BUF at Paradeground Drill

To continue with my Very British Civil War collection, I present to you the British Union of Fascists!

As Warlord Games have released their excellent new campaign supplement for Bolt Action: Operation Sea Lion, I finally found some motivation to paint my BUF, wich had been sitting built and primed in a cellar box for quite a while now. 

The first bunch are from Musketeer now Footsore Miniatures:

BUF Group Leader and Flagbearer

My Footsore bundle comprises of one Officer with Colour-Sergeant, a 10-men section with Lewis Gun and Sergeant with SMG, and a HMG squad with a Vickers machine gun as support. These miniatures are really lovely detailed and were fun to paint up. Especially the added surplus Britsh Army equipment, e.g. the webbing gives them a convincing touch. My compliments to the very talented sculptor Paul Hicks.

1st half-section with Lewis Gun

2nd half-section practicing shooting drills in front of the barracks

HMG support squad

Next up is the 2nd section of my British Fascist force. Two officers and 10 riflemen (sadly no Lewis Gun). I am very proud owning these miniatures, as they were painted by Stephen Mortimer aka Mort, one of the creators of VBCW! A very decent guy, with whom I intend to keep contact.

Two BUF Officers shouting commands at the Paradeground

3rd half-section practicing Rifle Drill

I got in contact with him via eBay as he sold some of his stuff and this ended in him painting these up especially for me (although I added the red piping to blend them in with the 1st section). They originally might have been WW1 Belgians, I suppose, but their look and the moustaches really make them work as BUF.

4th half-section advance (take notice of the moustaches!)

To add some mobile support to the operations of the BUF, they mounted a 6-men section on motorcycles with sidecars. These were originally Cthullu Cops, but I bought them off eBay painted as they are now, in BUF Action Uniform.

BUF Motorcycle Patrol

You might have noticed the lightning-like symbol on the flag and motorcyles (it is on every models armband as well!). This is the official symbol used by the BUF, the "Flash of Action" in the "Circle of Unity". Rather anti-fascist minded folk simply called it the "Flash in the Pan"^^.

At last, my British Union of Fascists also have some air support, a venerable Hawker Fury Mk.1 plane, which was painted in the party colours (camouflage seemed not to be an issue here...).

Officers inspecting a BUF Hawker Fury aircraft.

With release of Sea Lion I hope to use them as a Fifth Column in Bolt Action, soon, as well as confronting the IRA, Socialists and Irish Communists in Northern Ireland's VBCW.

To complete this fascist force, I want to add Warlord's new BUF militia, including support weapons, a Lancaster Armoured Car, and the Leader himself: Sir Oswald Mosley with his wife Diana. 

That's it for now, the first steps of my BUF platoon/batallion.

For God and Ulster

Here are some older Royalist units from my VBCW in Northern Ireland. As they are admired by most people, when I put them on the tabletop, I thought to dedicate a post to them.

THE ORANGEMEN OF ULSTER!!!

The first unit of Orangemen Militia

Rather gentlemanly with swordsticks and top hats

A cricket fan making good use of his equipment

The Orange Order was founded in County Armagh in 1795, during a period of Protestant–Catholic sectarian conflict, as a Masonic-style brotherhood sworn to maintain the Protestant Ascendancy. It is headed by the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, which was established in 1798. Its name is a tribute to the Dutch-born Protestant king William of Orange, who defeated the army of Catholic king James VII & II in the Williamite War in Ireland (1688–1691).

The main function of the Orange Order is as conservative British unionist organisation with links to Ulster loyalism. Its members wear orange sashes and are referred to as Orangemen. The Order is best known for its yearly marches, the biggest of which are held on or around 12 July.

Da BIG Boss... you have to be quite wealthy to aquire a leading role on the Orange Order

The miniatures are several Victorian gentleman and Pulp's League of Ungentlemanly Warfare. The sashes are simply made of some sculpted Green Stuff and they were equipped with second hand-rifles (indeed, spare Martini-Henrys). 

Reverend Murray

They are accompanied by Reverend Murray, a militant Presbytterian preacher, who offers spiritual support, as well as some firepower from his trusted shotgun.

The Orange Order has been criticised for associating with loyalist paramilitary groups such as the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), so here they are.

UVF miniatures by Reiver Castings

These Loyalist paramilitaries try to defend Ulster from Irish, Catholic influence in order to secure their Protestant state in the North and the Union with Great Britain. Except for their orange armbands, they were civilian clothes and attempt to lay ambushes for the Communists and IRA. 

These units form a combined small brigade or platoon (depending on the ruleset used) in defense of Ulster during the Very British Civil War. They already participated in the Battle of Crossmaglen and the failed attack on a factory district in Newry, held (and defended) by Workers' militia.