November Auctions: WW II, Pulp, Colonial, and Victorian Sci-Fi

As you many of you know, I retired this year (early, yea!) and decided to make my hobby self-sustaining; so . . . here are November's Auctions on eBay.

28mm Pulp Figures "The Lady's Exploration Society"

 

I put "The Lady's Exploration Society" first as I accidentally (whoops) started the auction last week. It ends on Tuesday, November 18 at 6:00 PM US Pacific Standard Time. 

28mm Warlord Games German Fallschirmjagers in Tropical Uniform

 

Pulp Figures Adventuresses

 

Gunga Din and The Sergeants Three by Pulp Figures

 

Pulp-era Crime Fighters

 

Pulp-era Characters

 

Reaper Miniatures Egyptian Statues

 

Victorian Sci-Fi British Royal Navy Boarding Party

 

Wargames Foundry British Explorers and Treasure Hunters

 

 

Native Police Force from Askari Miniatures

US Marines from Pulp Figures

Unpainted NIB 28mm Artizan American Paratroopers blister SWW311

 As always thanks for looking and keep on gaming!

 

Command Group, 42nd Highland Regiment for the French and Indian War

 

 "This wey wee jimmies! Haggis fur everyone!" 

To finish out my 42nd Highland Regiment for Rebels and Patriots (Paid Link) is the blister pack French and Indian War: Highlander Command from Warlord Games. Four figures come in the pack - and each figure is different. Nae ill! The blister comes with an officer, two different standard bearers and off course a piper. As with the Line Company Highlanders from Warlord Games (Paid Link) and the Highland Grenadiers, the figures carry the tradition highland weapons of broad sword, dirks, and a pistol tucked into the plaids here and there. 

 

Lieutenant Coll Mcdougall. Th' dashing leader o' th' unit o' highlanders.

 

Piper Coinneach Armstrong starts tae speil Bodachnabrigishin oan his bagpipe. 

 The blister pack also comes with poles and finials/chords for flags. I purchased my flags for the 42nd Highlanders from Flags of War.

 

Ensign Patrick Stewart of Bonskied carries th' King's Colours. 

 

Ensign Seòrsa Rattray carries th' Regimental Colours.

A splendid addition tae th' 42nd Highlanders. 

 

 Mah neist postings wull (not sure o' th' order yet!) be th' entire 42nd Highlanders a' th'gither, a pentin guide howfur ah did th' figures, 'n' th' completed British force fur Rebels 'n' Patriots (Paid Link).

Veteran's Day 2020: My Family

 

 November 11th is Veteran's Day in the USA and Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other countries.  

My combat positions: Platoon leader 81mm mortars; Rifle Platoon leader; Platoon leader 107mm mortars; XO Combat Support Company, Brigade S3 Air; Battalion S-1; Rifle Company Commander; Headquarters Company Commander; Assistant Battalion S3; Battalion S3; Battalion XO; Interim (6 months) Battalion Commander; Task Force Commander (unit classified) in Northern Iraq providing military assistance to the Kurds.

My Battalions:

2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry (Raiders)

1st Battalion, 52nd Infantry (Ready Rifles)

 7th Battalion, 6th Infantry (Regulars by God!)

 4th Battalion, 12th Infantry (Warriors)

2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry (Regulars by God!)

Me and Honorable Son #2 (who is now a Captain). 

 

Son #2's In-Laws.
 

I proudly wear the patch of the First Armored Division on my right sleeve.

Younger me  (in need of a shave) on my Bradley "Audacity" with the 1st Armored Division when I was doing the heavy infantry thing. Always hot coffee with heavy infantry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Brother #1 and his lovely bride. 

 My Brother #1's son-in-law with Daughter #2.

 

My lovely bride and sister-in-law #2 (a retired Colonel who is still my favorite Blackhawk pilot!).

Sister-in-law #2's brother.

Sister-in-law #2's brother and his son. 

My Brother #2 

 Brother #2's son and his lovely bride.

My cousin Sarah's husband Edgar. To her everlasting regret, I introduced him to miniature wargaming!

 

My Dad.  He was "Doc" to the Marines during 2 tours in Vietnam. I owe a lot to this man.

My Dad's brother Gus. My Uncle Gus served in the Army during The Vietnam War as a Military Intelligence Vietnamese Language Specialist.

Vietnamese language intelligence specialist  He w

 
My amazing father-in-law Jim was a 19 year old 1st Lieutenant flying B-17 bombers with the 8th Air Force in 1944 and ended the war as a captain. Had a great phone call with him the other day. A product of the depression (when he was a very young cowboy), he volunteered to be a pilot because it paid more!

My grandfather Sylvester was a Seaman 1st Class Gunner's Mate on the destroyer escort USS O'Neill (DE-188) during World War II.

On 31 October 1944, the USS O'Neill transited the Panama Canal and reported to the Pacific Fleet. Arriving in the forward area in December, she joined the 3rd Fleet under Admiral Halsey, and took part in the operations which culminated in the recapture of Luzon in the Philippines.

"Pap Pap"

In February 1945, the O'Neill became a unit of the 5th Fleet under Admiral Spruance, and served as an escort for the transports which landed the 3rd Marine Division at Iwo Jima. This landing took place on 24 February, and thereafter O'Neill served in the anti-submarine screen around the island.

 

After a passage to Milne Bay, New Guinea, the O'Neill joined the force assigned for the invasion of Okinawa. The initial landings were made on 1 April 1945. In the prolonged fight for the island, she served almost continuously for 60 days on ASW picket duty — shooting down a Japanese twin-engine bomber on 25 May, and being hit by a kamikaze suicide plane on the 26^th. On the latter occasion two men were killed and 17 were wounded aboard the ship.

Shortly after a change of command on 16 June 1945, the O'Neill returned to San Pedro, California. for repairs of battle damage and major overhaul. While in San Pedro the war in the Pacific came to an end.

 

The ration booklet that belonged to my mother as a young child during WW II.

  

My grandfather Mike served as a civilian civil engineer during World War II building railroads in Persia to help supply the Soviets. He was told he was "too old" when Pearl Harbor happened; plus he had a child (my father) and wife. Later the Department of War would not be so picky. His brother Royce was a Captain in the US Army Field Artillery and he died of pneumonia in 1942. His sister "Skeet", one of my all time great people was married to the famous "Uncle Jack."

 

Aunt Skeet, Mike, and my Uncle Royce who I never met.

  

My Great Uncle Jack (Professor Emeritus of English at Princeton University) served with the OSS doing sneaky stuff in World War II in various theaters and Honorable Son #1 still have his Sykes Fairbairn knife. You know how sneaking those English majors are - Right Honorable Son #1? In photo below left to right: Aunt Skeet (Jack's wife), Jack in stripped uniform (OSS guys are sneaky), Elizabeth, my grandmother and Mike's wife and cousin Clio.

 

 

Grenadier Company, 42nd Highland Regiment for the French and Indian War

 

Warlord Games Highland Grenadiers painted as the 42nd Highland Regiment.

 

Another excellent product to fill out my unit for Rebels and Patriots (Paid Link) of the 42nd Highland Regiment is the blister pack of Highland Grenadiers from Warlord games. Four figures come in the pack - and my pack had 3 different variants. Not bad! As with the Line Company Highlanders from Warlord Games, these grenadiers are armed to the teeth with broadswords, dirks and pistols in addition to musket and bayonet. There is controversy as to when the red stripe was added to the Grenadier Company's tartan but I am not going to go down that rabbit hole. I decided to add the red stripe mainly because I think it looks cool. I'm the Colonel, and like in the old days, I paid, er, painted the uniforms!

 

 

A grenadier was originally a specialist soldier, first established as a distinct role in the mid-to-late 17th century, for the throwing of grenades and sometimes assault operations. At that time grenadiers were chosen from the strongest and largest soldiers. By the 18th century, dedicated grenade throwing of this sort was no longer relevant, but grenadiers were still chosen for being the most physically powerful soldiers and would lead assaults in the field of battle.

 

  

The wide hats with broad brims characteristic of infantry during the late 17th century were discarded and replaced with caps. This was originally to allow the grenadier to sling his musket over his back with greater ease while throwing grenades (initially, only these troops were provided with slings). Additionally, a brimless hat permitted the grenadier greater ease in throwing the grenade overhand. By 1700, grenadiers in the English and other armies had adopted a cap in the shape of a bishop's mitre, usually decorated with the regimental insignia in embroidered cloth.

 

 

Grenade usage declined significantly in the early 18th century, a fact that can be attributed to the improved effectiveness of massive infantry line tactics and flintlock technology. However, the need for elite assault troops remained, and the existing grenadier companies were used for this purpose. As noted, above average physical size had been considered important for the original grenadiers and, in principle, height and strength remained the basis of selection for these picked companies. In the British regiments of foot during the 18th century the preference was, however, to draw on steady veterans for appointment to individual vacancies in a grenadier company (one of the eight companies comprising each regiment). On occasion, such as at Louisburg and at Quebec, Grenadier Companies from various regiments might be "brigaded" together to form a larger elite unit.

 

 

Another winner from Warlord Games. Now when my flags come in, I'll be able to post the command element and show the whole unit together.