More First World War memorials in Halifax NS

Market Garden, Netherlands Fall, 1944

A German force probes towards the British Airborne positions

a scratch force of Panzergrenadiers and an augmented Panzer regiment

The Germans advance

The Paras hold a small foot bridge

Paras take position in town

a battalion hold a bridge

Royal Ulster Rifles hold the farm

1st Airlanding Regt RA lines up its guns

Jeeps holding this bridge

the local office building becomes the Para HQ

Paras hiding in the woods

A new Armored Jeep Recce unit debuts on the tables, it only took me 18 months to get them finished

1st Air-landing Battery, Royal Artillery.

Tank Overhaul - Episode 1 - The A34 Comet

Works with my new Comet I built for the 11th Armored Division for my Bolt Action games

8th Panzer Regiment attacks British position at Gazala

British Position

8th Panzer Regiment begins attack

Panzers first attack takes out half of the 6pdr guns but they are sucked in

and encircled 

and picked off one by one from 4RTR, and aggressive infantry. 

This battle lasted all of 90 minutes. Ian and I had fun, but I was preoccupied with other matters.

Operation Varsity: 9th Canadian Brigade attack Bolt Action Hold Until Relieved

The Canadian highlanders get transported across the Rhine to capture a German position

Canadian Third Division begins attack across the Rhine

The sector the Canadians are attacking lacks heavy support.

the local defenses are held by some Luftwaffen personnel.

One recce element with a Hertzer Tank destroyer.

These are pinned by a prelimary bombardment.

The Highlanders hit the positions hard, clearing the bunker and trenches.

The Germans are slowly taken out

finally the Germans give up. A successful Canadian action.

Operation Varsity Rhineland 1945

This will be a Bolt Action campaign I will play out in minature. My 79th Armored Division components arrived tonight but need to be built.

Germans vs Canadians: Envelopment

D-Day 'Piper Bill' Millin laid to rest

 A clip about Piper Bill Millin

Top Secret: Capture Montgomery

1st SS Panzer group has gotten intelligence that Field Marshall Montgomery is visiting the 15th Scottish Division

Assorted Scottish battalions consisting of Seaforth, Gordon and Argyll and Sutherland Highlaners man defenses in anticipation of any German attack.

The forward lines are held by the Highland Light Infantry

One regiment is holding a bunker while another awaits and advance order in their half-track.

The SS race up the road, running into the forest to close with the bunker to get Montgomery.

A Churchill moves out in support. For the rest of the game, it remained as a target, failing to get any fire orders.

 The Forth and Fife Yeomanry rush out an Anti-aircraft half-track which takes out a Panzer II and cuts down a section of SS. The Seaforths rush out to take the position from the SS.

An officer moves out to rally the troops to hold the line.

Despite the gallant defense, the SS were able to snatch Montgomery away. 

We used the Top Secret scenario for this game, and I did better than usual. However, we've built the 15th Scottish Division without much anti-tank capability. I have ordered some more 6pdr Anti-tank guns, and may pick up some other kit for them in the near future, unless things change over here.

Canadian Divisions in Italian campaign 1943-45 and North-West Europe 1944-45

3 Canadian Divisions took part in the invasions of Scilly and the Italian mainland. Most of their equipment was used from 8th army stores from North Africa.
First Canadian Division
Recce: 4th Recce 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards
1st Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery: 25 pdr, 5.5in gun
1st Anti-tank Royal Canadian Artillery: 17pdr
Weapons battalion: Saskatoon Light Infantry: Vickers machine-guns, mortars

1st Brigade:
Royal Canadian Regiment
Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment
48th Highlanders of Canada

2nd Brigade:
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
Loyal Edmonton Regiment

3rd Brigade:
Royale 22eme Regiment
Carleton and York Regiment
Wesr Nova Scotia Regiment

1st Canadian Armored Brigade:
11th Armored Regiment, The Ontario Regiment
12th Armored Regiment, Regiment de Trois Rivere
14th Armored Regiment, The Calgary Regiment

4th Canadian Armored Division (in NNormandy)
22nd Armored Regiment, Canadian Grenadier Guards
28th Armored Regiment, The British Columbia Regiment
South Alberta Light Horse, Armored Recce
Motor Regiment, Lake Superior Regiment

10th Brigade:
Lincoln and Welland Regiment
Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada
The Algonquin Regiment

5th Canadian Armored Division
Recce: Governor Generals Horse Guards
17th Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery
4th Anti-tank, Royal Canadian Artillery
2nd Armored Regiment, Lord Strathconnas Horse
5th Armored Regiment, 8thNew Brunswick Hussars
9th Armored Regiment, The British Columbia Dragoons
Motor Regiment, The Westminster Regiment

Weapons: Princess Louise Fusiliers
11th Brigade:
The Perth Regiment
The Cape Breton Highlanders
The Irish Regiment of Canada

Osprey Publishing - Scottish Divisions in the World Wars

Osprey Publishing - Scottish Divisions in the World Wars



This is another book I got recently from www.amazon.uk for research on my Bolt Action gamming.

The text covers the Scottish divisions raised for the First World War and then the Second World War.



The premise of this text is explaining that the focus of the Scottish soldier in both conflicts was not necessarily on their regiment, but their division.



However, I would disagree. Scottish Regiments, and battalions are very much big on their esprit de corps, guarding their traditions fiercely with pride. Their tartans, mess traditions, cap badges all go to forging the tough soldiers Scotland has made.

I also bought the book in memory of the Scottish Independence Referendum of 2014.