In the absence of a regular army, the Trained Bands were the only
permanent military units in England when the Bishops' Wars broke out in
1639-40 and the First Civil War followed in 1642. The popular view was
that the Trained Bands were inefficient, poorly equipped and badly
disciplined.
The London Trained Bands were of better quality
thanks to enthusiastic societies of citizens who met regularly during
the 1630s to practice their drill, hiring expert soldiers to instruct
them. In 1642, the Common Council increased the four regiments of the
London Bands into 40 companies of 200 men each, organized into six
regiments and distinguished by their flags: Red, White, Yellow, Green,
Blue and Orange.
I have chosen to depict the Green Regiment - primarily because I painted the flag carried by the ensign green earlier this year! (Pike and Shotte Command Complete). I like it when a unit conveys a story. In this case, the flag is the Major's color and I envisioned the major, a veteran of the wars on the continent, sternly contemplating his command.
All of the figures are by Warlord Games. The "major" and the ensign are from one of their metal command packs and the rest of the figures are from their hard plastic box of infantry. I have gone with the generally accepted and recorded uniform of red coats for the London Trained Band and painted each soldier with the ubiquitous buff coat. The unit is based for my favorite set of ECW rules Victory Without Quarter.
Most young boys (and some adventurous girls) play with Toy Soldiers; some never stop! I'm proud to say that I am one that never has stopped. Toy Soldiers, painting the figures, history and miniature wargaming is what this site is all about. May the God who gives encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Green Regiment of the London Trained Bands complete
Labels:
ECW,
ECW Parliament,
Victory Without Quarter
I'm a retired Colonel of Infantry (Regulars by God!) and Military Historian who likes to play with toy soldiers. I've been married to the love of my life since 1986, I have 5 honorable sons (my geeks in training), 4 daughters-in-law, a beautiful grandson, 1 dog and a gazillion miniatures.
Hobbies include . . . wait for it . . . Toy Soldiers, Reading, Wargaming, Reading about Toy Soldiers, History, Reading about Wargaming, Gardening, Reading about History and Reading.
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Fabulous additions, Neil. I don't have any Pike & Shotte armies, but the period and uniforms are intriguing.
ReplyDeleteDean - Thanks. It's been a fun period to research and game and has kept me occupied painting for the better part of almost 2 years now. I highly recommend Victory Without Quarter as a rule set with the added bonus that it is available for free as a PDF on the web.
ReplyDeleteAnother splendid job, congrats!
ReplyDeleteThanks Phil.
DeleteVery nice! I’ve just bought a box of these plastics and was thinking the exact same thing. They all look like they’re wearing buff coats so would make a great trained band.
ReplyDeleteSecundus,
DeleteGreat minds think alike. It's good to see someone else using "Victory Without Quarter." For me it really gives the feel of an ECW battle.
Neil