These are from the Airfix 54mm British in North Africa box set.

I again have painted them up as Australians (or British in Burma), unfortunately they are not equipped with the Owen gun.

The “Expeditionary Force” Australian figures do have the correct SMG and I will swap the British over when I have completed the Australian ones correctly armed.

I now have completed my first unit with the Lieutenant and his command group.

Now for the Bren Gunners next.

Went to Berwick Wargames Association today to celebrate Wal’s eightieth birthday, and let me tell you, it was an epic bash! Picture a room bursting with laughter and tales taller than the miniature soldiers themselves, as friends and fellow wargamers gathered to toast this incredible milestone. Wal, a longtime companion and our fearless commander in the plastic warfare, has spent decades inspiring us—mostly by making us question our sanity for spending weekends battling alongside him and his tiny army! His vast knowledge of games has crafted countless legendary moments on the battlefield, including the infamous day he lured me over to show off his new table. Imagine a battleground teeming with lead Byzantine and Sassanian cavalry that decided to audition for a theme park ride! We just about managed to avert disaster and save Wal’s carpet from a landslide of tiny warriors. Undeterred, we heroically shoved a chair under the table and charged on, rolling dice like valiant gladiators, all while desperately trying to keep a straight face. Who would’ve thought that gaming could also be classified as a full-contact sport?

The atmosphere of the day was buzzing with excitement like a bee in a paint shop as members gathered to celebrate this momentous milestone. A slew of large games were on display, including a mesmerizing 7 Years War battle that showcased miniatures so beautifully painted they could’ve won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Seriously, those flags were individual masterpieces; I half-expected them to start waving themselves! Not to be outdone, the Napoleonic game brought its own flair, with scenery so vibrant it made my crayon box look like a dull monochrome disaster. The camaraderie among the group was off the charts, with laughter and friendly banter echoing across the table like a sitcom episode gone wild!

I say table because, despite the plethora of games just waiting to be tackled and the upbeat vibes swirling around us, we found ourselves languishing at the Bar-b-Que table, chatting “ship” like pros all day long. We shared stories and laughter like they were on sale, reminiscing about our glorious pasts and forging connections that would make even Wi-Fi jealous. It was a twilight zone of conversation where time just gave up, lost in the delicious scent of grilled goodies, while the sun and the wine, put on a show, casting a warm glow over our little gathering, as if to say, “This is the highlight of your week, folks!” And it was!

The day was bursting with laughter and hilarity as the banter ricocheted around like a hyperactive pinball, creating an atmosphere so electric that even a power outage would’ve been jealous. Poor Wal found himself as the designated punchline, taking a flurry of playful jabs with the grace of a seasoned pro, including one particularly colorful remark dubbing the event an “open casket” gathering—clearly because his jokes were dead on arrival! Not his age, never that! The laughter bounced around the table, with the group delighting in the lighthearted exchanges as Wal, always the good sport, wore his title of “center of attention” like a badge of honour. We even claimed to have our very own zombie on the team, a hilarious way of saying he had a knack for scaring away the 40k players. The day was a wild romp of unforgettable fun and riotous camaraderie that would be talked about for ages! well at least until the end of the weekend,

On the drive across town I picked up some goodies on the way as one does. As well as some paints I picked up these fine fellows.

I have given away most of my fantasy armies away and needed some skeletons for “The Silver Bayonet”. Fitting really as it was Wals 80th!

I always like to pick up some of the larger Reaper figures like this Troll king.

Also this giant wererat.

Wal we hope you had a great day and remember what was written on your card:

“The good news is that you’re just waddling into the 4th quarter of the game of life; the bad news? At your age, the only scoring you’re likely to do is on your weekly bingo night!”

I have put together another 12 “place mats” of terrain today and undercoated them with a matt black “rattle can”..

Again the basing is mdf place mats available in most good hardware stores, and all of the buildings, walls, and rubble have been made out of cork tiles. See my previous post.

I had some plaster casts of some gun emplacements I made probably 40 years ago.

They were casts of the old Bellona vac-u-form terrain. Many of you will recall these classics from Charles Grant, Donald Featherstone, and Terrence Wise’s books.

Amera Plastic Mouldings are making similar products as Bellona and these are readily available. I have also some plaster casts of the “Wargame Bridge” above. Anyway I digress.

I have four of the mats with gun emplacements but most of the additional twelve are ruined buildings.

I still need to put together eight more and these will all be clusters of intact small village houses.

As I continue to progress on this project I will keep you informed with regular updates.

A few days ago I posted on the brethren Skirmish WW2 rules. In the spirit of “paint the “ship” you’ve got” I decide that I would use 54mm scale for these rules.

I have a box of Airfix 1/35 scale British in North Africa, and some Pacific Australians and Japanese from Expeditionary Force, based in Singapore.

This figure is the officer from the Airfix boxed set painted in jungle greens.

By the time the Australians were wearing jungle greens in New Guinea, the shorts had given way to long trousers because of the frequent bouts of malaria.

Still officers have the power to dress in whatever they want! Not sure what the numver six is, but is probably a figure code from Airfix. Only noticed it when I was putting the expanded photos on the post. I will make sure I shave it off the other figures.

Maybe he is only one third as good as the “beast”, but as Revelation 13:18 quotes, it should be on his forehead or right hand, not on his clothing!

A nice figure and am pleased with my first attempt for this project.

More in a few days time.

Does it matter? Not if it is a homophone, but It does when you are referring to this one!

The wicked witch was flying through the stormy skies, her evil laugh echoing ominously as she terrorizes the townsfolk below, casting dark shadows over the frightened villagers; her loyal army of zombies swarming the streets, each one groaning and stumbling forward with an insatiable hunger for the living, causing chaos and despair wherever they roam, their hollow eyes glowing eerily in the dim light, while the wind howls as if warning the inhabitants of the impending doom that looms over their once peaceful town.

The villagers, sensing the danger, quickly gather their families and barricade themselves indoors, trembling in fear of the dark sorcery and malevolent magic unleashed upon their lives. Among them stands a brave boy, heart pounding in his chest, clutching his trusty bow tightly; emboldened by the desperation of the moment, he quietly slips out into the fray, determined to confront the evil that has descended upon their home. With every step, he can hear the cacophony of growls and wails rising around him, but his resolve is stronger than his fear.

Below the ominous clouds, a the witches evil cat scurries through the half-lit alleys, startling the other animals who hide.

Sensing the malevolent presence closing in; with a deep breath, the boy takes aim, knowing that he must act quickly to protect his village and defeat the wicked witch before it is too late. As he moves stealthily through the night, the very air feels charged with electricity, and he can almost feel the eyes of the dark sorceress watching him, a sinister presence that sends shivers down his spine.

Every corner he turns reveals scenes of utter chaos, with villagers calling for help, and the shadows of the undead dancing menacingly in the flickering candlelight. His thoughts race; he remembers the tales of old, stories of heroes who faced down darkness with courage and cunning, and he knows that now is his moment to rise above fear and become the champion his village so desperately needs. With clad determination, he readies his bow, selecting the perfect arrow imbued with a glimmer of hope, and as he readies his aim, time seems to slow, the fate of the town resting on his small shoulders. He fires……………….

I found this figure in the bits box and thought it would be good to add to the rest of the coven on the shelf.

I needed some more terrain for 20mm WW2 Early War in North Africa and MWWBK. I had some left over cork tiles from another project so I decided to use them for some buildings and walled animal enclosures.

The tiles were cut into strips about 20mm high and glued to mdf place mats. and then sprayed with a matt black cheap rattle can.

Next step was to dry brush them with Kaiser Colour Mocha

The base was also dry brushed to minimize bleed through when the flocking is applied.

They were next dry brushed with Byron acrylic burnt sienna and then Montemarte titanium white. The latter was applied quite liberally.

The white lightened up the walls.

Once all this was dry a sand style flocking was applied to the base.

The terrain fits in well with the Airfix “Fort Sahara”.

I still have twenty more place mats to complete to have enough to cover a 6X4 table, as I am wanting to re-fight Tobruk and Bardia.