2nd New Zealand Division, Middle East 1941-45

For my North African and Italian campaign, I have painted up my ESCI Commonwealth Infantry as 2nd New Zealand Division.
So far I have painted up the 18th Battalion. I will also include the Maori Battalion

My soldiers and armor order arrived. Happy to say I really liked the Stuart tank kit. Not only could I build a Stuart tank for the Kiwis but also I could build a Kangaroo Stuart!
I need to get cracking on painting them, as well as a Sherman

Hold Until Relieved: 2nd Canadian Division, 4th Armoured Division, 11th Armoured Division, 53rd Welsh Division attack Schelt November 1944

 attempt at a panoramic shot

Royal Artillery take up position to sweep the British and Canadian front

the recce units probe forward followed by the 7th Armoured Division

the 4 Armoured Brigade takes the center covered by the 11th Armoured Division in the rear

the Germans hold a fortified town. The objective was for the British and Canadian units to take out the supply objective.

After the first round, the Anglo-Canadian force was unable to break through the line completely. Three times the Canadians had taken the German trenches, but each time they counter attacked. The Royal Artillery gave a good account of themselves, as did the Royal Air Force by taking out the German Nebelwefer, but the Canadian Second Division just couldn't hit the Germans hard enough. By the time of turn six, only the fifth and sixth brigades remained. 

Once again 1st SS LSSAH held the line.

1st Airborne Division UK 1944

This is my Airborne Division painted up. I first started collecting the figures in 1983.

 1st Air Landing Regiment Royal Artillery. 2 75mm guns with jeeps to tow

1st Airborne Brigade: 1,2,3 Para

2 Airborne Brigade 3, 4, 5 Para

3rd Airborne Brigade 7,8,9 Para

 4th Airborne Brigade, 10,11,156 Para

Elements of 6th Airborne

Airborne Recce Squadron with MG Jeeps

Additional support now includes Vickers MG and 81mm MTRS pictures to follow. 

British 49th West Riding Division: Polar bears

The following units I have painted up for this Division
Essex Regiment: modeled by troops in green berets
Royal Scots Fusiliers: 2 companies 6 figures
Leicestershire Regiment: I company 5 figures with an M3 Half-track

Duke of Wellington Regiment:

I've found some time and I'm updating this page.

The 8th Armoured Brigade is attached and I'm going to list what I have.

A 25pdr gun with CMP tractor

A 40mm Bofors AA gun

A Sherman Firefly

A Stuart Honey

A Universal Carrier patrols of 2 carriers

An M3 Half-track 

An M3 Half-track with Mortar fir the Kensington Regiment with an additional pair of mortars and Vickers MMG 

9th Durham Light Infantry: 3 stands

1st Leicestershire Regiment: 2 stands

11th Royal Scots Fusiliers: 1 stand

British 50th Division TT

The following units I have painted up as 50th Division

1 Dorset Regiment: 12 Figures
6 Durham Light Infantry: 5 figures with an M3 Half-track

6 Durham Light Infantry: 4 Bren teams
5 East Yorkshire Regiment: 4 Bren teams

1 Hampshire Regiment: 4 Bren teams

1 Dorset Regiment: 4 teams

6 Green Howards: 2 teams

Support: 2 Cheshire Regiment: 2x Vickers MG, 2x 81mm motar.

1 M3 Half-track 

2 M3 AA Half-track 

1 M3 Scout car

British 11th Armoured Division 1944-45

Having finally begun to organise and paint up my Bolt Action collection, I will begin to label and organise my units.

The 11th Armoured Division was made up of these units:
23rd Hussars: Sherman,
3rd Royal Tank Regiment: Sherman
2nd Fife Forfar Yeomanry: 2 Comet tanks

2nd Northampton Yeomanry: Stuart Honey as Recce

Motor Battalion: 8th Battalion Rifle Brigade mounted in M3 Half-track
151st Ayreshire Yeomanry, Royal Artillery: 25pdr gun.
75th Anti-Tank Royal Artillery: towed 17pdr gun.
This is one of my stronger divisions on the table due to the amount of kit for an armoured division.
Pictures to follow.

The Universal Carrier

One of my favorite vehicles for Bolt Action and Flames of War, is the Universal Carrier.

From Osprey Publishing New Vanguard (Fletcher, 2005)
The Universal Carrier was a fast, lightly armed vehicle developed by the British Army to carry infantry across ground defended by small-arms fire, specifically the Bren light machine, gun, hence the name 'Bren Gun Carrier'.
Roles included carrying ammunition, towing anti-tank guns, scouting, mortars, vickers machine-gun and I have seen .50  cal guns.
In my collection, I have two carriers which are tows for 2x6pdr guns
1 is painted as a Queen's Own Rifles  carrier with an added bren for AA.
Three carriers are painted as infantry carriers.
I've also picked up 7 Universal carrier variants which will consist of mortar carriers, Vickers MG, flamethrower variants as well.
Pictures to follow