Salon de Guerre-Wargames room part two

Salon de Guerre

My “salon de Guerre“ Wargames room, will be the second one in France that I am aware of, the first of course is in Versailles palace, the other of course in in “l’hotel de Hercé” in sunny Mayenne!

I finally returned to work on the Wargames room restoration on the first floor this month after spending two months on the second floor renovations. We finally selected the colour combination after charging it from a darker scheme to a lighter putty colour and gold trim on the decorative wood work. The ceiling repair was a bit of work to get it 100%, I moved the communication cables and added the cat six cable in behind the skirting boards. The Exterior door repairs With some new glass and exterior waterproofing has to be done also. We opened up the fireplace again and it requires a little work before I fire can be lit in it again.

Overall very happy, still need to finish off the doors and some detail work, remove the heaters and paint behind them and put them back again (tomorrow’s job)  add the fabric to the large panel and the curtains (which Vanessa has made). The goal is to finish by next Wednesday.

A few photos of the progress

Cheers
Matt

Loire Vikings V

More Vikings, striking terror in the Loire!

The first raid in the Carolingian empire was on the monastery at the Île de Noirmoutier in 799. It became the most regular raided monastery in France. They raided up and down the Loire and its tributaries. Another two  28mm V & V miniatures. 

Cheers
Matt

French HYW MAA IIII

French Men at Arms HYW

French Armagnac MAA knights, squires and gentile men. Led by Jacques de Mathefelon, knight provost of Maine, lord of Lancheneil. Fought at la Brossinière, Le Mans, Fresnay, Laval and Verneuil. Part of my Hundred Years War men of Maine. The banner is also the current armorial for the city of Mayenne, Geoffrey de Mayenne used the arms when he fought for King John.

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

Cheers
Matt

Aulerci Diablintes XII

Another unit completed over the weekend, the third of my clothed tribesmen. A few new combinations of plaid, pretty happy with my results on these Victrix miniatures. 46 figures to paint and I will of passed the 200 mark for the year of Gauls.

They will join my Aulerci Diablintes tribe and will be on the table in two weeks when we have a wargaming guest  one of our "walk the battlefield in the morning, Wargame in the afternoon" tours, visiting the Oppidum at Moulay, and the museum at Jublians, then wargaming in the completed "salon de Guerre ".

cheers

Matt

British Airborne C.L.E containers

Completed ten C.L.E containers last week, scratch built containers from two part putty and sprues that were cut to size and drilled out. Quite happy with them, the parachutes are from my own resin mold that was made 8 years ago or more. Be nice additions to my DDay and Arnhem table terrain bits.

My full article about British Airborne C.L.E containers is here.

Cheers
Matt

Sir Bernard Bruce, Scottish Wars of Independence

Sir Bernard Bruce, Lord of Connington and Exton died 1330, cousin of king. Robert. Another Schiltron for my Scottish war of Independence army. 28mm figures are a mix of Antediluvian miniatures and Claymore miniatures

Cheers
Matt

Irish Medieval Archers

Another addition to the Scottish wars of independence army, some Irish mercenary archers. 28mm Anteluvian  miniatures. Happy with the hunting tartans.

Cheers
Matt

Sir James Douglas, Black Douglas (the good)

The Black Douglas

Sir James Douglas (also known as Good Sir James and the Black Douglas) (c. 1286 – 25 August 1330, loyal companion of Robert de Bruce. Schiltron for my Scottish war of Independence army. Hand painted shield and standard, on the right flank is Kenneth Williamson, as a memory to my uncle Ken who passed this year. Miniatures are a mix of Claymore and Anteluvian miniatures.

Cheers Matt

100 Years War French Army III

French Mean at Arms HYW

French squires and gentile men led by Pierre Michel, squire banneret lord Le Plessis, Villiers, Saint-Gilles, Bossacourt and la Noe. Supplied 20MAA and 40 Archers for La Brossinière.
Additions to my French army for the battles in the Anjou, Maine, Brittany and Normandy.

"Wargaming History"

From Caesar to the Coldwar

Cheers
Matt

100 Year War English I

English Longbow HYW

Completed my first Perry English HYW archers for my post Agincourt English.

Note the yellow flowers, “planta genista” a common weed in Maine, Normandy, Brittany and Anjou. Some people may know this is how Geoffrey de Anjou gained the nickname “Plantagenet” due to his wild sowing of oats (children) throughout the region.

After Agincourt peace the English used their Chateau bases on the Normandy Maine border, Avaranches, Mortain, Domfront, Alençon, and Fresnay to raid into Maine and Brittany at will. Some of these raids were very successful but a turn around first at the battle of Baugé then la Brossinière, lead to a resurgent and confident western Armagnac French force to then blunder at Verneuil and suffer complete destruction of the western French and Scottish allied army.

Figures are 28mm from the Perry Miniatures Agincourt to Orleans range

"Wargaming History"™ 

From Caesar to the Cold War

cheers

Matt

100YW French Le Mans company

Next unit is a Archer company of crossbow and pavise men from the city of Le Mans, they fought at a number engagements in Maine and Anjou. Recorded at Baugé, La Brossinière, Fresnay, siege of Le Mans, Siege of Saint Suzanne, and Verneuil.

Figures are 28mm Perry Miniatures with hand painted Pavises and Banner.

Cheers

Matt

100 Years War French Army I

French 100 years war longbow

French longbow unit, the first of my Perry 28mm French 100YW army is completed for the local battles around our Maison that we conduct tours for Baugé, la Brossinière, Fresnay and Verneuil, plus skirmishes and the 70 odd sieges in Anjou, Maine, Normandy and Brittany .

These guys have been finished for weeks, but I had not based them, plus I am hand painting flags so that has slowed production, glad to say I have completed 18 banners today, so a flurry of posts over the next 20 odd days.

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

Cheers
Matt

Vikings IV

Another 3 Vikings completed for my Saga raiding group. Again lovely V&V miniatures, three more to complete before back to 100 years war.

 

Cheers
Matt

Vikings III

Vikings, striking terror in the Loire. The first raid in the Carolingian empire was on the monastery at the Île de Noirmoutier in 799. It became the most regular raided monastery in France. They raided up and down the Loire and its tributaries. Miniatures are 28mm V & V miniatures.

Cheers
Matt

Aulerci Diablintes XI

A unit of skirmishers completed for my Aulerci Diablintes, I still have approximately 8 bases to go before I switch to another tribe which has 8 bases to complete the army. Trying to slot them in amount my medievals to mix it up a bit.

Figures are 28mm Victrix and LBM transfers.

Cheers

Matt

Saxon Pirates in the Loire!

The Saxon pirates raided the south and west coast of modern Brittany and Pays de Loire, plus Normandy, settling permanently around Bayeux and on the Belle-Île in the mouth of the Loire, and along the St Malo coast. They were particularly active the 5th century raiding Angers and Nantes. A Roman allied contingent from Normandy also were part in the Roman Confederation defeat of Attila the Hun at Chalons in 451AD.

My Saxon pirate commander is named  Eadwacer, who raided up the Loire in the 5th century.  These figures are 28mm from the Footsore miniatures range.

Cheers

Matt 

Aulerci Diablintes Tribesmen X

Aulerci Diablintes Tribesmen 

Completed another unit for my Aulerci Diablintes tribe. Figures are 28mm Victrix miniatures with LBM transfers. A few individual shots

Gilbert and Robert de Umfraville, Earl of Angus

Another Anglo Scottish spear unit completed this week, a little different as they fought for the English predominantly.

Gilbert de Umfraville, Earl of Angus was a minor when his father died and was a ward of Simon de Montfort, he fought with Simons Rebels at Evesham and was pardoned by King Henry III. He later fought in the welsh wars in 1276. He adhered to Margret if Norway’s claim to the Scottish crown and participated on the English campaign in 1296. After John Balloil was exiled in 1296 his lost the title of Earl of Angus, but was still referred to as the Earl of Angus.

Robert de Umfraville inherited the empty title in 1308 remaining Loyal to Edward III. He was summoned to the coronation of King Edward II of England in February 1308. He was Joint Lieutenant and Guardian of Scotland from 21 June 1308, and appointed to treat for peace with the Scots on numerous occasions. He fought at the Battle of Bannockburn, and was taken prisoner after the battle by Robert Bruce, but soon released. In 1316 he was commissioned to treat with the Scots for a truce. He never reconciled with Robert and remained in England on his estates, forfeiting his property and title. His son Gilbert tried to recover his estates backing the Balloil cause in 1332.

I plan to also portray Gilbert as a squire for Evesham as part of my Barons wars project.

Miniatures are from the Claymore and Anteluvian miniatures ranges