 20 Middle Guard command group. As I said above, this is a straight knockoff of an HH Young Guard officer!
DeleteI'd assumed that DT's Irish flag was the same, only that the harp was on the side of the flag hidden from the camera!
Every time you post I learn something more Matthew. I never realized the DK 1812 casting of the standard bearer all have their sword out and that DK offered command sets for the Middle Guard as well! What is it about this casting that makes you think it is a Dave Clayton recast as opposed to a "genuine" DK? Interestingly I recently received a DK set 20 Guard Command, but it had only the Grenadier and Chasseur figures, not any of the Middle Guard castings. I wonder if that was a later refinement and earlier sets only contained the Old Guard.
ReplyDeleteI thought he might be a Clayton because he's cast in a soft but much less "leady" metal. The base is slightly thickened too, giving him more stability, which is consistent with my other Clayton versions of this figure. I could still be completely wrong though.
DeleteWell done in scoring the DK Old Guard Command set! The Chasseur eagle bearer is a particularly nice casting, in my view, and the drummers are pretty handy too. I've no idea how the Young and Middle Guard sets were marketed, but suspect they were sold seperately.
More lovely work Matthew! I've never seen one of those eagle bearers before and that really is another superbly painted flag. Like Aly I am looking forward to seeing the full finished unit.
ReplyDeleteCheers Ian. Your very kind words will help me get them finished!
DeleteI missed this update...rather spectacular addition to the collection methinks!
ReplyDeleteThank you Matt. That is the plan!
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