Managed to get the 10 Kiwi Casualties finished today.
Apparently, New Zealanders were not referred to as "Kiwis" back then, they were called "FernLeafs", hence the post title!
These were metal figures again and this time fully formed all the way round, so there was no getting away with only painting one side on these!
Three different poses, and I decided to vary the shirt colour between them.. as from what I have learnt, at the time of the attack, the troops were ordered to attack in shirt sleeves, so their tunic jackets were not worn. The troops had also by this time received clothes parcels from home so many were wearing differing coloured shirts, with anything from off white to light grey and light blues, hence the variety.
I left the pants the typical dark khaki colour.
The webbing I followed the painting instructions and did them with the light GW 'nuggling' green... (thanks to Roly for loan of his pot for this!) with a shade wash. I was a little curious at this colour choice though as most of the colour examples for this show it as a yellowy/tan colour...?
The other chaps were wearing off white braces.
Finally these guys being casualties, I ummed and arred about adding some subtle blood effects to their wounds...in the end I decided to add just a little... the pose to left of top picture I didn't add any, as there was no obvious wound site. The centre pose is raised up on one elbow clutching his side with other hand. I put some blood effects around the clutching hand, though he's lying on it so there's not much to see. The last pose is a little more overt... and this pose also had an oddity... no left ear! Not sure whether this was deliberate or a casting error... and if the latter, my green stuff skills are not up to sculpting ears!
So I decided he's been hit twice... one shot has taken his ear off, the other has hit him in the hip, so I put some blood effects on the missing ear, and round the hand on hip.
So that's my efforts concluded for this project. 50 figures done, which was 10 more than I anticipated.
Its been an honour to be involved with this project and I for one can't wait to have a look at it, once it's all done.
I'd also like to extend my appreciation of all the other folks who answered the call and picked up their paintbrushes, for a good cause. Well done, one and all.
Hopefully the display will last the test of time, and act as a permanent reminder of what our forebears endured, all those years ago... as ever... We will remember them...
Mustering the Troops
