The second unit of dismounted North West Mounted Police.

I have been struggling how to classify them in MWWBK’s as they were meant to be “trained like cavalry, but designated as police“.

A close look at the role of the volunteers from “the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) who participated in the South African War (Boer War), 1899-1902, shows that the bulk of the NWMP contribution took place within two units, the Canadian Mounted Rifles (CMR) and Lord Strathcona’s Horse (LSH)”.

“The role of the NWMP in both units was to counter the guerrilla operations used by the South Africans to frustrate the larger, slower British army throughout the early stages of the war. Both the CMR and LSH, led primarily by NWMP officers, achieved considerable success.“

Canadian Military Journal, Vol. 9, No. 2, 2008

So they were “trained like cavalry, but designated as police“, and to counter the guerrilla operations of the Boers. A close look at the definitions of each troop type in MWWBK’s shows that the best fit the Irregular Infantry, Irregular Cavalry options.

The rule book reads” “This troop type includes Boers, army scouts and volunteers, and colonial police”. They were well equipped and had excellent discipline.

As a result I have classed the dismounted NWMP as Irregular Infantry with Modern rifles @5pts each.

The Mounted NWMP fits the Irregular Cavalry designation “This category includes those regular cavalry units who were less inclined to mix it with sabre drill, preferring to stand off and shoot (although still capable in close combat with pistols and melee weapons”.

The “Lancer” units could be given the lancer upgrade.

Tomorrow something a little different.

The figures are from Pulp Figures by Bob Murch in Canada from his Yukon Peril range.
I find postage from North America too costly so you could try North Star. . A number of the figures in the range seem to have disappeared. The Gatling gun is a 7th Cavalry from Artizan Games.