The Almeria Infantry Regiment

Somehow, I had these figures and needing some Spanish infantry I thought it would be good to paint them up.  Rather than create a "perfect" unit, I decided to paint all the figures I had (hence two command stands, one of which is configured for taking a casualty marker).

It is amazing what you can do with a wash.  It has really brought out the detail and given these figures life.

Napoleon's Grand Armee of 1813 by Scott Bowden

Not really a book, more a collection or roll call of facts and figures, still it did make an interesting read and reference source.

I did learn the important term: Strategic Consumption. The losses an army takes outside battle, just from being there, marching about and going hungry.

KGL Infantry

There are one or two non-Essex figures in this unit, but the Essex figures are ones that I have had since the 1990s if not earlier.  Finished now and constructed so I can make a variety of Napoleon's Battles brigade units - 2x16, 1x20, 1x24 or 1x28.  Spare figures made it easy to make up casualty bases.

Portuguese Cacadores

Another unit completed.  Perhaps not the best pose for wargames figures, but they sure look like they mean business.  I've been wondering what to do with these figures (I have quite a few more in this pose) and I thought the late war British in Belgic shakos would make fine early war Cacadores.

Not that it shows up much, but I painted a variety of trouser colours

 to show they had been on campaign for a while.

The two figures on the casualty base are from the Old Glory British casualty set.

More Portuguese Infantry

More Old Glory stove pipe British repurposed as Portuguese.

With this unit I can make two 4 base brigades (16PtLN in Napoleon's Battles' terminology),

or a 5, 6 or 7 base brigade. 

 There are two casualty marker stands that I consider integral to the brigade.

It doesn't concern me that it lowers the figure count,

it's the number of bases that really matters.

The all-white facings represent Regiment No. 13 Peniche,

not that I feel bound by that.

Eagle eyes will have seen there is a surfeit of drummers.

Must be that the Old Glory purchase was one pack of infantry and one of command. 

Generals Random

While working on the Vittoria OOB I found I was a few generals short.  This is now fixed.

Army command stand for the French.

Commander for the Portuguese Division.

Command stand for British cavalry.

Commander for the Spanish Division.

Some of these figures are Battle Honours, not sure about the ones I've used for the French and I have no idea of the one I used for the Spanish commander - he was a figure I rescued from someone's discards. 

Walking the Pyrenees 1996

Found them!  It took me a while but here are the photos from a tour of the Pyrenees I did with Midas Tours back in 1996.

The memorial at San Sebastian

View of San Sebastian from the Citadel.

Old city and hill where allied artillery was located.

New city.

The village of Sorauren.

The French attacked from the right.

Steep and in those days less trees.

The battlefield of Sorauren (fought 28 July 1813).

The French attack down the hills in front.

Photo taken from the Allied position.

The battlefield of Maya (fought 25 July 1813)

This was where I found a musket ball.

On the way to Roncesvalles (fought 25 July 1813).

Roncesvalles battlefield.

The French advance along this ridge, which had incredibly steep sides almost immediately to the left and right of this photo, was held up by British troops deployed in the rocks ahead.

The French advance in part was along the Camino de Santiago.

Modern day pilgrims seem to have abandoned their crosses.

Vera from the bridge where Wellington was almost captured.

?

The French attacked here and were repulsed by the Spanish holding the hill in the centre of this photo.

"The Spanish General Freire won a s creditable defensive victory along the crest of the San Marcial hill,

about a mile south of and parallel to the frontier river" (the Bidasoa) Page 167 Military Dress of the Peninsula War by Martin Windrow & Gerry Embleton.

La Rhune

Postcard.  In the background is La Rhune.

Postcard. Col D'Ibardin with a view of the coast.

Postcard

"Vue generale - Point Saint Barbe"

Postcard of the beach at Saint Jean de Luz

"La plage, dans le fond la Rhune (905m)"

XXX

Postcard Vera de Bidasoa and Col D'Ibardin

Postcard Le Pays Basque : La Rhune

Postcard Saint Jean de Luz : Cote Basque

Postcard Le Pays Basque

Photo taken on 25 September 1996.

Walk from Col d'Ibardin to Biriatou along the northern side of the Bidasoa.

Same walk.

View of Saint Jean de Luz during the walk.

View from La Rhune.

Train at the top of La Rhune.

We walked down the ridge in front.

View of St Jean de Luz in the distance.

Another view of St Jean de Luz, but from a redoubt this time.

A redoubt.

Redoubt stonework.

Bridge

Bayonne

Chateau on the St Pierre battlefield

Commemorative and explanatory sign panel.

Sadly I failed to put any notes to this photo. 

Guard's cemetery.

Guard's cemetery.

Corner of a foreign field, near Bayonne.

It was thirty years ago and it was certainly a highlight of my travels.  I would love to do something similar and can only hope I will have the opportunity.